You can not think of anything without a computer. To say computer we mean desktop computers. There are portable forms of these machines. They are called laptops. There are varieties of laptops. One of them is Chromebook. Today we will discuss what makes a Chromebook different from a traditional laptop.
Laptops are portable computers almost similar to personal computers or desktop pcs. They have almost all the facilities a desktop can offer. The difference is portability and ability to update the hardware. So this is the main theme of a laptop. Now, what is Chromebook? Chromebook is also a laptop or you can say notebook. But the difference between a laptop and a Chromebook is the operating system, size, and price.
Storage and software
Chromebooks use a chrome operating system which solely depends on the internet. You will get very limited storage of 32GB for a base model (for higher storage you have to pay more than a traditional laptop). That’s because Chrome OS takes only about 7GB of storage and your main storage system is a cloud base storage system like google cloud.
You do not have to install any software for your day-to-day work. You can get them online from the Playstore. Also, Microsoft 365 is available online for your documentation. You can save your documents, photos in google drive or google photos. So the main job is done on the chrome internet browser.
In the case of laptops I mean most of the laptops based on windows use windows operating systems. They are not solely dependable on the internet. I am saying that laptops do not need the internet. Most of the works on laptops is done offline.
The base model of a laptop offers at least 64 GB of storage. Because the Windows operating system takes 15GB of storage. Not only that you can get more storage at a lower price compared to that of a high storage Chromebook.
A laptop uses solid-state hard drives for storage. So you are not dependent on only cloud storage rather it’s optional for you. You can get any enterprise software you want though you have to pay a price. You are not limited to some free software offered on the internet.
If you want to work on documentation, architectural drawing, or designing anything you can get it offline with the help of Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, or Adobe Photoshop, etc. That gives laptops an upperhand over Chromebooks.
Display and weight
Chromebooks are mostly smaller in size. They come in small screen sizes and weight. They offer screen sizes ranging from 10 to 12 inches. The weight of Chromebooks varies between 2 to 3 pounds mostly. This feature gives an upper hand to these notebooks on laptops. I am not telling you won’t get Chromebooks with larger screens, you will. But you have to pay a price at which you will be able to buy a laptop that can surpass the performance of that Chromebook.
Now laptops sizes vary. Laptop screens range from 12 to 16 inches. Thus varies their weight. Most of them weigh between 3.3 lbs to 5.5 lbs depending on the screen size. More screen sizes and features you want, you have to pay more. If you are thinking, can you get a laptop that will have all the features you want but still it would weigh lighter or almost light like a Chromebook, then the answer is yes. You can get a laptop lighter like a Chromebook with all the features you want. But you have to pay almost double the price of a Chromebook to get those features.
Screen Resolution
Screen resolution helps to get a better view. So it is a big deal for getting sharper images and being able to watch a high-resolution video. The more resolution the screen offers, the more quality you get.
In terms of screen resolution, Chromebook is incapable of delivering quality. Most of the Chromebooks have low-resolution screens thus they fail to provide higher pixel density resulting in poor image and video quality. Nowadays, Chromebooks with higher resolution are available at a high price.
Most of the laptops offer higher-resolution displays compared to Chromebooks. They are even cheaper and packed with high-end features compared to a high-resolution Chromebook with a towering price.
Performance
The performance of laptops and Chromebooks are quite visible. Due to the use of offline enterprise-level software, high graphic games, laptops need more processing power. That’s why most of them come with high-power hardware that easily rivals a Chromebook.
Whereas Chromebook main work is done by chrome browser or in other word internet is the mainframe which helps the device to get most of its work done. So it does not come with such hardware that a laptop offers.
Battery Life
One of the main features is a battery for portable computers. Battery life matters on how much power you need to run your software or to maintain the operating system.
Chromebooks come with a low-end processing system that requires less battery consumption. Why? Because most of the work a Chromebook is done on the internet. It can easily run for at least 10 hours without charging. Some new ones can run up to 13 hours.
In the case of laptops, as they use offline software, games, and graphic cards which require more power and storage, they come with high-end processors and larger batteries. Batteries in a laptop can last from at least 6 hours to 13 hours depending on how heavy you are using it.
Which one is for you?
So which one to choose? This depends on what purpose you want to use the device for. If you are a student or someone whose works are limited to checking email, watching videos on YouTube, using Facebook, or little documentation that can be done with Google docs, then Chromebook is for you.
But if you are an advanced level user who works with graphics designing software like AutoCAD, 3dstudio max, Adobe photoshop or illustrator, etc, plays high graphics games that require more power and battery life then you must go for laptops.