[SmartCat]

WHAT IS A CHROMEBOOK? WHAT IS CHROME OS?

A laptop with "Chrome Operating System" (instead of Windows 11) is called a Chromebook. And Chrome OS is basically Android OS on your laptop (apps identify the latest Chrome OS as Android 13). And because of that, you can download & install APK files and all Google Playstore apps and games on your laptop. Note that Google Chrome OS is free to download and can be installed on any desktop or laptop. Before buying a chromebook, I installed Chrome OS on my old desktop to see if I like the UI:



But Android OS and hence chrome OS are based on Linux. So we can also say that Chrome OS is another Linux distribution. With Chrome OS, you get a Linux terminal and can install/run all Linux apps too!



FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHROME OS & WINDOWS:

In your Android smartphone, you will notice none of the open apps are closed. They just sit in the background but that doesn't affect the system performance. That's because Android OS actively & aggressively manages RAM & system resources. Beyond a certain level, it suspends apps and prevents it from wasting resources.



Chrome OS works similarly and actively prevents open apps in the background from accessing resources. This allows Chrome OS to maintain stable performance throughout your work session, even if you open multiple apps or browser tabs.

Windows OS takes a different approach. Open apps and browser tabs take up a certain percentage of processing power/RAM. That's because Windows OS caters to all types of use cases - from simple home web browsing/media consumption to graphics intensive gaming to heavy background processing. The Chrome OS way to managing system resources & background apps doesn't work well for certain use cases.

So essentially, Windows laptops cater to 100% of use cases of a laptop. Chromebooks cater to only 80%. So if you actually belong to this 80% and want an alternative to Windows/Linux/Mac OS, Chromebook is worth considering!

CHRONOLOGY OF FASCINATING RISE OF CHROMEBOOKS OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS:

- Because of low system requirements & power/battery efficiency of Android OS, Google figured that a modified version can be a great entry level laptop operating system. After all, even a Rs. 8,000 smartphone with a tiny processor can run Android OS well. Thus, chrome OS was born.

- Instead of competing directly with Windows & Mac OS in home/work/gaming laptop space, Google focussed on education/student laptops segment, which is mostly ignored by Microsoft/Apple. That is, there is no 'lite' version of Windows/Mac OS that works well on low spec low priced laptops. So to reduce price point, Google worked with laptop manufacturers to create low spec hardware (Celeron processors/4 GB RAM etc) laptop. No Operating System licensing fees to Microsoft also allowed OEMs to lower costs further.

- Over time, laptop brands figured out that price is not the only deciding factor for purchasing a laptop. To make chromebooks genuinely attractive option for school/college goers, they started ruggedizing these laptops. After all, laptops in school environment are subjected to rough and tumble including drops/spills etc. Money saved on hardware/OS licensing was spent on ruggedizing Chromebooks. So now most of them are dust/spill/shock resistant. Also, many variants have touchscreen, which is useful in school/college environment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApZVuYmWidA

- Google just didn't wait for things to happen after creating hardware/software. Their marketing teams engaged with educational institutions directly and started offering enterprise solutions. Now in US education sector, Chromebooks have a marketshare of 60%! With education segment in the bag, laptop manufacturers have recently started introducing more powerful chromebooks (Core i3/i5/i7 processor, 8 GB RAM, 256/512 GB SSD etc) to cater to home/work/professional segment. Now chromebooks have an astounding marketshare of 20% worldwide among laptops.



And it is expected to further eat into Windows/Mac OS share since Chromebook sales are expected to grow at an average of 3% per annum (compared to 1.5% to 2% pa growth in overall laptop sales)

[SmartCat]

I've been watching the Chromebook segment with interest over the past few years. But the low hardware specs put me off. Until I saw Acer Chromebook Plus 514 for sale on Flipkart at Rs. 18,999. (Introductory price was Rs. 49,999, now available for Rs. 29,999 on Acer website). Here is my review of a Acer Chromebook Plus 514:



PROS:

- Serious value for money @ Rs. 18,999. (However, I reckon this might be some kind of clearance sale)
- Unlike poverty spec chromebooks we typically see, this one has decent hardware (Core i3, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, Full HD 1080p display)
- Takes just 12 seconds to boot. Maintains constant performance whether one or twenty apps/browser windows are open
- 10+ hours of real-world battery life, with screen brightness varied from 30% to 70% across the day.
- Ruggedized MIL-STD-810 spec laptop (spill proof, dust proof, drop proof, heavy duty hinges etc).
- Can run both Android and Linux apps. So compared to Windows or Mac laptop, you have access to a massive collection of apps & games.

