I have an Acer Spin 13 Chromebook, a Google Slate tablet, as well as a Core i7 Chromebox, which is my main desktop. And my Windows desktop? Given to my parents and converted to Chrome OS by installing the CloudReady home edition by Neverware.
What is Chrome OS you might ask? Well, Chrome OS is a brand new operating system built by Google from the ground up with a view toward the web. If you have used a Chrome browser, you have pretty much used the operating system. Chrome OS is lightweight and requires very few resources.
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXaHt9pZCa8
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk8mp4gqEMQ (video a bit outdated since Chromebooks now have a desktop with wallpaper!)
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwVX42Amcak
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqIXPuuioEU
There is plenty of misinformation going around that Chromebooks are useless and cannot run Windows software.
While it is true that Chromebooks cannot run Windows software like Microsoft Office or iTunes, the bigger question is there replacements for that software? And the answer to that is yes.
Photo editing
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| Photo by Caio Resende from Pexels |
Word processing
No problem. Two solutions are available: Google docs or Microsoft Office online. Also, you can access all these Word Processing apps made for Android.In addition, if your Chromebook supports Linux apps (Crostini), you can install all the various open software out there like Libreoffice.
Video editing
You can cut or trim videos using the various online editing tools available. You can also use Android apps from the Play Store. And as mentioned below, you can turn on the Linux runtime and install Linux apps.
Music
No biggy. I'm pretty sure most of you are on YouTube anyway. You can also access the large library on Spotify or Amazon Prime Music, all of which have web interfaces.
Plus, you can upload your music to YouTube Music, and it will work on any device. With the advent of the Play Store, the Android version of YouTube Music is also available.
Also, many Chromebooks can run Linux apps (Crostini)! The beta feature will allow you to access all the apps available on Linux including LibreOffice and Gimp. These are the Chromebooks that currently support Crostini aka Linux on Chromebooks.
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Crostini/wiki/getstarted/crostini-enabled-devices
And as an added bonus, Chrome OS cannot be infected (unless you install a dodgy Linux app)! It is basically a web browser so there is nothing to infect. No nasty viruses or spyware. Also, updates install in the background and simply require a reboot to start. In addition, Chrome OS takes mere seconds (around 7 in my tests) from pressing the power button to being on the web.
So for hassle-free computing, give Chrome OS a try.
This blog post was created and edited on Chrome OS.
Gaming
It's a common myth you can't game on a Chromebook! Almost all modern Chromebooks support Android games (though your performance may vary depending on the specs).
Plus, there are a plethora of cloud gaming services, such as GeForce Now, Boosteroid, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
See https://cloudbase.gg/best-cloud-gaming-services for the pros and cons of each platform.
In addition, some Chromebooks even support installing Steam on them! See https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/14220699 for details.
Android Apps
Almost all modern Chromebooks have access to the Android Play store. That means that any apps that you use on your phone will now run on your Chromebook. This includes popular applications like WhatsApp and Microsoft Office, your bank's app for online banking, and games like Candy Crush. However, to take full advantage of Android apps, I would recommend getting a Chromebook with a touch screen display.Linux Runtime
