In defense of Chromebooks

There are no guarantees in life, except death, taxes, and Internet comments that say Chromebooks (laptops running Chrome OS) are seriously limited. Or so I concluded as I finished reading through an Internet thread earlier talking about Chromebooks. Much of the thread was talking about the limits. Such as: "You need to be connected to the Internet to use it!" Or: "You can't run Photoshop on it!" And how we could have something much better by buying a used laptop and slapping Linux on it.

Reading all this - once again! - makes me feel like an outsider. I've been a heavy computer user since Reagan was in office, and yet I see value in Chrome OS, particularly in Chromebooks. I can even imagine owning a Chromebook.

I won't argue that there are limitations with Chromebooks. For some jobs, they aren't the best choice. For other jobs, they are pretty much an impossible choice. At least, if one wants to get the job done, and stay sane.

But for many uses, a Chromebook will work fine. It may even be the best choice for some circumstances.

The biggest limitation one hears about is that Chromebooks only work when connected to the Internet. (This is not quite true - the Chromebook will run with no connection, and can even do some things off line - but there is no doubt that they are happiest when there is an active connection.) This is presented as a Huge Problem. Except...in today's world, many - if not most - computer users are connected at all times to the Internet. Past this, there are many users who only use a computer to connect to the Internet. When the connection goes, they won't be using the computer at all - whether it is a $150 Chromebook, or a $1,500 MacBook Pro.

Chromebooks give a a nice option for the Internet-only systems. Chromebooks can be quite inexpensive - starting at under $200 in my area. They are simple to use. They are secure. Chromebooks are also small and light for those who need portability.

Meanwhile, the other "options" that get mentioned may not be the best choice for many people. Does Grandma really want to buy an old ThinkPad off eBay, and then install Linux? Does an impoverished college student really want to spend $400 on a laptop when a $250 Chromebook may do all he or she needs? Does someone travelling a lot want to carry a large $400 Windows laptop? Or risk losing a $1,000 MacBook Air?

Even more demanding users might find Chromebooks suitable for some jobs. I, myself, would not be able to get by with a Chromebook as my only computer. But if I were buying a notebook computer, I'd give serious consideration to a Chromebook. I like the low cost (I'm cheap!). I like the portability. The limitations wouldn't matter, because it would be a second computer. It would be adequate for taking notes while doing library research. I could browse the Internet while in a coffee shop. It would be enough to keep me connected to e-mail if I left town on vacation. Meanwhile, I'd still have my desktop computer available for doing real work that demands more than a Chromebook.

In the end, Chromebooks are not 100% perfect for 100% of the people 100% of the time. For that matter, no computer is 100% perfect 100% of the time. But Chromebooks can be a worthwhile option for some users.