CONS:

- Some android apps/games are buggy or crashy. Chrome OS files/folder management is a bit clunky.
- Not suitable for those whose work involves installing a Windows software on hard disk first (no problem if there is cloud version)
- Fearing loss of marketshare in laptops, Microsoft removed their Office apps from Google Playstore (when accessed from a Chromebook)
- Keyboard characters are placed close to eachother. Your muscle memory on key placement is lost, and you have to look at keyboard to type
- Installation of Linux apps will need knowledge of Linux commands, which might be intimidating to many.
- 14 inch display is quite small compared to typical 15.6 inch laptop display. Apparently, it has 20% lower screen space!

Does not look it in the photo, but this is quite a compact laptop. While that is not a problem for OTT content, but is less than ideal for something like working on spreadsheets. Here is the display next to a 10 inch tablet:



On the bright side, compact dimensions means this can be a good tablet replacement:



The keyboard itself is different. Note that this is standard chromebook template (like how Macbook keyboard is different from Windows keyboard):

- All characters are in small letters
- No caps lock. Replaced with 'launcher' key (equivalent to Windows key)
- No function keys but has the usual shortcuts (full screen, take screenshot, reduce/increase brightness, reduce/increase sound volume etc)
- No 'delete' button either but has an Alt Grr button (no idea what it does )

Upward firing speakers placed on left and right side of the keyboard is a brilliant idea from sound quality point of view. When watching OTT movies, the stereo sound effect is much more prominent. However, this eats up valuable space on the already compact dimensions of the keyboard. The keys are not where your fingers expect them to be, making typing a slow affair. However, one might get used to the placement over time.



Display quality of Full HD 1080p 60 Hz LCD screen is nice and bright, but has a 'warm' color tone to it.


As for ports, it has:

- Two USB-C ports (can be used for charging laptop too)
- Two USB-A ports
- Headphone jack port
- One SD card slot

There is no HDMI or Ethernet port.

[GTO]

Love the idea of Chromebooks, especially since 90% of the time I spend at work is within the Chrome browser (Team-BHP, emails, Reported Posts, content creation, moderation etc.).

But after 30 years of using Windows, I am too used to the Windows OS & File System. You clearly got a steal of a deal, but the nicer Chromebooks are expensive in India. And nothing can compete with the build, keyboard, screen, performance & battery life of a Macbook. The Air M1 is now for 65,000 in online & offline shops (the latest Airs & Pros are of course way more expensive).

[SmartCat]

THE CHROME OS EXPERIENCE:

A single tap on the power button starts the boot process, but nothing shows up on the screen for about 7 to 8 seconds. This can be confusing to new users and they might keep tapping the power button multiple times or will press+hold the power button. Anyway, after the initial gap, Chrome OS logo is displayed for another 3 to 4 seconds before we get the lock screen:



'Guest Mode' is useful if somebody else wants to use your laptop. For eg, Guest Mode can also be used by technicians who are repairing your laptop. Your files/apps and browser history are hidden from the 'guest user'.

Enter the passcode and there is no more waiting. When you open apps, they open instantly (like your smartphone after booting). The desktop is normal affair with:

- Clicking on Start button (extreme left) opens up the App drawer like in Windows (see post #1, first pic).
- Apps on taskbar (no clutter here like search field or news or weather and what not. Just apps)
- Desktop is clean. You cannot place apps on the desktop even if you want to.
- On the right hand side, you get the usual information about battery/sound/network etc



Weirdly, there is no option to send the system to 'sleep' mode. But locking the computer will automatically take the laptop to sleep mode after a few minutes. You can also reduce the screen brightness to 'zero' if you don't want to waste battery

Settings is all-too-familiar, with exact wordings that you see on an android smartphone. Device settings is probably the only addition here. Here, you can add an external printer/scanner or mouse (shows only if you plug in an external mouse).



