It might be difficult to choosing between a Chromebook and a laptop, whether you’re a student, a professional, or just looking to buy a new computer. Most of the features are similar in both the devices but there are some significant differences also their between them that includes their operating systems, pricing, performance, software availability etc.
When we compare a Chromebook with laptop, it may seem that Chromebooks are the clear winner that appear at first glance. These lightweight devices tend to be much more affordable than their laptop equivalents. But it is important to remember that laptops offer much more traditional computing experience, when we compare Chromebooks with laptops.
Difference Between Chromebook And Laptop
Pricing
One of the most significant difference is the between these two devices is pricing. Laptops are more expensive than the Chromebooks. Most budget-friendly laptops you can find that start at around $500. Meanwhile Chromebooks are much more affordable than laptops. Even the Chromebooks with several models coming in at under $300. Due to its lower price Chromebooks makes attractive for students and those who have tight budget in buying laptops. But it is important to keep in mind that you can get what you pay for. With laptop, the higher price reflects it’s higher performance and features.
Portability
Another important difference is portability, because they are compact and light weighted. Chromebooks are typically smaller and more portable than laptop and making users to easily between their home and workplace or those who frequently travel, it is the great option for them.
However, even the smallest Chromebooks can be large if we compare it with ultra-thin laptops like the MacBook Air or Dell XPS 13. If you want the most portability possible, then laptop will probably your best choice
Performance
When we compare the performance of both the devices then, laptops often offer more speed and power than Chromebooks. Due to the limited hardware capabilities Chromebooks are sometimes difficult (or even impossible) to do resource-intensive tasks like video editing or gaming and for this laptops are more suitable.
in certain areas, there are some high-end Chromebook models are available like Google Pixelbook Go, one of the fastest Chromebooks on the market, that offer comparable performance to some laptops and thanks its Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM.
Operating System
operating system between these two devices is one of the most significant differences you can find. Chromebooks are used with internet-based applications and run on Chrome OS, based on the Linux kernel operating system. For laptops most popular operating systems are Windows 10 and macOS, that gives give access to wide range of software application to the user.
Operating system can be a key decision factor, when you choose between a Chromebook and a laptop. Difference in the operating system you should consider before buying. So if your preference only to use web-based applications like Google Docs or Gmail, then you can go for the Chromebook but for specific software programs you depends on for work or school, laptop is the best option.
Software Availability
The software availability is another important difference between Chromebooks and laptops. Both the devices are runs in different operating systems, do that the software Availability for each device are very different. If we compared Chromebooks to laptops, then Chromebooks cannot match laptops, because users of Windows 10 and macOS have access to wide range of software application to the user.
If you want to purchase a specific software like Photoshop, AutoCAD, or Microsoft Office, then before that you should confirm it is compatible to that your chosen operating system. Otherwise you may get the limited software programs compatible with your selected device.
Security
Chrome OS is less susceptible to attacks than other operating systems. To safeguard the Google operating system from hackers, there are numerous security measures have been used.
While the Windows is a prime target for hackers, malicious software, viruses, and other cyber threats. Microsoft’s operating systems are highly complex, so that their is a high chance of external attacks. Due to more popularity of Windows, hackers tend to concentrate their efforts on Windows for better chance of success. As compare to Chrome OS, Mac OS is generally considered more secure than but still it is more prone to hacking.
