As a student, you need a laptop that’s reasonably priced, fast, secure, and reliable.
Chromebooks tick all of those boxes and more.
Here are 15 reasons why Chromebooks make the perfect laptops for students:
Table of Contents
Chromebooks Are Fast – Even The Cheapest Ones
As a student, you want the device you are working on to respond quickly.
If the response from your laptop is sluggish it can kill productivity and end up making you feel sluggish too.
I currently own an underpowered, all-in-one Windows desktop and it can sometimes take the start menu 7 seconds to respond after clicking the icon.
With Chrome OS you won’t suffer this slowness.
Chromebooks boot up in seconds and open applications very quickly.
This is because they run on a lightweight operating system that uses much fewer resources than heavier operating systems, like Windows and macOS.
They’re also not bogged down by bloatware or traditional antivirus software because Chrome OS is only vulnerable through the Google Chrome Browser and Google works hard to spot and combat these exploits.
On top of that, because Chromebooks are designed to rely on the Internet so heavily, they don’t need much internal storage to run well.
A Chromebook is capable of running fast on a system with as little as 32GB of built-in storage.
A modern Windows OS would eat that 32GB without salt and leave you with a slow and frustrating experience.
They Are Less Likely To Get A Virus
When you’re researching online and working on projects, the last thing you’ll want is for your laptop to pick up a virus.
Chromebooks are not completely immune to malware, but they carry much less of a risk than other operating systems when it comes to security threats.
Basically, all of your online access is coming through Google Chrome, so the security of your Chromebook is as good as the security of the Google Chrome web browser.
And Google has a lot invested in the Chrome browser and OS.
You can be sure that they’re working hard to stay ahead of the curve by automatically installing system updates that keep your Chromebook safe from potential threats.
If you own a Windows laptop or desktop, you probably need antivirus software like Windows Defender to protect your system.
Because so few devices run on Chrome OS compared to Windows and Mac, Chromebooks are not where the masses are so they are less appealing for cybercriminals to target.
Chromebook Batteries Last Longer
Most Chromebooks are designed to use minimum power and usually last more than twice as long as comparable Windows laptops before needing to be charged.
This is because Chrome OS is a very lightweight operating system that doesn’t require as many resources as Windows or macOS.
That being said, your results may vary depending on how you use your Chromebook and how high definition your screen is.
Heavy users who game a lot, keep a lot of tabs open in their web browser, or who watch a lot of 4K videos will find Chromebooks to typically last between 4 and 8 hours.
If you’re a light user you might be able to get 10+ hours on one charge, if you turn down your screen’s brightness and mostly use it for writing, checking email, and browsing the web.
They Are Cheap, Affordable, And Offer Value
The best Chromebooks are very affordable and typically cost much less than a comparable Windows or Mac laptop.
If you’re a student on a tight budget, a Chromebook may be the perfect option for you.
You can find Chromebooks for as little as $149, and even the most expensive Chromebooks are still cheaper than most other mid-range laptops.
And the best thing about rock-bottom budget Chromebooks is that they still run fast because of the lightweight Chrome OS.
As long as you are not looking for a high-end device, you’ll find that many decent Chromebooks are available for under $300.
However, you’ll struggle to find higher-end features like a 4K screen, backlit keyboard, or additional memory or processing power if you’re spending less than $600.
You Might Also Like: Are Chromebooks Good For Web Browsing? (What You Need To Know)
You Can Use Google Classroom With Ease
Google Classroom is a great tool for teachers and students that helps you manage assignments, handouts, and communicate with the rest of the class.
It gives teachers quick access to all their students’ work, and it gives students quick access to their assignments.
And if you’re using Chromebooks, Google Classroom will automatically sync your files and provide easy access to whatever documents, spreadsheets, presentations, or handouts you need for class.
Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Are Great For Writing Assignments
The best part about using Google Docs and Sheets instead of Microsoft Word and Excel is that they are free and more than capable of doing what you need.
Plus, they are cloud-based so you can access them from any device with a web browser and internet connection.
This is perfect if you’re working on a project and need to pick it up again from different devices.