If you want to install APK files or linux apps, you have to enable the feature manually. Go to Settings -> Chrome OS -> Developers -> Linux Development Environment:



'Files Explorer' equivalent of Chrome OS is the Files app. All drives, cloud drives and external drives are listed here. Linux and Google Playstore files are listed separately, but only app-created user files are displayed here, that too, in read-only mode. System files are invisible. You can also create your own folders here (eg: music folder, in this screenshot):



But overall, it is a frustrating experience for lifetime Windows users:

- You cannot right-click on a drive and get info on its space utilized, free space etc (you need to go to settings)
- When you right-click on a folder, there is no 'properties' information. So you cannot find number of files, space utilized etc
- In Windows, for file transfer between drives or drive/cloud or within a drive but separate folders, we righ-click and select 'open in new window' or 'open in new tab'. We have similar feature in Files too, just not where you expect it to be!
- Inbuilt mp3 player does not allow you to add a folder to create a playlist. You have to manually select the files. This can be problematic if you have organized your mp3 collection into sub-folders.

and so on.

[SmartCat]

ENGINE & PERFORMANCE:

Typically, we see Chromebooks powered by either Celeron or Mediatek (non-ARM) processors, keeping one eye on low price point and another on battery life. And they typically have 4 GB RAM and 64 GB SSD, simply because it is 'enough' for a light weight operating system like chromeOS. But this one, as far as Chromebooks go, is a high-performance model:

- 12th gen Intel Core i3 N305 processor
- 8 GB LPDDR5 RAM
- 256 GB NVMe (Gen 4) SSD

However, the processor is on the lower end of two or three Core i3 models that Intel offers. This one focusses on efficiency/battery life rather than outright performance. I ran the Geekbench 6 benchmark and these are the results:



Translation -> It is as powerful as my (8th gen Core i5 + 16 GB RAM + SSD) Windows 11 laptop. Or about half as powerful as Macbook Air M1.

However, looking at benchmark score or specifications is missing the wood for the trees. This Chromebook's "geek party" trick is to open 25 apps + 10 browser tabs:



and then look at CPU load or its usability after opening so many apps/tabs:



As I rapidly opened one app after other in quick succession, CPU usage momentarily rose to 75%, before settling back to 25%. In Chrome OS, RAM usage remains high at 90% as soon as you open 4 or 5 apps, for faster response time when switching apps. But 90% RAM usage does not become a bottleneck in Chrome OS. Like your smartphone, it aggressively suspends background apps or puts them "to sleep" temporarily. So the usability/responsiveness of the laptop remains high, even as you open more apps or browser tabs.

When it comes to gaming, as long as you keep your expectations in check (just 12th gen Core i3 + integrated graphics), you will not be disappointed. Your usual Asphalt/Need for Speed (android versions) run smoothly. I tried playing Genshin Impact to check its FPS, but it promptly crashed after downloading 25 Gigs of files!

Since Steam is available on Linux, you can access all the Steam game titles. To access Steam on Chromebook:

1) Enable Linux Development Environment (Settings -> About Chrome OS -> Developers)
2) Goto Start > (Search) -> Type "Steam Installer"
3) Install Steam for Chromebook (Beta)



FUEL ECONOMY:

This one goes on and on for a long time. With mixed use, I got 10+ hours of battery life. Screen brightness during the test was between 30% to 70%, based on time of the day. I thought I would actually get 13 hours, but it lost last 20% charge rapidly. Need to see the battery life over multiple cycles.

Some battery stats:



- Has a 4175 mAH battery
- Shows battery health and cycle count like an iPhone. Wonder why android phones don't get this feature.
- Comes with a 65W charger, but we can use any smartphone charger to juice up the chromebook
- Takes 1 hour to charge from 10% to 100%
- Sleep/standby is super efficient. When used sparingly like a tablet, the battery lasts for 3 or 4 days

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by GTO

You clearly got a steal of a deal, but the nicer Chromebooks are expensive in India.

