For the longest time, there were two options when it came to buying a laptop: Mac or PC. Then, a decade ago, a third choice emerged from Google- the Chromebook. Praised for its affordability and efficiency, Chromebooks quickly became a go-to favorite for educators and school administrators as a cost-effective way to get computers into the hands of students.
But what makes a Chromebook different from a Mac or a PC? In other words, what is a Chromebook good for? Let’s take a look at Chromebooks and how they have helped students in school districts across America affordably participate in online learning opportunities.
What is a Chromebook?
First things first- what makes a laptop a Chromebook, versus a Mac or a PC? In a nutshell, Chromebooks operate on Chrome OS system software, while Macs and PCs run on Mac OS and Microsoft Windows, respectively.
If your next question is, “What difference does that make?” you’re not alone! If you are mostly purchasing a computer to help you connect to the Internet, your operating system makes virtually no difference at all. In fact, unless you need to run a program that is only available exclusively on a Mac OS or Windows platform, which is pretty rare these days, you should be just fine with a Chromebook.
What can a Chromebook be used for?
You can use a Chromebook for virtually anything you would use any other kind of laptop for. With more and more schools and businesses using cloud-based apps, streaming services, or other online platforms as opposed to traditional software that is stored on a hard drive, it’s just as easy to use a Chromebook to access these programs as it is to use a Mac or a PC.
During the pandemic, students participating in remote learning sessions via Chromebook were able to log into Zoom, Google Meet, or another video conferencing service to attend live classes, and were also able to complete any homework that had been assigned through Google Classroom or Canvas. The use of Chromebook headphones with a microphone gave them the ability to participate in class sessions as well as complete listening activities, second-language learning labs, and more.
The bottom line is this: as the trend toward cloud-based software continues, a Chromebook can be a very smart purchase for anyone who wishes to use a computer primarily to access the Internet. The user-friendly properties of Chrome OS have made Chromebooks a fan favorite with adults and children alike. Chromebooks have brought Internet access and computing power to millions of people who may not have otherwise been able to afford a laptop of their own, and we see them emerging as the go-to choice for consumers in the coming years.