At the beginning of the school year, Pali students were given the opportunity to borrow a Chromebook from the school. In order to be issued the devices, they had to get a permission slip signed by their parents and wait in an excessively long line outside of the Tech Office. But were these laptops worth the wait?
Not if you were expecting much from them.
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What Are The Advantages Of A Chromebook?
I start mentioning their price as the first reason for schools to buy one. Chromebooks are more affordable compared to Apple laptops and in some cases cheaper than Windows 10 laptops.
In fact, you can find Chromebooks for less than 300 dollars. A Windows computer that works as well as a Chromebook will cost over 400 dollars so that is something that you must definitely take into account.
Which Device Is More Affordable?
Chromebooks are also on the light side when it comes to the internals. Local storage is comparable to what we have in smartphones and tablets and the processors are much weaker than what we find in traditional laptops. This alone makes Chromebooks considerably cheaper than Windows and macOS laptops.
Since kids don’t usually take good care of their devices, you should probably spend as little money as possible. Fortunately, you can find a wide range of Chromebooks in the $150-$300 range and they’re all good enough for learning and doing schoolwork.
Should you be teaching with Chrome OS or Windows? Let’s talk about it!
Looking to make an informed decision about Chromebook vs Windows laptop? Let’s check out some of the main differences between Chrome OS and Windows and focus specifically on the implications they have for K-12 professionals.
Interested in learning more about Chromebook vs Windows for students? Check out the blog, “When to Use Windows Laptops in the Classroom”
What is a Chromebook?
Chromebooks are notebooks and 2-in-1’s (tablet + notebook) that run on Google’s Chrome OS rather than more traditional platforms like Windows 10 and MacOS.
Chrome OS is an operating system based on the Chrome browser that most students, teachers and parents are already familiar with. In 2011, Chrome OS was disparaged by many and considered nothing more than a glorified browser. Many people still hold onto this initial opinion of the operating system, but almost a decade later the world has fully embraced the cloud and Chromebooks are also able to run various Android and many Linux apps, making them much more versatile and an attractive option for those Seeking a new device that won’t break the bank.