Chromebook vs. Windows 10
 

I'm in the market for a new computer. I've always had Windows until now, currently a
HP with an Intel I3 processor, 4GB Ram and a 14" display. I browse a lot, run a tax program and I have a calibre ebook library. Sometimes I feel like Win-10 bogs it all down and I'm thinking seriously about getting a chromebook.

From what I gather, I can get a calibre app that works on chromebook and I'm familiar with the google cloud storage, docs, spreads, etc. for my fairly lightweight use. There is also a tax app but I will likely just run taxes off of my wife's win-10 computer and keep that info private.

Here is my hangup - the processor. Using a cheap AMD or a Celeron/Pentium scares me, thinking it'll be slow on a chromebook. Should I be concerned? It seems the I3 and AMD Ryzen and better processors run a couple hundred dollars more on a chromebook - which I don't really understand why, personally.

I'm a basic user and mostly looking for basic functionality but with decent speed.
Budget is an issue but I'd go up to $400. I don't need a touchscreen nor 2-in-1.
I do like Lenovo keyboards but I'm not stuck on that.

Any thoughts out there, smart people? Most appreciated, be safe.

With a budget of $400, I think your only choice is a Chromebook. A Windows 10 computer in that price range would be extremely slow. If you want a Windows 10 computer, I would suggest at least an I5 or I7 processor and 8GB or 16GB of RAM. The I5, 8GB laptops start at about $600. The I7, 16GB laptops start at about $900. I just purchased an HP laptop with an I7 processor and 16GB of RAM, and it is super fast. Another thing to consider with the Windows computers is the hard drive size and if it is an SSD (solid state drive) hard drive. The SSD will run faster than a regular drive.

Try this
 

(Retired IT programmer/manager. Many certifications. From CPM, DOS, Win 3.1 .........)

What I have done:

Bought used a couple of Dell 3120's from this site. Think I paid about $70 each.

Chromebooks – iTechDeals

These are CB's coming off school leases. They are beat up a little, and are usually rated as B or C or D stock, mostly blemishes on the outside, completely refurbished. (Whatever that means.) Both completely usable and powerful enough in today's internet environment, web access, online streaming, watching MLB.TV games, playing movies off USB stick with VLC. Here you can try it out, for cheap, and when chrome OS updates expire, 9/2022, for this model you can put a real OS, Linux Mint on it., where you can run real programs.

Chrome OS expire list for other models.
Auto Update policy - Google Chrome Enterprise Help

Sounds like your needs are very modest. IMO CPU doesn't really seem to matter at all. Only saw an issue with playing movies downloaded with H.265 encoding. Celeron N280 @ 2.166GHz. 7 hour battery original, seems to get only about 6 hrs.

Good Luck.

I have only ever had one Celeron-powered computer - never again!

Non-Intel processors, though, tend to be as fast as Intel but a lot cheaper. That will be my next purchase - probably a Ryzen 3 or 5.

You get what you pay for.

That isn't accurate at all. If you buy components at New Egg, you can make a high-end computer for less than the cost of a cheap model at the local Best Buy.

I have an Acer ChromeBook the model I have resembles a MacBook Air. 64 gig SSD, 16 gigs ram. I love it boot up time is quick i.e. 30 seconds. I paid $229 for it. It’s great for web browsing and light applications. It won’t do any heavy lifting with things like Photoshop or Lightroom. Great thing I like about it too is you can do a “powerwash” that takes all of 5 minutes and restores the Chrome Book back to out of the box condition.

I've been using a Chromebook for about 10 years (when they first came out). I used Windows 7 for many years because I need TurboTax and Quicken. After 2018 I didn't need either of those, so I convert my PC to Linux Mint. I still use the Chromebook 99.9% of the time, but from time to time I use the Linux machine for some oddball stuff. I will never go back to Windows.

Linux is free and most of the available programs (which there are thousands) are free also. With a little bit of work, you can find a Linux substitute for just about any Windows program you need.

Personally, I don’t believe that makes Kahuna’s statement inaccurate at all.

