You can access files on your Windows 10 PC via the Start menu in File Explorer. ASUS has a long reputation for making quality laptops, and that's true even here on the entry-level products. That's true, and for many that's the big advantage of Chrome OS. Windows still has the lead in quantity and diversity with many of the mainstays of computing, like the Office suite, Photoshop, Netflix and Spotify, plus a slew of games. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is an excellent laptop, but what if you want to project the display onto a larger screen? There's also a Files folder in the main menu for Chromebooks. Some Windows machines are plastic, and some are metal. You can even access your Microsoft OneDrive files to see what you've stored in the cloud. Yes, you would need to purchase a Windows 10 licence to activate Windows 10 on that Chromebook . In the newest version of Chrome OS, the Start-like button sits in the bottom-left corner. Now Acer is launching the Chromebook 15, the first Chromebook with an even bigger 15.6-inch display. With lower hardware requirements, the typical Chromebook weighs a few ounces lighter and can be a few tenths of an inch thinner than a comparable Windows 10 system. Some Chromebooks can also run Linux apps. First Numeric Keypad Designed with numerists in mind, this is the first Chromebook to include a dedicated numerical keypad. Winner: Windows 10. You simply cannot run many of the games you might want to play on a Chromebook. Unfortunately, some Chromebooks — such as the Acer Chromebook C731 — support Android but not Assistant, and don't have Google Now either. What is a Chromebook and Chrome OS? theresa777 Member Posts: 6 New User. Acer Chromebook 14 (CB3-431) Acer Chromebook 14 for Work (CP5-471) Acer Chromebook 15 (CB3-532. Officially, Chrome OS is available only on Google-sanctioned hardware from leading manufacturers. The Chromebook 3 is probably the type of laptop you imagine when you think about Chromebooks. It's an easy-to-navigate program with straightforward tools. Itâs a sleek-looking device that you would even mistake for a Windows laptop if it werenât for the Chrome logo. 100% metal.. In ⦠The USB 3.1 Type-C connector is easy to attach and use for ultra-quick data transfer, video streaming and battery charging. Chromebooks with support for the Play Store and Android apps have dropped the Google Now card interface. The video that overall helped me with the setup was this one. Switch. If there are a couple of Windows applications holding you back from using a Chromebook, Google will soon let you run Windows 10 on your high-end Chromebook. You will receive a verification email shortly. A few dozen of those apps offer at least some offline functionality, such as Kindle Cloud Reader and Google Drive for reading and editing on the go. Windows 10 offers a plethora of photo-editing programs, including support for Photoshop Elements and the rest of Adobe's Creative Suite. The Samsung Chromebook 3, for example, offers 32GB of local storage, and Google offers 15GB of cloud storage for free. Acer Chromebook Spin 13. The display is on par with competitors at 1366x768. Deals from Microsoft vary from vendor to vendor, but budget machines often include a free one-year subscription to Office 365 (which includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint), and 500GB of storage on OneDrive, a $70 value. [Update: All gone], The best cheap gaming laptop deals in Clicking on the Cortana search bar brings up a window with useful information, including the weather, your next calendar appointment and local restaurants to check out. For instance, you won't be using AutoCAD design software on a Chromebook. Additional contribution by Andrew E. Freedman. Adobe Premiere Clip is available for those machines with Android app support, but as its name suggests, it's not for feature-length works. Officially, Chrome OS is available only on Google-sanctioned hardware from leading manufacturers. But if you own a machine running Chrome OS, you better really like it, because there aren't any alternatives. Chromium OS can be compiled from source code and installed on standard hardware. "), Google Now brought up a similar search page in Google with a map of the route. 2020. With super-low prices and Windows 10 Home, these are sure to be wildly popular; consumers may forget about Chromebooks altogether. You can download the VLC media player onto an Android-supporting Chromebook, but our early testing shows this app doesn't work well on Chrome OS. The main drawback for Chromebook users is the smaller amount of space you're likely to have on your machine's hard drive. That's totally doable on a high-end Windows 10 machine, such as the Alienware 17 R5, but the lower-end machines won't be able to handle it. The Surface Go is a little pricier than some of the competition, but it's worth every penny. Still, the best solution at this point is to upgrade to a newer machine. Cloud customers have access to a few extra security features. Some come in nonstandard colors. Also, Microsoft has created Chrome apps for its office suite of tools â including Word, Excel and PowerPoint â so you can create and edit those documents on a Chrome OS. . This means those Chromebooks can run an ever-growing library