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| Image by User:Qubodup on Wikimedia Commons. |
| Codename/Boardname | Brand | Model Name |
|---|---|---|
| banon [R70] | Acer | Chromebook 15 (CB3-532) |
| bob [R69] | ASUS | Chromebook Flip C101PA |
| celes [R70] | Samsung | Chromebook 3 (XE500C13) |
| coral [R69] | Acer | Chromebook 11 (C732, C732T, C732L & C732LT ), |
| Chromebook 11 (CB311 - 8H / 8HT), | ||
| Chromebook 15 CB315-1H / 1HT, | ||
| Chromebook Spin 15 CP315-1H / 1HT, | ||
| Chromebook Spin 11 (CP311-1H & CP311-1HN) | ||
| ASUS | Chromebook C223 / C423 / C523, | |
| CTL | Chromebook J41 / J41T, | |
| Chromebook NL7, | ||
| Chromebook NL7T-360 | ||
| Dell | Chromebook 11 5190, Chromebook 11 2-in-1 5190 | |
| Lenovo | 100e Chromebook, 500e Chromebook | |
| cyan [R70] | Acer | Chromebook R11 (CB5-132T / C738T / CB3-132) |
| edgar [R70] | Acer | Chromebook 14 (CB3-431) |
| elm [R72] | Acer | Chromebook R13 (CB5-312T) |
| eve [R69] | Pixelbook | |
| fizz [R69] | Acer | Chromebox CXI3 |
| ASUS | Chromebox 3 | |
| CTL | Chromebox CBx1 | |
| HP | Chromebox G2 | |
| ViewSonic | NMP660 Chromebox | |
| hana [R72] | Lenovo | N23 Yoga |
| kefka [R70] | Dell | Chromebook 11 Model 3180 / 3189 |
| kevin [R69] | Samsung | Chromebook Plus |
| nami [R69] | Acer | Chromebook 13 (CB713-1W ), |
| Chromebook Spin 13 (CP713-1WN-53NF) | ||
| Dell | Inspiron 14 2-in-1 7486 | |
| HP | x360 14 | |
| Lenovo | Yoga C630 | |
| nautilus [R69] | Samsung | Chromebook Plus (V2)/(LTE) |
| nocturne [R70] | Pixel Slate | |
| pyro [R69] | Lenovo | Thinkpad 11e Chromebook (4th Gen), |
| Thinkpad Yoga 11e Chromebook (4th Gen) | ||
| reef [R69] | Acer | Chromebook Spin 11 (R751T / CP511) |
| ASUS | Chromebook C213NA | |
| reks [R70] | Lenovo | N22 (Touch) Chromebook, |
| N23 Chromebook, | ||
| N23 Chromebook (Touch), | ||
| N42 (Touch) Chromebook | ||
| relm [R70] | Acer | Chromebook 11 N7 (C731 / CB311) |
| CTL | NL61 Chromebook | |
| Edxis | Education Chromebook | |
| HP | Chromebook 11 G5 EE | |
| Mecer | V2 Chromebook | |
| Positivo | Chromebook C216B | |
| sand [R69] | Acer | Chromebook 15 (CB515-1HT/1H) |
| scarlet [?] | Acer | Chromebook Tab 10 (D651N / D650N) |
| snappy [R69] | HP | Chromebook 11 G6 EE, |
| Chromebook 14 G5, | ||
| Chromebook x360 11 G1 EE | ||
| setzer [R70] | HP | Chromebook 11 G5, |
| Chromebook 11-vxxx | ||
| soraka [R69] | HP | Chromebook x2 |
| terra [R70] | ASUS | Chromebook C202SA, |
| Chromebook C300SA/C301SA | ||
| ultima [R70] | Lenovo | ThinkPad 11e Chromebook 3rd Gen (Yoga/Clamshell) |
| wizpig [R70] | CTL | J5 Chromebook |
| Edugear | CMT Chromebook | |
| Haier | Convertible Chromebook 11 C | |
| Multilaser | M11C Chromebook | |
| PCMerge | Chromebook PCM-116T-432B | |
| Prowise | ProLine Chromebook | |
| Viglen | Chromebook 360 |
Expected to get Crostini soon
The following list of devices is expected to receive Crostini soon based on recent code commits (source).
| Codename/Boardname | Brand | Model Name |
|---|---|---|
| nasher/coral | Dell | Chromebook 11 5190 |
| nasher 360/coral | Dell | Chromebook 11 2-in-1 5190 |
Unsupported Devices According to Google
| Device Description | Reason |
|---|---|
| Any device with BayTrail. | No VT-x. |
| Any device with Linux kernel 3.14 or older. | Requires backports. |
| Any device with a 32-bit ARM CPU. | Firmware issues, limited storage/RAM. |
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Crostini/wiki/getstarted/crostini-enabled-devices
And as an added bonus, Chrome OS cannot be infected (unless you install a dodgy Linux app)! It is basically a web browser so there is nothing to infect. No nasty viruses or spyware. Also, updates install in the background and simply require a reboot to start. In addition, Chrome OS takes mere seconds (around 7 in my tests) from pressing the power button to being on the web.
So for hassle-free computing, give Chrome OS a try.
This blog post was created and edited on Chrome OS.
