Should you replace your old laptop with a Chromebook?

Key Takeaways

• Chromebooks are expensive and ideal for web-based tasks, and not very suitable for office work.
• Chromebooks are generally not suitable for heavy creative work due to the low-end hardware on the market.
• You can turn your old laptop into a Chromebook for free, using Google’s ChromeOS Flex platform.

The laptop world is vast, and filled with a wealth of options to choose from. Options range from the latest and greatest Copilot + PCs running Windows 11, Apple’s MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, and a host of Chromebooks.

If you’re in the market for a new laptop, the affordable range of Chromebook devices may already be piqued your interest. If you’re considering switching to ChromeOS, here’s everything you need to consider.

Can a Chromebook replace my old laptop?

Yes, depending on your personal computer operating system

Chromebooks run the ChromeOS operating system, which is Google’s desktop equivalent of Microsoft Windows and Apple’s macOS. ChromeOS doesn’t have the same decades of history as competing platforms, which is arguably both a blessing and a curse.

On a Windows-based laptop or MacBook, the backlog of native software programs and applications goes way back. ChromeOS, on the other hand, being named as a web-first OS, relies on web apps to get the job done. Essentially, this means that if your computing experience depends on some piece of legacy software that’s only available on a Mac or Windows PC, you may not be able to get your work done on a Chromebook.

You won’t have to deal with any of the bloated legacy code that sometimes slows down Windows laptops.

Fortunately, software is increasingly integrating the platform, and a significant number of programs and services are now available over the web. If your workflow consists of office tasks such as word processing, spreadsheet manipulation, email and calendar writing, or presentation creation, it’s easier than ever to get the job done using tools available directly through your web browser.

And, as an added benefit, you won’t have to deal with any of the bloated legacy code that sometimes slows down Windows laptops.

Can a Chromebook be used for creative work?

A Windows laptop or MacBook is probably still the way to go

If your workflow involves photo editing, video editing, or heavy CAD work, a Chromebook probably won’t give you the perfect experience.

The main reason for this comes down to the hardware — most Chromebook devices go with low-end specifications, as they are mainly aimed at the education sector. Heavy workloads require a processing grunt to back it up, and most high-end laptops run Windows or macOS.

There’s a good chance that high-end Chromebook hardware will see an increase in popularity if given enough time.

With the advent of running Android software from the Google Play Store on ChromeOS, a number of creative apps can now be run on a Chromebook. For example, you can download and install the popular Android LumaFusion video editor into the system, or you can be bothered by the mobile way of designing the interface, and the relative lack of processing power available for development.

If ChromeOS continues to gain consumer market share and more creative apps take over, there’s a good chance that high-end Chromebook hardware will see a surge in popularity given enough time.

You can also turn your outdated laptop into a Chromebook without a hardware upgrade

Google’s ChromeOS Flex is a free download

If you’re not quite ready to part with your existing PC or Mac laptop, but find your system’s speed slow to a crawl, consider downloading ChromeOS Flex from Google’s website.

ChromeOS Flex, at its core, is the same operating system that ships with new Chromebook hardware. What sets it apart is that it is designed to be downloaded and installed on older PC hardware. In particular, it is a useful alternative for systems that use slow and outdated systems.

ChromeOS Flex is a great way to explore the user interface and desktop environment native to Chromebook hardware.

Due to the lightweight nature of ChromeOS and the lack of legacy software code, there is a good chance that you will notice a significant speed increase when you switch your laptop to a Chromebook that is close to Google’s solution. Google describes ChromeOS Flex as a way to “update your existing devices for free with a modern, cloud-based operating system that’s secure and easy to manage.”

If you’re okay with Google’s heavy-handed way of collecting data, installing ChromeOS Flex is a great way to test user interaction and the desktop environment available on Chromebook hardware.