You Can Cast Your Chromebook Screen To A TV
If you want to share what you’re working on with others in the room, you can cast your screen to a TV using Chromecast.
This is a great way to show a presentation or video to a group of students or to just share what you’re working on with others in the room.
Most Chromebooks Are Lightweight And Compact
Chromebooks are generally lightweight and portable, so they’re easy to take with you wherever you go.
This makes them perfect for students who need to move around a lot or for people who just want a small, lightweight laptop that doesn’t take up a lot of space.
However, you will find some larger and heavier Chromebooks as you look at more higher-end models.
They Come In A Range Of Stylish Colors
If you’re the type of person who likes to express yourself through your devices (or just have something that doesn’t look like every other laptop sitting on a desk), Chromebooks can be found in a wider variety of colors than other laptop types.
Because so many manufactures produce Chromebooks you’ll find them in colors ranging from vibrant blues to eye-catching pinks.
Plus, you can often find Chromebooks with patterns or designs on them that make them stand out even more.
They Update Fast
As a student, you don’t want to be constantly restarting your laptop and having it run slow while waiting for numerous updates to download and install.
If you’re used to a Windows machine that seems to be stuck in a constant state of updating, a Chromebook will pleasantly surprise you.
Once you buy a Chromebook it’s going to stay up-to-date for the most part without you even noticing.
That means that your favorite apps will always be running on the latest version of Chrome OS, and your devices will automatically update when new features are available.
You Can Use Android Apps On Your Chromebook
If you’ve bought a Chromebook in the past two years, you’ll notice that apps are a big part of what makes it useful.
Although Chrome OS was originally built mainly for web browsing and browser-based tasks, the most recent versions have been focusing heavily on Android app support.
It’s a work in progress and many Play Store apps and games won’t work well on a Chromebook without a touchscreen and they may not be optimized for your screen’s size.
However, you will find some – like Adobe Lightroom and MediaMonkey – that works surprisingly well.
In fact, you can even run Android Studio to have a go at developing your own apps.
You Can Link Your Chromebook To Your Android Phone
You can download apps from the Google Play Store on an Android phone and have them sync to your Chromebook, so if you need a certain app for class or work it’ll be ready as soon as you open your laptop.
This is a great way to make sure all of your files are backed up on separate devices, and it’s also a good way to make sure your favorite apps and games are ready to continue from where you last left off.
Plus, you can receive Android notifications on your Chromebook and reply to texts so you’ll be less likely to miss messages or phone calls again.
You Can Still Work Offline
If you’re like me, you sometimes need to work offline because there are times when the internet just isn’t available.
This can be a major issue when you’re trying to get work done on a school project or finish up a paper that’s due soon.
With a Chromebook, you still have plenty of capacity to work offline.
Popular Google apps like Google Docs, Google Drive, and Gmail have offline modes so you can still work on documents or read emails while you’re offline.
As long as you save what you were working on, it will automatically sync to the online version when you get back online.
You Can Easily Add Storage
Chromebooks certainly aren’t known for shipping with generous amounts of internal storage but they are some of the easiest devices to add storage to.
If you need more storage for files and documents, Chromebooks allow you to add a microSD, USB stick, or external hard drive at any time.
This can be very helpful if you run out of space in the cloud or on your hard drive and don’t want to delete old files that may still come in handy.
Save Your Work In The Cloud
When you’re a student and working on numerous projects, it often makes sense to save your work to the cloud so you can pick up where you left off on different devices just by signing into your Google account.
With apps like Google Drive, Chromebooks make it easy to store files in the cloud.
Google Drive is already built into Chrome OS, so if you need more storage space than what’s available on your device you can simply upload your files and access them from any device.
When you do this, your Chromebook will upload everything in the background so you can continue using it without interruption.
And as a student, it’s great to have your work saved in the cloud in case something happens to your device, or you want to move from one computer to another and pick up with your work where you left off.
In conclusion, if you are a design or engineering student who needs to download and install heavy-duty software on your laptop, then a Chromebook may not be the best option as your primary computer.
But if you find that you can usually accomplish everything you want through the use of a web browser, without having to download software, then a Chromebook may be the perfect fit for your needs as a student.
