As an IT professional, I have been recommending Chromebooks and iPads to practically everyone for years. In my experience, they are the perfect choice for most people. Recently, I purchased the Lenovo Chromebook Duet as a lighter weight replacement for my Thinkpad X230 (Don’t worry I still have a spare:). I will have a continuous guide posted soon, but I just wanted to write a short article on why I now recommend it more than ever.
If you’re like most people, you probably use your computer for a variety of tasks, such as checking email, browsing the web, and working on documents. You probably also don’t have a lot of time or expertise to spend maintaining your computer, keeping it secure, and troubleshooting problems.
Advantages of a locked down system
One of the biggest benefits of a Chromebook is that it is a “locked-down” system. Which might seem counterintuitive but, this means that the operating system and all of the apps that run on it are automatically updated by Google, so you never have to worry about missing a critical security patch or software update. This also means that it is much more difficult for malware or viruses to infect a Chromebook, as the system is designed to block them. As someone who has spent many hours updating computers, removing viruses, and reinstalling Windows, this is just a breath of fresh air.
Some form of backup is Included
Another major benefit of a Chromebook is that it is a cloud-based system. This means that all of your files and documents are automatically backed up to the cloud, so you never have to worry about losing them if your computer breaks or is lost or stolen. Additionally, since all of your files and apps are stored in the cloud, you can access them from any device with an internet connection, making it easy to work from anywhere. Though please note a complete backup strategy would be 3-2-1 as described here. But it is definitely a much better start than most users on Windows machines.
Android app support is now included, as well as security updates for 10 years. This is far beyond what Microsoft has on their consumer versions of the OS.
Great experience at budget friendly prices
Perhaps the best part is that Chromebooks are relatively inexpensive and they run well on cheap hardware, this means that it is a great option for people on a budget, who don’t want to spend a lot of money on a new computer. A Celeron with 4gb of ram is perfect for the average user and a I3 with 8gb of ram is perfect for more of a power user. In comparison to windows where conservatively a average user needs a minimum of a I3 with 8gb of ram and a power user needs a minimum of an i5 with 16gb of ram .
Easily fix most problems with Powerwash
Finally, if you do run into any problems with your Chromebook, you can always use the “Powerwash” feature to restore the system to its original factory settings. And since it’s cloud-based, you just log back into your Google account and you should be ready to go in minutes, rather than hours that a new Windows install would take.
Ipad or Chromebook?
An iPad has similar features to a Chromebook so when would i recommend one or the other.
- If your an Apple family or user then an Ipad is a given
- If you have a android phone or most of your family does then definitely buy a Chromebook.
- If you have neither than grab a Chromebook if your on a budget or want more hardware options. Or a IPad if you need easy access to in store support.
Conclusion
In conclusion, as someone who has seen what people do to their computers, and after buying one for myself, I cannot recommend Chromebooks enough. They’re easy to use, secure, and reliable, and they’re an affordable option for people on a budget. Plus, with automatic updates, cloud-based storage, and built-in troubleshooting tools, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your computer is always running at its best.
