Google Asus Chromebook Review

Let me start off with saying that I am an Apple girl.

I own a Macbook Pro, an iPad mini and an iPhone 5s. However, I do like new technology and I jumped at the chance to try out the Asus Chromebook C200.

The first difference that I notice using the Chromebook is how light it is. At 2.5 pounds, the Chromebook gave my back a break from hauling my 4.5 pound Macbook. Though it is worthy to note that their size are quite different, it is still very light.

I am also very impressed with it's battery life. I would often go through three weekdays before I need to charge. This makes it a lot more convenient as well as I do not need to haul around boxy chargers or constantly look for an electric outlet to charge.

Aside from that, it is quite a limited device.

You're most likely going to be staring at the Google Chrome browser, going from tab to tab. There are options for split screening so you can multitask, but I did have to look it up and press a few buttons to make it work.

There are various apps for the Chromebook through the Chrome Web Store, including Spotify, Skype, Netflix, etc and it's growing - so there is an incredible potential in how the Chromebook is used to do various other activities.

But for now, it is still limited to run Applications and Programs that might be necessary for others such as Audacity or Photoshop for example since they do not have it on a browser platform.

In my opinion, the Chromebook could be useful if you have an array of apps you know you would need and use, which could take quite some time exploring the vast number of apps available. It is practical for students as well to take notes through the browser version of Evernote, or simply in Microsoft Word.

However, there were times when I tried downloading a Word document, and it didn't open. It might perhaps due to an old version of the Word file, but it did cause some issues.

Conclusively, Chromebooks to me is an okay device. It isn't the greatest with the best specifications. It has fewer features and processing power than the usual Macbooks or Windows laptop, but at the $200-300 price tag, it is not bad. It is limited to do what a browser can do - but a browser has been increasingly powerful with more and more applications and programs being developed. It is great for the day to day use of students who go from class to class taking notes and doing homework and writing papers, but it's certainly not adequate to replace a traditional laptop in doing things that require more than just a browser - no matter how great Chrome is.