Earlier this week, I posted a video on our YouTube Channel entitled “Using A SD Card As A Hard Drive.” (If you haven’t watched it, it’s at the bottom of this post.) In the comments, a friend of mine asked if he could do the same thing with a Chromebook. I replied “Yes” and explained the procedure.

This post today isn’t about using a SD card as a hard drive. Rather, it’s about Chromebooks. A number of people have asked me about them – what are they? Should I get one? Are they as good as a Windows PC? Are they cheap(er)?

Let’s see if I can answer some, if not all, of these questions. A Chromebook can be manufactured by different companies but the operating system is a Google product. Chromebooks generally have little storage (smaller hard drives) as the idea is that the computer user will store files, pictures, etc. on Google Drive rather than on the machine. To accomplish this, the Chromebook has to be online. If you’re traveling and happen to be in an area where you can’t get Internet, you might be out of luck in accessing a file or picture you need. Of course, the same is true when it comes to retrieving your email.

Chromebooks come in a variety of screen sizes – 11.6,” 13″ and 14″ are the most popular. The screen can be touch or not. Almost all Chromebooks come with 4GB of RAM. Unlike Windows 10 which needs at least 8GB, 4GB is pretty much all you need to run a Chromebook although the more RAM, the better.

When it comes to pricing, Chromebooks are generally less expensive than a Windows PC but a few models can get pricey. For instance, HP has a pretty nice 14″ model with a touchscreen for only $379.99. (Find it here: https://amzn.to/3iGqinY.) At the same time, HP also has a touchscreen model with 8GB of RAM and a better processor for $608.80. (Find it here: https://amzn.to/3ms593f.) Normally, that price wouldn’t be too far off from a Windows PC but prices are higher across the board right now – thank you Covid-19!

HP isn’t the only manufacturer with Chromebooks – Lenovo has a touchscreen model for $490. (Find it here: https://amzn.to/3hNebod.) Samsung has a non-touch model for just $277.92. (Find it here: https://amzn.to/32GgGnY.)

Of course, if you’re a long-time reader/customer of mine, you know price alone is never the reason to purchase a particular computing device. This philosophy holds true with Chromebooks, as well. The first thing you need to ask yourself before considering a Chromebook is: am I okay with not being able to store much data on a machine and having to depend on the Internet to be able to access my stuff? If you’re a person who doesn’t store much data and you just want quick access to email and searching, a Chromebook might be just the ticket for you!

What about the learning curve? Yes, there are some procedures you’ll need to learn on the Chromebook; however, if you already use the Google Chrome browser and are comfortable doing so, you’ll be miles ahead when it comes to using a Chromebook. Also, if you are an Android user – smartphone or tablet – you’ll be used to using the Google Play Store.

If you have any questions about whether you should make your next laptop a Chromebook, feel free to ask in the comment area below.

Here’s the video I mentioned at the beginning of this post. If you learn anything by watching it, please give it a LIKE. 👍