Thanks for the feedback. I'll ponder it all. This is interesting to me.

I have both
 

stick with Windows. Chromebook is slow

New Laptop
 

Try calling, emailing Joe at Computer Central for advice. He is very knowledgeable and usually will come to your house to transfer all your data from one computer to your new device. Due to spike in virus, Joe will have to advice you on his current procedures.

It must be just your Chromebook. My Chromebook is up and running in 30 seconds, I watch Youtubes on it. I watch movies on it, without a problem.

I have many spreadsheets with complicated formulas that work great.

My Chromebook is an Acer CB5-571 and is about 5 years old. Even after it stops getting updates, it will still be far safer than Windows. After all, it can't get a virus, if it breaks all you do is buy a new one and sign in, everything you had on the old one comes to the new.

Now there are reason to use Windows, such as Quicken, and other programs that force you to download the program to the PC. But for those products I use Linux Mint and find programs that work just as well.

Computer tech here
 

I would recommend you stay with Windows. But, that's simply because of compatibility with ... well ... everything. It is not Windows or Chromebook that is slow. It is the hardware. Sure, any machine can be overwhelmed by rogue / junk software. But that stuff can be avoided or removed. But, no amount of "clean up" will make a slow machine go fast. Think of this as building upon a rock instead of sand. Three(3) main items to consider:

1) CPU: Absolutely stay away from the cheap AMD and Celeron stuff. Don't buy anything with less than 4 cores. I personally have a bias toward Intel chips. The end-user community seems to pick up the buzz words if "i5" or "i7". Uninformed people go out and buy any "fast" i7 laptop and pay little attention to other components. Yes, even an i7 machine can go slow. That being said, I find that just about all i3/5/i7 CPU's to be acceptably "fast enough". This is simply because these CPU's will not typically be the bottleneck holding up your machine. Spend your money where it will matter the most.

2) RAM: Get at least 4GB. But in today's market, I like to suggest 8GB. And 8GB is enough RAM for just about anything (excluding gaming machines). 4GB is enough but if buying a new, get 8GB. More than that won't hurt but there are diminishing returns. At 8GB, RAM will not be the bottleneck holding up performance. Again, spend your dollars where they will count.

3) Drive: This is where you spend your money. Absolutely do NOT buy any machine with a standard (spinning) hard drive. Except for a fan, a spinning hard drive is the only moving part in a laptop. As a moving part, it is the s-l-o-w-e-s-t component and the main reason that most machines are so sluggish. Get a good quality Solid State Drive (SSD). An SSD is at least 20x faster than a standard drive. This is not an exaggeration. All of the speed will be felt in everything you do. Get an SSD and you will not be disappointed.

Final thought: your current HP with an i3 and 4GB of RAM is almost certainly very capable. What is slowing you down is your hard drive. You may not need to purchase a new machine at all. Have you considered replacing the drive in that machine with an SSD? I have upgraded hundreds of computers from standard hard drives to SSD's. The expected result is phenomenal speed. Most machines with an SSD will boot up from completely off to the desktop in 30 seconds or less. If done properly (someone who knows what they are doing), everything stays in place. All of your programs / files / settings, etc remain intact. The only thing you notice is a lot more speed. This makes an SSD upgrade superior to a new machine both in cost and side-stepping the hassle of moving all your files and re-configuring everything.

I have a couple of youtube videos I created: one video showing an old machine booting up with it's original standard hard drive. The second video shows the same machine booting up after an SSD upgrade. The difference is dramatic ... 7 minutes 10 seconds vs. just 27 seconds. (can't post them here as I have not yet been blessed with the privilege).

Upgrading is not difficult. But it is also not a typical do-it-yourself task. I'm not in the villages now. But there is certainly someone down there with the equipment and knowledge to do this if you want to go that route.

Happy to field questions (free)
410-Computer (410-266-7883)
Bill

Buy a Mac...you’ll never go back.

I suspect your problem is not with Windows but the 4 GB of RAM. I can’t imagine trying to run everything in such a small amount of memory. I recommend a minimum of 8 GB of RAM. You might see if you can upgrade your RAM, which would be a lot less than a new machine. Probably less than $100, but I don’t really know what kind you would need.