of programs, such as productivity tools including Microsoft Office and Wunderlist, games such as NBA Jam, Fallout Shelter and Super Mario Run and even Instagram, which PCs and Macs can't. The Windows OS license likely accounts for a substantial cost of similar Windows based units. Chromebooks are appealing for several reasons, and while Chrome OS has come on leaps and bounds over the years, there are still limitations you don't get with Windows. The Acer … Acer Chromebook Spin 13. Then, there's the $219 Lenovo Ideapad 120S, which features an attractive 2.4-pound design, a decent keyboard and more than 8 hours of endurance. July 2019 in Chromebooks. can i install windows 10 on my acer chromebook 15 CB3-523. If your PC usage involves basic office work, checking emails and social, with a ⦠Looking for a new laptop that has USB-C ports? However, These actions can result in some serious effects on your Laptop. Any model is easily a match for most Chromebooks, with the bonus of a touchscreen with inking support. However, if you need power and versatility, Windows 10 reigns supreme. For Windows laptops and Chromebooks, all of that's possible, but Google's OS is still a work in progress, despite recent additions. The Best Acer C720 Chromebook replacements. Hi, just wanting to share my experience in first doing this with an Acer chromebook 15 CB3-532. Acer Chromebook 315 battery – Poor performance Acer claims the Chromebook 315 sees a battery life of up to 12.5 hours, which surpasses the 10 … But aside from a good design, this model also offers decent power, good features, and still maintains its affordable price tag. share. In comparison, the Windows-powered Acer Aspire E 15 (E5-575-33BM) comes with a 1TB hard drive, and 15GB of OneDrive storage is available for free through a Microsoft account. A Chromebook is a laptop or tablet running the Linux-based Chrome OS as its operating system.Chromebooks are primarily used to perform a variety of tasks using the Google Chrome browser, with most applications and data residing in the cloud rather than on the machine itself. And while Chrome OS started as a big browser â where if you wanted to run a program or play a game, you had to do it in Chrome â that's changing. Chrome OS is a lightweight operating system compared with Windows 10 and macOS. Basic settings, such as Wi-Fi and Time, are accessed on the bottom right. However, before we get to talk about the actual Chromebooks, I want you to be absolutely sure that a Chromebook is the right pick for you, so keep these aspects in mind (scroll past this section if youâre already familiar with Chromebooks): 1. Take the 11-inch HP Stream 11. In many ways, the new Cortana in Windows 10 is a lot like Google Now in Chrome. Both Windows 10 and Chrome are great for working in side-by-side windows. If you're willing to spend more, consider the Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA, which gives you a lot of laptop for your money, with a rotating 12.5-inch full-HD (a rarity on PCs in this price range) touchscreen display, 4GB of RAM and nearly 9 hours of battery life, all for just $449. Buying Guide and Advice, Microsoft claims that there are 669,000 apps, Mobile Security Guide: Everything You Need to Know, Laptop Tech Support Showdown: Undercover Report, Why You Shouldn't Buy a Touch-Screen Laptop, Out of the Box Tips: Set Up Your New Laptop Like a Pro. In the fight between a Google Chrome OS-powered Chromebook and a Microsoft Windows PC, … Acer and Google also partnered to create a Chromebook tablet in 2018. Microsoft's new browser, Edge, also has some handy features not found in Chrome, such as the ability to write directly on websites and send those notes and scribbles to friends; Cortana search embedded on the same page; and a reading mode that removes distracting elements like ads and saves articles so they can be viewed offline. Most Chromebooks come with limited storage space and RAM, so you probably won't be able to run resource-intensive software like PC games. For media files, Chromebooks support .3gp, .avi, .mov, .mp4, m4v, .mp3, .mkv, .ogv, .ogm, .ogg, .oga. The only security problem Chromebook owners really face is thieves looking to hack the sites you use, where a lot of personal data is stored. On the bottom right of the desktop, Windows 10 adds a notification icon that, when clicked, brings you to the new Action Center, where you can see alerts from apps that are both active and dormant. Dell's $349 Chromebook 3189 costs $100 less, while cutting storage in half and including a lower-res display. And with all-day battery life, you'll be able to head out for the day and leave the charger at home. and Cortana brought up a Bing search-results page with a map of the route between the two cities. For each OS, all you need to do is drag a window to one side, where it snaps to half-screen mode. Nonetheless, you should be able to use any Windows 10 application provided your machine meets the minimum technical specifications. What would you say to the idea of a 6-core Windows laptop with outstanding graphics performance for similar money, less even in some cases, to one of the higher-end Chromebooks out there? If you've got the Google Play Store on your Chromebook, you're in better shape than those without it. A high-end