We are very familiar with the concept of online learning. But never did we think online classes will replace physical classes so soon.
The pandemic has forced us to enroll in new ways of education. Because of the subtleness, it is natural to be concerned about which device can offer the best services regarding online classes.
We have commonly used desktops and laptops for learning purposes, but Google’s Chromebook also offers some promising features.
In this article, we are going to go through some major differences between Chromebooks and Laptops to dictate which is better for online classes.
What Is A Chromebook?
Chrome books are powerful yet simple laptops that run on the Google OS system, which is simple, secured, and easy to use.
You can basically do all the things you could do with your google chrome browser and more. Chromebooks save you tons of time since you do not need to update your software.
You can just charge it up, open it, and get working.
Difference between a Chromebook & A Laptop
Here comes the interesting part. For better understanding, we have highlighted the key differences in three categories that are-
- Internal Hardware
From the outside, you can hardly tell the difference between a Chromebook and a laptop. Both have keyboards, built-in screens, and cameras. Some even have touchscreen displays.
However, on the inside, there are some major differences. With laptops, you will mostly get high-end processors from AMD and Intel alongside several other microprocessors.
As for Chromebooks, most of the low to mid-range Chromebooks come with lower-performing and lesser-known processors because they are not designed for high performing tasks. There are powerful Chromebooks that run on core Intel Chips but come at a hefty price.
- Operating System
Most modern laptops run on the familiar Windows 10 operating system and run an array of applications. They also come with high-end graphics cards for the gaming experience.
Chromebooks come with Chrome-based OS, which is fairly easy to use. The present Chromebooks can also run android apps, making them more versatile.
- Storage
Even the low-end laptops have a storage of 128 GB with high-ends having up to 1 TB. Chromebooks come with an average of only 16 GB of local storage. It is natural to be surprised.
But the Chromebook is designed to have all your works saved up on your google drive. Even the data of the apps are saved in the drive which is why it has such low built-in storage.
Which Is Better For Online Classes?
Now comes the tricky part, just picking one out of the blue will not be a wise decision, which is why we wanted to focus on some specific factors related to online classes.
Ease of Usage
Both laptops and Chromebooks are easy to use, but Chromebooks are much simpler. You can do all the browsing in the world, finish school tasks, home works, and stream audio & video.
You can complete any written tasks using google docs and share your work with your teacher easily. The online version of the Microsoft Office Suite is also available and your work is always being saved online so you do not have to worry about losing it or accidentally deleting it.
Laptops on the other hand are very versatile and you can do almost any work. Whether it be researching, gaming, or working, you can do it all. Chromebooks just cannot match the versatility of a laptop.
This, however, is claimed to be a strong point for learning. With a Chromebook, you will not have any distractions and can seamlessly continue your classes.
Level of Security
The Chromebook has built-in antiviruses to constantly protect you from malware attacks. Since all your work will be constantly uploaded on the internet, Google has made sure you can continue it without worrying about viruses.
The device was specially made to be free from viruses and requires very little upkeep. Even if you accidentally run applications filled with viruses, the Chromebook is easy to wipe and reset. You also will not lose any data if it happens.
Overall, the Chromebook is an extremely hard shell to crack.
You can also install anti-viruses on laptops, but they come at a hefty price. Not to mention a lot of the trial versions are laggy and will simply bombard you with ads.
Cost of the Device
Chromebooks used for learning and online classes are flat out cheap. You can get a mid-range Chromebook within $150-$200 with ease, whereas mid-range laptops can cost about $400.
But that’s not the best part. You can also save money on apps.
With the advent of online classes, we use a lot of different apps. For instance, we use Evernote which costs about $3.99 per month for taking notes of lectures.
You can save this money by using Google Keep, which has the same functions as Evernote but is completely free on Chromebooks.
For every Chromebook purchase, you will get 100 GB of google drive storage completely free for 2 years. Whereas, on a laptop, you will have to spend $9.99 for dropbox storage.
Not to mention, you will get google docs, sheets, and slides all for free and will not have to spend on applications like Office 365.
To sum up, we would like to nominate Chromebooks as a better option for online classes. This in no way means that Chromebooks are better than laptops in every scenario, but it is better for online classes and learning activities because it is easy to use and comes at a very affordable price.
However, no device is without flaws. The major flaws of a Chromebook are that it will not function well without decent Wi-Fi and the mid-range ones will not be able to run specialized software for different engineering courses.
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Final Thoughts
Both laptops and Chromebooks are ideal for online education. If you want something only for online classes, then go for a Chromebook. If you want to be able to do more than just study, then go for a laptop. Ultimately, the choice comes down to you.