But, if you decide to go new, make sure it will run the software you want to use. Also, if you switch to a different operating system, you will have to relearn how to do everything.

You might try contacting the computer club.

Chrome ok for the light user
 

i use windows 10 - my wife uses chrome book

I am a computer programmer and a heavy user of MS office , she uses such thing very rarely
your main issue may be you tax program - since almost nothing is housed on the chrome book - you will need to be on a web based solution for you taxes

we are strongly considering replacing the Chrome book with another windows 10

not going to get much for $400.

define further
 

You really need to define further what you find slow. Most of what you mention is internet based which means the fastest computer will still be hindered by download speed of your connection. What specifically do you find slow? What tax program do you run? Is it internet based or resident on your computer? If resident on your computer it may not run on a chromebook.

samsung chromebook will do just fine with your budget

My Chromebook with a Celeron chip and 4 GB of ram is very speedy for every day computing.

Keep in mind the Chromebook does not need as much power as a Windows machine because the operating system is far less complicated.

Windows is loaded with all kinds of crap.

Stop with high level tech talk! :D

Hi John. I'm not the sharpest in the toolshed :-) but have used almost all the gadgets: PC Windows & laptops, Chromebook, Macbooks, and iPads. Since budget is your first concern, then a Chromebook will do. Chromebooks are mostly for ONLINE usage which means it relies heavily in the speed of your internet connectivity, not necessarily the CPU nor memory. You can have the fastest machine but if your internet is slow, then the machine is useless. I hope that helps. -myk

I use computers a lot, though haven't really kept up the latest technology. Had some really good ones and had good luck with AMD processors, so I'm not afraid of going that route. A good Internet connection is important for speed. I get 70-80mbps wireless. As we age, it gets harder to learn a whole new operating system. I've used Windows since way back (3.1) In January, when Microsoft stopped supporting WIN 7, I bought an HP Chromebook for $200. Found it very limiting with what I could do with it and the screen too small. Even my 17" laptop wasn't enough screen. I don't want my stuff dependent on the Cloud either. So I broke down and bought a desktop with WIN 10 ($600) and a 24" monitor ($200). Much easier on the old eyes. Though I still detest Windows 10, it's what I'm used to and I still use a lot of older software. It has an optical drive, a SSD, 8GB Ram, lots of USB ports and such to connect stuff. I considered trying a Mac but too apprehensive to learn something completely different. I have an iPad and not impressed. Use that for games and ebooks as I couldn't get the email account working. On your budget and if you trust the Cloud, you could get by with a Chromebook, but it's not going to do everything a Windows pc can do. Don't know if any of this was helpful at all - just my 2 cents. Maybe try MMD Computer on 441 in Lady Lake. They might have some refurbished deals. They have handled all my pc issues and upgrades for 17 years. Good luck to you!

I received a surface for Fathers day 3 years ago...and its great...very simliar to and IPAd...you can use the keyboard or detach it at any time using the tablet mode... It also has a screen pen where you can draw or pen (write) notes.
Simple to use..

Try installing LinuxMint. It is free. If you don't like it, then close down and boot to windows again, or go ahead and buy your new box. Linux uses your hardware very efficiently. Often it is like getting a new computer. The program comes with native productivity aps, and you can get your Calibre program too.

Hurry up and bust a move. The 2020 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday was passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis. This sales tax holiday begins Friday, August 7, 2020, and ends Sunday, August 9, 2020. It is only Tax-Free for the first $1000 that is spent. Apple Card is also Interest-Free for a year so if that helps you that's great. I know it's over your budget but I hope it works for you. Good Luck. You won't regret buying an Apple once you get past the price. To me, it's worth it.

Agreed, if you don't spent a 1000 for a laptop you will complain about it being slow!

Although I'm not a chrome book aficionado I agree with your concept.

As a retired IT consultant I always buy off-lease BUSINESS computers from the manufacturer for a few reasons. 1. Business computer is made with more resilient materials. 2. Business computer has less "bloatware" installed. 3. They last longer...