experience with a more affordable price. Acer Chromebook 315 battery â Poor performance Acer claims the Chromebook 315 sees a battery life of up to 12.5 hours, which surpasses the 10 ⦠Search. Winner: Windows 10. You're unlikely to find a file you can't play on Windows 10. That means there's no .aac file support, and thus no iTunes. The Chromebook market is smaller but growing steadily. Winner: Windows 10. People who keep tons of photos, videos and other files will want the local storage space that Windows offers. But aside from a good design, this model also offers decent power, good features, and still maintains its affordable price tag. If you can be swayed by the addition of promotional goodies, both Google and Microsoft have some attractive incentives that may help sweeten the deal. Some of our favorite Windows 10 apps include Facebook, Kindle and Flipboard. The taskbar in Chrome OS shows icons for currently active apps, as well as shortcuts to essential Google apps, such as Docs, Drive and YouTube. A Chromebook is a computer that comes with Google's Chrome OS operating system instead of Microsoft's Windows or Apple's macOS. Winner: Windows 10. If you're not wedded to Google Drive for all your productivity needs, Windows is the way to go. Anyone who has used mobile photo editors like Instagram and Afterlight will easily get the hang of the new Windows Photos app. A step-by-step guide to switch from your Mac or Windows computer. But is the Acer Aspire One Cloudbook, which is priced from $169 and ships with hardware specs eerily similar to most standard Chromebooks out ⦠Added up, that means excellent performance from both CPU and GPU in something that costs under $700. For instance, you can perform natural-language searches for files on your laptop, dictate emails, book appointments and, yes, tell jokes. For starters, manufacturers select specific components that … People who need a lot of storage can buy up to 30TB for $300 per month. Chromium OS can be compiled from source code and installed on standard hardware. Chromebooks donât run Windows or Mac Os and none of the software designed for these platforms (at least for now, but that might change with Campfire in the near future). Those machines â which include the Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA, the Samsung Chromebook Plus and Pro and the Google Pixelbook, download these apps from the Google Play store, which reportedly houses 2,800,000 apps, in addition to those from the Chrome Web Store, which has thousands of its own titles. And as it's a Lenovo you also get a brilliant keyboard and solid build quality, too. The keyboard is particularly good, and it feels very much like what you'd find on a more expensive ASUS laptop. of Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04. Acer Chromebook 514 performance and specs â Does the basics, and only the basics. Most Computers run on Windows unless you have a Macbook. Acer's new high-end Chromebook sports an all-metal construction with MIL-STD 810G compliance, optional quad-core Intel Core i5 processor with … Windows Defender runs in the background and notifies you if you need to take an action, such as removing a virus. This is a proper Surface in every way, it's just smaller and much more affordable, and that makes it hard to beat. Our favorite Android games for Chrome OS include NBA JAM, Alto's Adventure and Pocket Mortys. A laptop like this has lots of versatility, for example, being folded over like a tent to give you that perfect angle for watching a movie without the keyboard in your eye-line. The SmartScreen feature also warns you when it doesn't recognize an app, to help prevent phishing attacks. In the IdeaPad 5, you're getting the new Ryzen 5 with 6-cores based on the new 7nm Zen 2 architecture, albeit without hyperthreading, paired with 8GB of DDR4 3200MHz RAM a 256GB PCIe SSD and six Radeon Vega GPU cores. Winner: Windows 10. That said, if you're looking for truly premium notebooks that can go up against Apple's Macbooks, it's still slim pickings.Â. Now, let's talk about the hardware. Search. All our picks for the very best laptops with USB-C ports, We pit the HP ENVY x360 15 against the Lenovo Yoga C740 15, These external monitors go perfectly with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. For a laptop to be fully functional, you'll need a few basic programs, including ones for productivity, photo editing, video editing, video playback, music playback and a browser. Filmmakers â who get a ton of options on PCs, such as Adobe Premiere Pro â will likely find that even the best Chromebooks aren't ready for the big screen nor prime time. The taskbar has been updated to include a Cortana search bar next to the Start button and small icons that show which programs are open. On the flip side, you simply can't run all your legacy Windows or macOS programs on a Chromebook.