4 Major Disadvantages of Chromebooks You Should Know About

If you’re looking for a budget laptop, chances are you’ve considered a Chromebook or one has come up in your searches. Unlike a PC or Mac, Chromebooks run on Google’s Chrome-based operating system, ChromeOS, which looks and works similarly to the Chrome web browser. “Inexpensive,” “user-friendly,” and “lightweight” are typical benefits associated with a Chromebook computer, whether it’s a laptop or an all-in-one setup.

Several computer manufacturers produce these budget-friendly Google machines, and the Chromebooks you can buy today are much more capable than models from years past. But like most consumer technology offerings, there are definite downsides to using a Chromebook. First, running ChromeOS limits the range of software your Chromebook can support. Additionally, web apps can seem restrictive, especially compared to their desktop versions. Generally speaking, though, if you’re looking for “power” and “versatility,” you’re probably better off with a Mac or PC.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at our roundup of why a Chromebook may not be the computer for you. And what better way to start than talking about CPU and GPU capabilities (or lack thereof)?

If you’re a full-time video editor looking to use your workflow on the go, a Chromebook won’t be a great fit for you. In order to keep costs low, Chromebooks generally don’t come with the “latest and greatest,” at least when it comes to CPUs and GPUs. Underpowered processors like the Intel Celeron are often used by Chromebook makers like Lenovo and Acer, and these chips are ideal for light-duty tasks. What they’re not great for is anything other than “light.”

Even if you’re not a content creator, a Chromebook can start to slow down if you have many browser tabs open or you’re running multiple desktop apps simultaneously. That’s not to say that no Mac or Windows machine will ever experience a drop in performance, but these more advanced computers typically come with more powerful processors and additional RAM, in addition to better graphics cards. There are upgraded Chromebooks with the Chromebook Plus label, but we’d still recommend a Mac or Windows PC over one of these more advanced ChromeOS devices.

Traditionally, Chromebooks work best when working in a web browser or using ChromeOS apps. But if Adobe Creative Suite or Houdini modeling software are programs you use daily, you should cross a Chromebook off your list.

Over the years, Google has done a lot to expand the capabilities of ChromeOS. Nowadays, the operating system is capable of running Android apps that you download through the Google Play Store. And with a little technical know-how, you can even run Linux apps on some Chromebook models. That said, a Chromebook isn’t the best choice if you need access to office software you’d find on a PC or Mac.

Are you a Microsoft Office 365 power user who still works in Word and Excel? Although ChromeOS lets you use web versions of various Microsoft 365 tools, desktop versions tend to offer more advanced features and settings. The same goes for Adobe Creative Suite, Final Cut Pro, and most AAA PC games. Then there are software like Pro Tools that don’t even have a web version of the app that you can use in ChromeOS.

Here’s a good rule of thumb: If your daily workflow requires Mac or Windows software that doesn’t have a web-optimized version that you can use in ChromeOS, you should avoid a Chromebook (at least for non-recreational purposes).

Traditionally, Chromebooks relied on Internet connectivity to get the job done. But unlike the early years of ChromeOS, where a broken Wi-Fi connection prevented you from using Chrome web apps, Chromebooks can now do a lot of the work offline. Apps like Spotify and YouTube now have offline options, and you can access almost anything in Google Drive (Sheets, Gmail, Docs, etc.) without an Internet connection. But much of the ChromeOS experience still relies on a network connection.

While Chromebooks aren’t ideal for running resource-intensive AAA games, many users are turning to cloud gaming services like Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming. This means you won’t have to worry about your machine running low on power, but without a strong Wi-Fi connection, these servers won’t be available. The same goes for any software that doesn’t have a native ChromeOS app: you’re essentially cut off unless you reconnect to Wi-Fi.

Modern Chromebooks offer significantly less built-in internal storage than their Windows or Mac counterparts. There are plenty of 64GB machines on the market, as well as 128GB, 256GB and more. But if you’re looking for a Chromebook with full storage of a terabyte or more, you’ll have to pay a significant premium. Additionally, the storage on the majority of Chromebooks is not scalable. Of course, a workaround is to invest in an external hard drive compatible with your Chromebook model.

ChromeOS is also a bit infamous for not supporting different file types. If you frequently work with AVI, GSM, and AMR content, you won’t benefit from native support for these files on a Chromebook. If a file is incompatible, when you try to open it in ChromeOS, you will likely face an “Unknown file type” error message. If this happens, Google suggests trying to open the file in Google Drive. Alternatively, you can use a program like VLC.

Fortunately, common file types such as JPG, PNG, PDF, MP4, MOV, and Microsoft Office documents should all open on a Chromebook without issue. But if you regularly work with niche media formats, a Windows or Mac machine should be the safest bet.