If you plan on using locally installed apps like Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, or Steam, then you're going to find Chromebooks simply can't do that. The Android apps available through the Google Play marketplace are great, but they aren't as fully featured as similar desktop software. In most cases, Chrome OS simply can't run most of the installable software you'd find on a Windows laptop or a MacBook, so a Chromebook would be a bad choice for anyone hoping to use major flagship software offline. How is a Chromebook different from a laptop? There are certain things that these types of laptops just can’t do such as high-level gaming or video and photo editing. Testing conducted by HP using Google Chrome OS power LoadTest. Battery life will vary and the maximum capacity of the battery will naturally decrease with time and usage. See http://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/testing/power-testing for test details. That will obviously contribute to smooth and snappy browsing and running local apps, but the new ChromeOS also features machine learning for all sorts of on-device functions, like managing webcam features and the new Material You UI design. The end result will be a better Chrome experience in pretty much every way. Component and Battery Tests

I've appeared on CBS News, in USA Today, and at many other outlets to offer analysis on breaking technology news. The display also claims a stunningly bright 1200 nits at full shine, but our tests show it gets an average brightness higher than that at 1,275.6 nits. The display panel was custom engineered just for this Chromebook, and that was money well spent on HP's part as far as I'm concerned. HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook: Performance

For a device that's meant to be connected to the internet and work via the cloud, there are a lot of ports on this device, and they're all Thunderbolt 4, which means you can output video to an external USB-C monitor if you need more room. The display is well-sized though, so you might not need it. 14-inch isn't a whole lot of space, but the thin bezels mean that you get a nearly 88% screen-to-body ratio. In fact, the only area where the Asus CX34 didn't have a massive lead over most of the competition was battery life. The Asus still delivered more than 12 hours of battery life, but this isn't a drastic change from current Chromebooks, which frequently last as long as 15 hours on a single charge. Regardless, that's enough to get you through a day of work or classes easily. Chromebook OS is limited to what is available on the Play Store in terms of software, so if you need to use very specific numeric, scientific, or creative programs, look elsewhere.

Chromebooks run on Chrome OS, which is a web-based operating system very similar to Google Chrome, so if you’re familiar with Google Chrome, a Chromebook might be a good option for you. Traditional laptops typically run the Windows operating system, and Macbooks run macOS, and will usually be full of RAM to make sure the laptop runs without lag or performance issues - something Chromebooks don’t have to worry about. A Chromebook is different from a laptop in a few key ways, but it’s important to note that Chromebooks are laptops, they just function differently. What you’re using a laptop for will ultimately determine whether or not you should invest in a Chromebook or something more powerful with better processors and graphics cards. You need a powerful device: Ultimately, this is a laptop built for the everyday, so you won't get any spectacular performance out of it. You'll see a lot of Acer products on this list, but only the Acer Chromebook 516 GE can claim to be among the first of a new type of ChromeOS laptop. The GE stands for "Gaming Edition," and it's one of the first gaming Chromebooks to hit the market. Made with cloud gaming in mind, the Acer provides premium hardware and a sturdy design with gamer-friendly touches, and it doesn't cost thousands of dollars. On top of that, the online games available for play with the Chromebook are actually quality, including popular AAA and indie games (via subscription game streaming services like GeForce Now), without all the chunky hardware or short battery life typical of gaming machines. Who It's ForThat's all to say that, if it's been a while since you've considered a Chromebook, you might want to take a second look at everything that's recently been added to ChromeOS. It's more capable than it's ever been. WQXGA content required to view WQXGA images. All performance specifications represent the typical specifications provided by HP's component manufacturers; actual performance may vary either higher or lower.

You want to use Steam directly: There's no way to currently install Steam on this Chromebook, so using a game streaming service is the only way to game on it. You need a lot of computing power: If you're planning to do any video editing or creative work, this is not the laptop for you. You want a cheap Chromebook: There are some truly premium features on the Duet 5 Chromebook, and that does push the price up into the high end for a Chromebook.Most of your files on a Chromebook will be stored in the cloud, so many Chromebooks include only a small serving (32GB or 64GB) of eMMC flash-memory storage on which to save your local creations. Look for an SD or microSD card slot if you think you'll want to save more documents and files on the device. A growing number of Chromebooks have 128GB or larger solid-state drives (SSDs), which are much faster as well as roomier than eMMC flash. Some very new models alternately employ UFS drives, something of a speed and price midpoint between eMMC and SSD. Chromebook Plus models will include at least 128GB of storage. Connectivity is a very good price for this laptop, but there are cheaper, more stripped down options that still work well.