Valid point, so:

IF ANYBODY IS CONSIDERING BUYING A CHROMEBOOK:

- 9 out of 10 chromebooks currently on sale in India are terrible value of money. While some have poor hardware specs, others are too expensive for what they offer. And some have both poor hardware + terrible pricing. That's because Chromebooks are not moving in the Indian market. So very likely sellers are stuck with older 2023 manufactured chromebooks with low hardware specs.

- Go for Core i3/i5 models only, with minimum 8 GB RAM & 256 GB SSD. But do not pay stupid money for it. Check the US pricing on bestbuy.com first.

- Some Chromebooks have 'Mediatek Kompanio' ARM processors, developed specifically for these machines. They have crazy battery life (like 18 hours!). So if battery life is important, you can consider Mediatek chromebooks. Here again, do some research before buying. There are Kompanio 500/800/1200 processors, each with higher power.

- If possible, try to snag one with a touchscreen. In 14inch form factor, it will double up as a tablet since they also completely flip. If you don't want touchscreen or tablet replacement, look for 15.6 inch display - they will be lot more practical than this 14 inch chromebook.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[ninjatalli]

Very interesting thread. A few questions to start with.

1. How does (if it does) the ChromeOS improve the scene when installed on an existing laptop/desktop (vis-a-vis the Windows OS)? RAM & CPU usage you highlighted; does it improve the battery consumption too?

2. Workaround to get access to MS Office on Chromebook? I'm looking to install this on my father's slo-o-o-w desktop; but he'll need the Office applications for sure. This says I can access via the web but that won't work for him.

3. What's the ad integration if any? Knowing Google, this had to be asked.

4. Installing the ChromeOS on your existing laptop; how easy/tough was it? It's been a decade since I did a OS installation hence feeling very out of water. Does the process allow one to create partitions, etc. Had been planning to do an Ubuntu install but kept putting it off for the same reason.

5. While Steam might be accessible on Linux, whether all the games will be play-able is still a big Q. This post touches upon the how-to to some extent. Time to experiment on this soon. Interesting days ahead!

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

1. How does (if it does) the ChromeOS improve the scene when installed on an existing laptop/desktop (vis-a-vis the Windows OS)? RAM & CPU usage you highlighted; does it improve the battery consumption too?

Chrome OS way of managing system resources (eg: putting background apps to sleep) probably has a significant role to play in improved battery life. But very likely the processor is helping too - most Chromebooks have N series processors (Celeron N Series, Core i3 N series) that apparently sips battery power.

2. Workaround to get access to MS Office on Chromebook? I'm looking to install this on my father's slo-o-o-w desktop; but he'll need the Office applications for sure.

Never mess with dad's computer. Far simpler to take the desktop to a computer shop and:

- Replace hard disk with SSD (Rs. 2,000 for 256 GB)
- Add 4 GB extra RAM (Rs. 1,000) and make it minimum 8 GB

You can keep the old hard disk as D drive with all the other data. Note that Windows has to be installed on the new SSD. This is such a low hanging fruit but significantly improves usability of an old desktop/laptop

But if still not satisfied with performance, install Chome OS Flex and login to Office 365 via chrome browser. You can "appify" it like I have done here (notice the Excel app next to Chrome) on my chromebook:



To "appify" any website, check this post:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadge...ml#post5899628 (Windows/Chrome/Android Power User Tips, Hacks & Productivity Tools)

Installing the ChromeOS on your existing laptop; how easy/tough was it? It's been a decade since I did a OS installation hence feeling very out of water. Does the process allow one to create partitions, etc. Had been planning to do an Ubuntu install but kept putting it off for the same reason.

ChatGPT zindabad. When we ask the right questions, it behaves exactly like 24/7 live tech chat support. To get the best out of ChatGPT, we need to have a conversation with it, like we are chatting with a real person (and not treat it like a search engine).

I used ChatGPT to navigate linux on Chrome OS too. In the above workaround for MS office, there are a couple of flaws. So instead of MS Office on Chrome OS, you can install linux office applications that look and feel like MS Office, with 100% file compatibility (Eg: WPS Office). I used ChatGPT to help me install Libre Office on my Chrome OS for desktop.