Be forewarned...you MUST install all your own application and utility software for your use (security, word processing, etc.). For this reason this paradigm may not be best for all.

au contraire. I've no doubt I can find something quite suitable at or below budget.
Maybe one man's trash is another man's treasure!

Plus one!!

A Chromebook IS secure by default. It can not get a virus, everything is backed up on the cloud, if it breaks all you need to do is get a new one, sign in and everything comes back. Updates happen in the background so you don't even know it happened most of the time.

Be careful of buying a Chromebook from a school. If the admin did not release it from lock down then it will be useless to you.

I have built computers from pahts, i have had all versions of windows, have bought off lease computers from Dell, have used and still use apple. If you are going to buy a new laptop, i try to buy for a 5 year life. So, if you are buying a windows laptop: minimum specs should be Windows 10 x64, Intel i5, 8 gigs ram, 250 gig solid state hard drive. what's the price, I don't know because there are so many different ways to buy that computer. But that configuration will last you 5 years, and will not be slow from a hardware standpoint.

If you want simplicity, yes, a chrome book is simpler, but google is tracking your every move. . . so there is a tradeoff of privacy, but most will accept the tradeoff for the price.

good luck,
sportsguy

If you read EUA (if you can) from Microsoft, they have the right to everything on your computer and the cloud.

Yes, Google tracks sites (to make the experience better) but I trust them far more than MS.

Of course if you want REAL security, use Linux. No one tracks you on Linux since there is no Linux corp. The code is open source, which means you can look at the code and decide if you want to use it or not (you can even modify it for yourself).

Linux is far safer than Windows as it (almost) never gets a virus. (Mostly big business are the targets).

Most web sites run on Linux, IBM paid $34 BILLION for a company that promotes Linux (Redhat).

I use a Chromebook 99% of the time, but I feel very safe using my Linux Mint PCs.

Agree! or Don't disagree with anything you typed!
 

when the computer has an issue, the question becomes how self reliant is the purchaser? Which is why its hard to tell to give a proper answer. Browsing, email, etc, may all be easy with Linux, don't know, but are there any configurations needed to be done which the user won't understand or will need help to set up? Same with MS. . . so that's why the simplicity question/answer may end up with a chrome book.

Now mating with Microsoft is like mating with a black widow spider, bu why one would trust google more than MS, not sure i would trust either. . . . both are corporations with profit motives, which means risk. . or you are the product!

sportsguy

You would not believe the data that is sent to MS. I've looked at the packets! Google not as bad.

I've built dozens of Linux PC's. Ubuntu, Mint, Red Hat, Easy Peasy, all varieties for special purposes. About configurations: Of course, each PC has specific components that might need customization. The beauty of Linux, besides having less hardware requirements, is because you can D/L a bootable CD/DVD or USB image and see for yourself if there if you have a component issue. Just boot off it and try it, it runs in RAM so it runs a little slow, but you can get the idea. I've only found IBM or laptops that use the Broadcom WiFi card and some higher-end NVidia video cards to be problematic. I like Linux Mint Cinnamon Mate that has a Windows interface look-alike. Less of a learning curve than getting a new phone.

You can try before you install it. Try that with Windows 10.

I have had few customers that I haven't been able to find a compatible free program for their needs. There are even some free Tax programs that you can import data tax files.

Are you saying you can't run Windows 10 from a live USB flash drive? That would be incorrect. I'm not referring to an installation USB drive. I'm talking about a fully-installed Windows 10 OS from a flash drive:

[Sorry, I should have been clearer. Of course, you can run (installed) Win 10 from an external storage device. In Linux, you can run it, try it out, without installing it. Plus it's FREE, and only takes a couple of minutes to boot up. I often boot to a Live Linux USB to retrieve personal data from a customer crashed Win 10 PC.

I might have a few of those MS programs with no compatibility but I would like to give it a try some time. And i love mint and cinnamon, never can get enough cinnamon in baked goods, but i digress. :icon_wink:

sports guy