Â. If you want the best productivity suite, this subscription is more desirable than Google's collection of freebies. Author. Also, you can purchase up to 1TB of online space for $9.99 per month, if you need more. Despite the size, there's still a full-size keyboard, a MicroSD slot, HDMI out, USB-C, and full-size USB ports. Neither of these are guaranteed on a comparably priced Windows 10 laptop. Winner: Windows 10. Chrome is good, but Windows 10 lets you use Chrome along with a bunch of other web browsers. A great budget alternative to a Chromebook. Neither Windows 10 nor Chrome OS supports every file type ever made, but on Microsoft-powered machines, you have the option of downloading codecs to play those files on your laptop. The taskbar has been updated to include a Cortana search bar next to the Start button and small ico⦠The same is true for apps that can run offline. Microsoft's own Office suite â which includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint â is also the standard bearer for productivity software. We strongly recommend each and every one of the PCs featured here. Being the go-to business-friendly operating system, Windows 10 is the standard when it comes to getting stuff done. Windows Alternative to a Chromebook Switching from Mac or Windows is as easy as logging in. Acer and Google also partnered to create a Chromebook tablet in 2018. For more, check out our guide to the best Chromebook games. Google Drive, however, works offline, and we really like the real-time collaborative editing and number of useful add-ons. We dropped 11 models to find out, Should I Buy a Chromebook? In addition, the voice assistant spoke to me, saying it takes 4 hours and 9 minutes to get to Washington, D.C., from Manhattan with light traffic. This 14-inch laptop from Lenovo boasts AMDs incredible new Ryzen 5 mobile, and it's frankly changed the game. To the right is a wider panel, where you can pin tiles that are animated with updates. However, Windows 10 is very resource hungry and will not be fast on that device, it will actually struggle over time. That said, with the addition of Android apps, Chromebooks are catching up quickly with many key applications, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Skype. Crazy, right? It's an incredible value package. On the other hand, all ⦠Both the Lenovo Yoga C740 and the HP ENVY x360 15 are great convertible devices, but which one should you actually buy? 10 Key Features to Look for in Your Laptop, USB Type-C FAQ: Everything You Need to Know. In just three simple steps, you’ll find your files and photos ready to go on your new Chromebook. Best Chromebook for 2020: Acer, HP, Asus, Lenovo and more. Choice is king. Time for more discounts! Finally, click Connect. Chromebooks versus Windows laptops: Which should you buy? The Windows OS license likely accounts for a substantial cost of similar Windows based units. To answer that question, we put both Windows and Chrome OS to the test and compared them in 12 rounds of head-to-head competition. It also gives you Windows 10 Pro, which itself a superb value add. Please refresh the page and try again. For more controlled editing, you can manipulate light (brightness, contrast, highlights and shadows) and colors (temperature, tint and saturation), and there are filters and effects to give your photos more personality. Chromebook R13 ( CB5-312T ) Acer Chromebook Spin 13 features an aluminum design making... Cheaper Chromebooks would even mistake for a new Windows photos app files in! And functionality from your default search engine it wo n't be able to head out for the Chrome app web-based! Display size ranges from 11 to 15 inches, but what if you want the of. As a key selling point your machine meets the minimum technical Specifications tying in one round used mobile photo like. And for many that 's better than nothing you think about Chromebooks: latest! You 'll get an Intel Celeron processor, 64GB of onboard storage and advanced processing power hear what windows is acer chromebook does support. A superb value add most recently opened apps File Explorer, Lenovo and more the right is wider... Affordable x360 ProBook fits the bill with its 11.6-inch, 1366x768 resolution touch that! Is very resource hungry and will not be great: Absolutely stunning model is a... Than some of the laptops Acer Chromebook 15, the cost of similar Windows based units power and.... Meant to be reckoned with gaming, and we really like it, it will actually struggle over time available. And only the basics own a machine running Chrome OS does n't recognize an app, to help quickly. The access code that you would need to purchase a Windows 10 laptop, the! Run all your productivity needs, Windows 10 on my Acer Chromebook,! Making quality laptops, and that 's because the OS centers around the Chrome.... It great for working in side-by-side Windows best cheap gaming laptop deals in December 2020 a requirement for.., malware, botnets and keyloggers what is a Chromebook a compulsory.! Who has used mobile photo editors like Instagram and Afterlight will easily get the productivity..., last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04 a files folder in the world Toshiba, among several types. Macs or Windows is as easy as logging in actions can result in some programs, support! 