While Steam might be accessible on Linux, whether all the games will be play-able is still a big Q. This post touches upon the how-to to some extent. Time to experiment on this soon. Interesting days ahead!

My entire collection of Steam games are showing up on my Library. But then, I don't like to play modern internet/multi-player focussed games, and prefer the single player neo-classics (Call of Duty I/II, Age of Empires, Command & Conquer, SimCity etc)

[CafeRacer16]

Chromebooks are a great alternative to windows for those users who are new to tech landscape as well. I bought my father a HP chromebook 2 years back & he absolutely loves it since most of his work revolves around using emails, websites. Similarity to Android mobile UI & presence of touchscreen helped him as well to gain proficiency in a relatively short period of time.

The only grouse that I have is that we can't use MS Office seamlessly but since I take care of that part of his work, its not a deal breaker.

[invidious]

It’s a great beater to lug around. My kids have been using Chromebooks since lockdown - touchscreen and similar look and logos to tablets and phones makes it a breeze. My older one is 8 now and started using Chromebook in Kindergarten during lockdown. Makes a lot more sense than a Windows PC

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by SmartCat

Chrome OS way of managing system resources (eg: putting background apps to sleep) probably has a significant role to play in improved battery life. But very likely the processor is helping too - most Chromebooks have N series processors (Celeron N Series, Core i3 N series) that apparently sips battery power.

Poor wording from my side. I meant to ask what's the delta improvement seen for your desktop (not how and why it happens).

Never mess with dad's computer. Far simpler to take the desktop to a computer shop and:

That's phase 2. It's easier to play around with the internals if I can improve the situation for him with the current setup as it is.

My entire collection of Steam games are showing up on my Library. But then, I don't like to play modern internet/multi-player focussed games, and prefer the single player neo-classics (Call of Duty I/II, Age of Empires, Command & Conquer, SimCity etc)

They will show up of course; that's just the list on the store. Have you been able to install and play these games?

Check the link I shared; the author talks about constraints for some (or probably a good %) of the games to be 'playable' on ChromeOS. My Steam games list covers FPS games from the current decade; I guess I'll have to test them out individually to see if they work. (To-do task for the next holiday break).

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Poor wording from my side. I meant to ask what's the delta improvement seen for your desktop (not how and why it happens).

Since I already upgraded the old desktop with SSD & more RAM, the delta is not significant for normal usage. However, boot times of Chrome OS is still significantly better. Also, chrome OS will always be more multi-tasking friendly (apps + tabs). More apps/tabs you open, the difference will become more and more prominent.

However, it is a good time for me to mention that Google has restricted access to Playstore when you install Chrome OS on another desktop/laptop. You barely have access to 50 third party apps from Playstore. This is probably a business decision, to encourage consumers to buy chromebooks, after trying out Chrome OS. But you can still install:

- APK files
- Linux apps

Also, Google has made Chrome OS open source. That means anybody can tweak the OS. One such iteration is the Fyde OS, where you (apparently) get full access to Google Playstore. You can also straight away install WPS Office (or any other MS Office equivalent) from Google Playstore, without fumbling with Linux. However, I haven't tried this one out.

They will show up of course; that's just the list on the store. Have you been able to install and play these games? Check the link I shared; the author talks about constraints for some (or probably a good %) of the games to be 'playable' on ChromeOS.

Author says by default, only playable titles are listed. Only if you change the settings, it will display all titles. In my case, the titles in my library work:

[rkv_2401]

Thanks for the in-depth review.

I haven't been paying much attention to the Chromebook ecosystem, mostly because I dislike the idea of ChromeOS (Linux-based OS that doesn't allow you to install any other variant of Linux) and because even an ancient Windows laptop can be pretty snappy if it comes with an SSD. I'm not familiar with the internal workings of an OS, but some great Assembly devs I know who were working on mobile and desktop apps (at that point of time, 10+ years ago) told me Android is a bad OS and it was kind of apparent too, with Android 4/4.x being a buggy and resource-hungry mess even on devices with 30-50% more raw compute and more than 2x the RAM of competing iPhones and Windows Phones. Not sure how the scene is now, as I haven't daily-driven an Android in more than 12 years.

