Does anyone have experience with a Chromebook?

[Psychodisney]

We are considering a laptop purchase for our DD14 for homework purposes. My DS suggested looking at Chromebooks. What are they? I see that they are significantly cheaper than a laptop. I know her high school does a lot through Google and Google Docs. If she writes a paper on Google, do I need Word? I know things are stored in the cloud and not on the machine. What else do I need to know?

Thanks

 

[rimomma66]

The students use Chromebooks here. They are great for homework/web research purposes. She will not need Word because Google Docs has it's own document creator. (She can also do spreadsheets, presentations (like Powerpoint) etc with it) She can also use Google drive to store everything and share with her teachers. You cannot download anything onto the machine- it is all web/cloud based. The kids love using them here.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

WOW - I just logged in to ask the VERY SAME question. My younger son is a sophomore and everything at school is on google doc's and submitted through turn it in.

My Dell is dying and won't load google chrome as a browser,and I don't want to venture into the Windows 8 mess, and I don't want to have to buy Microsoft Office on top of the laptops I am looking at.

PLEASE more info on these laptops. Above post helps - glad to know I wouldn't have to purchase more software to word process.

Looks like printing may be a problem - must have a cloud based able printer or something????

 

[platamama]

DD's elementary school has these in the classrooms, and the students share them. They have Google accounts set up by the school district, and they can work on their writing pieces, share it with their teacher (using Google Docs)who can then make comments on their work. They use Chrome as their browser, and while I don't have the opportunity to tinker with it, I assume the district has applied filters to keep content appropriate. It's quite popular with the kids.

I believe you do need a printer that can get its data wirelessly, as there are no cables connecting these Chromebooks to a printer. There's no CD/DVD drive but there is a USB port for flash drives.

 

[MomToOne]

Be sure to google reviews - they are not very highly regarded, mainly because of Google Docs and the need to be connected to the internet to do most things. If you hit situations where you are not connected to the internet, they can become useless. I tried to use Google Docs and really WANTED to love them - I use LOTS of Google tools, LOVE Google Drive, have a Google tablet, and Google Cell phone so you could say I drank the Google Koolaid - but I could only edit certain types of documents offline. I gave up using Google Docs because of that restriction. If all you need is a Word processor (which does work offline) or are always connected to the Internet, then it might be OK.

 

[wiigirl]

Be sure to google reviews - they are not very highly regarded, mainly because of Google Docs and the need to be connected to the internet to do most things. If you hit situations where you are not connected to the internet, they can become useless. I tried to use Google Docs and really WANTED to love them - I use LOTS of Google tools, LOVE Google Drive, have a Google tablet, and Google Cell phone so you could say I drank the Google Koolaid - but I could only edit certain types of documents offline. I gave up using Google Docs because of that restriction. If all you need is a Word processor (which does work offline) or are always connected to the Internet, then it might be OK.

The having to be connected to the internet is why I will never get one....

 

[FarmDisney]

We bought our daughters Acer chromebooks in November 2012. The Acer models do have storage on the computer (not all in the cloud) and have USB ports and some other card readers. I never thought I would have an Acer, but it had so many more features than the Samsung chromebooks, and we have been very happy with them. With ours, the girls can work on Google Docs when they don't have internet access. Getting the printer set up was easy, but sometimes, it just prints a random page (hasn't done it in a few months so hopefully that problem is solved). For us, it was a great purchase - much more affordable than a traditional laptop, no issues with crashing, actually we haven't had any issues at all.

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

Anti virus is built in. And it updates itself.

 

[runwad]

I was thinking of getting one sometime in the future for my Dh to just surf the web on. He has an old netbook that he uses now and it's on its last leg.

 

[MOpGrad2013]

I'm using my DS19 Samsung Chromebook right now. He has a new laptop/tablet from Toshiba so when he went back to school after Thanksgiving, he left this for me.

Chromebook is alot different from the desktop or laptop. There are no regular programs on it--all Google type items so I have to have an internet connection to do many things. No storage except in the cloud. I am used to saving everything to the hard drive and then backing it up in the cloud.

I don't have Skype on the Chromebook. Have to use tablet or desktop for that program.

This one does have a camera, but I haven't used it. (I need more tutorial)

But, I do like this piece of equipment for what I use it for--email checking, weather checks, google maps. I don't use the majority of what a regular computer can do.

For the college student, I have to say that we should have just gotten the laptop instead of this. In the end, we have purchased a tablet, a chromebook, repaired old laptop and now he purchased the new Toshiba. But we were looking at cost and the college's abundant computer lab.

 

[Hippomom]

I am typing this from a chromebook. It has its pros and cons. You dont load programs but rather use apps, and you have to have internet access for most functions. I dont care for google docs. I prefer word, and I cant access my work on citrix through chrome book. So I use a laptop for these functions.

The pros, its light weight. It is great for browsing, everyone in my family prefers to use the chrome book over our Ipad, lap top, kindle etc when it comes to the internet. You can save google docs and have access to them offline or you can aceess your document though google cloud anywhere.

Lap tops have come down in price while my chrome book was 200 my Toshiba lab top with touch screen was under $400. I would say if their school does everything through google docs it my be okay. But a laptop would probably be more versatile
.

 

[LeslieG]

What about games? My kids are interested in that.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

What about games? My kids are interested in that.

Chromebooks are not suitable for gaming laptops.

Quite frankly, I don't understand why anyone would buy one over a regular laptop.

 

[hsmamato2]

I thought chromebooks were more like a glorified tablet,or phone...run on apps, can't play videos on youtube that aren't allowed,say,on an android phone,etc? It looks like a laptop,but isn't really (?) I think I can see anything on my smartphone that I can do with a chromebook

 

[LeslieG]

It actually depends on what games you want to play. There are a lot of internet games in facebook that is really fun to play.

Do you download games like apps the same way you would do on a tablet or phone? And if so, where are they downloaded from?

 

[cmkling]

Chromebooks are not suitable for gaming laptops.

Quite frankly, I don't understand why anyone would buy one over a regular laptop.

Because they're far less expensive. For someone who just wants to use it for internet and documents/spreadsheets is near perfect. We have five Chromebooks for less than the price of one 'regular' laptop. Dh, three kids, and me.

It isn't a gaming machine, but you can get most games you would be able to get on any android device. We've also set our's up with dual boot to Linux.

 

[LeslieG]

Does it have Google Play like Android devices that you can download apps???