Windows PCs appear to consume a lot of RAM because modern versions cache your frequently-used apps in RAM to improve start-up time as opposed to that RAM actually being used. That being said, Microsoft's refusal to address the battery drain, sleep issues and resource-hogging nature of Windows on lower-power machines (thanks to all that advertising data that's being collected) has left this door wide open for competitors to capitalize on.

A few things I would watch out for are ->

i) You can install ChromeOS or an open-source variation of it on a non-Chromebook device, but AFAIK you can't install any other distribution of Linux on a Chromebook without great difficulty. And once Google decides your device is end-of-life, that's it. This isn't as big a problem anymore because they recently updated their policy to state that every device gets 10 years of updates, but nevertheless. Old Windows/Linux PCs are usable for well over 10 years.

ii) Geekbench scores are good because it's probably one of those apps that is optimized for all platforms, being a benchmark. But running apps designed for RISC (i.e. Android apps) on x86 might mean encountering weird bugs and would be a waste of the x86 chip's potential. It's unlikely that x86 will be the primary target architecture of any Chromebook app. Note that this isn't necessarily a problem, and it is definitely better than the alternative, i.e. running x86 apps on RISC, which is something Microsoft has tried and failed at for over 12 years now starting with the Surface RT.

iii) If you're scouring for deals anyway and battery life isn't the biggest concern, it might be possible to get second-hand Windows laptops at the same price depending on where you're purchasing. Last year, I bought a couple of refurbished Thinkpads in Aus from enterprise resellers at a comparable price to the cheapest usable new Chromebooks. They came with 7th gen i7/8th gen i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, 1080p panels etc. One of them had a touchscreen and plenty of performance to do anything shy of serious gaming. And an X1 Carbon, even an old one, is still a desirable machine IMO in terms of everything except raw power and battery life.

iv) If you have an older Windows laptop or especially a desktop newer than the first gen i5, a SSD swap + RAM upgrade (as mentioned earlier in the thread) would do wonders to your computer's performance at a fraction of the price of getting a new Chromebook. I tried this myself, took an overheating i5-430M restricted to 1.6Ghz - which would get Geekbench 6 scores in the low 100s, not 1000s - swapped out the hard drive, added one of my old RAM modules, and it was good enough for browsing, spreadsheet work and I was even able to use VS Code on it! (not recommended )
Tip: Get a bigger SSD than you need so that you can use the rest as page file.

Also, I see there's something called ChromeOS Flex that allows you to try it and see if it's suitable for you before making the leap and buying a Chromebook.

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by rkv_2401

Geekbench scores are good because it's probably one of those apps that is optimized for all platforms, being a benchmark. tried this myself, took an overheating i5-430M restricted to 1.6Ghz - which would get Geekbench 6 scores in the low 100s, not 1000s

When we upgrade to SSD and increase RAM, will the Geekbench score of an old desktop change? That is, does Geekbench measure the performance of processor only or the entire system?

That being said, Microsoft's refusal to address the battery drain, sleep issues and resource-hogging nature of Windows on lower-power machines (thanks to all that advertising data that's being collected) has left this door wide open for competitors to capitalize on.

There is a valid reason for the way Microsoft manages resources. Let's say you are running tasks in the background that are processor intensive. For example:

- Large file transfers or zipping/unzipping
- 3D Rendering or video editing
- Large set data analysis

While that is happening, you would also want to work on something else, since the above tasks take a long time.

In the above use case, Chrome OS/Chromebook will falter badly, even if you equip it with the latest hardware. That's because Chrome OS is designed to throttle background tasks in favour of "foreground" tasks. As a byproduct, you get stable performance (for normal tasks) even if the hardware is below par.

But Windows OS will do the above tasks smoothly, provided the hardware is potent. That's why I mentioned in the 1st post that Windows OS has to be designed to account for 100% of use cases of a desktop/laptop (unlike Chrome OS). As a byproduct, you get sub-optimal performance if the hardware is not up to the mark.