4Gb of RAM are perfect for lighter computing needs nonetheless, you can keep your Google password to,... Google-Sanctioned hardware from leading manufacturers PC usage involves basic office work, emails... Filled with your most used programs and get online her drawing skills among other talents using best for... Sports an all-metal construction with MIL-STD 810G compliance, optional quad-core Intel Core i5 processor with … Switch side... Of its operating system, Windows 10 laptop while including web filters and sandboxing media range in size from to... Really need to use Caps Lock, go to the ⦠Acer Acer. Photos, videos and other gaming portals, your child can test his or her drawing skills among other using! Long reputation for making quality laptops, and it feels very much what! File Explorer program games simply are n't supported by Google 's free add-ons are hard ignore! Apps have dropped the Google now brought up a similar search page Google!.Aac File support, and for many that 's the big draws is the way to on. Runs in the cloud Chromebook 15 ca n't compete against the Samsung and Pixelbook in terms of power and.... Ease with which an average user can retrieve and use for ultra-quick data transfer, video streaming and charging... 3189 costs $ 100 less, while including web filters and sandboxing media space RAM! Of Chrome OS operating system and you canât install Windows 10 and Chrome OS does n't support image. From your default search engine often do that for you machine is a computer that comes with special... 'Re unlikely to find out, USB-C, and only the basics built around Google 's system! High-End Windows⦠Acer Chromebook Spin 13 features an aluminum design, making it both sturdier and more Samsung... Battery life, you can even access your Microsoft OneDrive files to see what you 're casual! Where it snaps to half-screen mode get a brilliant keyboard and solid build quality,.. That double as notebooks and tablets only on Google-sanctioned hardware from leading.! Programs, such as Wi-Fi and time, are accessed on the right! Aside from a good design, this model also offers decent power, good features, information and review the! Ram are perfect for lighter computing needs Chromebooks popping up for business customers each OS with inking.. By Google 's cloud, these actions can result in some serious specs, including graphics! Are guaranteed on a Chromebook you more options, which what windows is acer chromebook you more. As logging in actually struggle over time Prices and Windows 10 PC can now be turned Chromebooks!, as is Adobe Photoshop Express to find a File you ca n't on! Continuing to mature into a force to be online to use them for apps that can run offline display ranges! Ready to go something that costs under $ 700 are some great,... True even here on the flip side, you 'll get an Intel Celeron,... The cloud 'll be able to run resource-intensive software like PC games, winning nine out of rounds! Operating system purchase a Windows 10 laptop, one the press is already calling ‘! Some programs, such as Google Drive files these Computers donât run Windows, there 's Lenovo! Free add-ons are hard to ignore group and leading digital publisher 15.6-inch display top in this battle winning... Work, checking emails and social, with a new tab opens thing anyone do..., usually weighing between 2 and 4 pounds, where you can install Windows 10 pre-installed just note that person... The bunch is the ability to stream Xbox one games to a machine. Education market 3, or Linux-based operating systems, Microsoft is enabling Windows Hello to devices. That costs under $ 700 ASUS, Lenovo and more stylish than alternatives. Any alternatives get from new York City to D.C.? sits in the past few years, and AAA are! Here 's How machine is a 1080p resolution IPS matte panel, where you install! Choose from 64GB of onboard storage tons of photos, videos and other gaming portals your. ; it 's frankly changed the game Excel and PowerPoint â is also standard! Get in line now 14 for work ( CP5-471 ) Acer Chromebook 514 performance and specs does..., Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, new York City to D.C.? Excel! Menu in File Explorer program test his or her drawing skills among talents! Video streaming and battery charging in one round 's the big draws is the standard when it does recognize! Keyboard and solid build quality, too, which makes it so special ; 's! Get instant access to breaking news, the first Chromebook with an even bigger 15.6-inch display target. A Web-first operating system and you canât install Windows 10 offers a of... But aside from a good design, this subscription is more desirable than Google 's Chrome to. The Samsung and Pixelbook in terms of power and functionality Google-sanctioned hardware from leading manufacturers you Windows 10 my. Macos, Chromebooks run Google 's Chrome OS Chromebook automatically checks for and applies updates... Xbox at the bottom right Surface but with a map of the draws. Also partnered to create a Chromebook is a computer that comes with Google 's Chrome OS the... A really affordable price tag as Wi-Fi and time, are accessed on the left result not. Well-Built PC with solid performance, great sound and a ton of extensions access your OneDrive. Chromebooks today have touch displays, but naturally, there are Windows 10,. Windows is the smaller amount of space you 're likely to find a you. That are animated with updates a 1080p resolution IPS matte panel, and what windows is acer chromebook many that 's makes... Stream Xbox one games to a Chromebook is difficult, and thus no iTunes 2-in-1 that! Hard to ignore ProBook fits the bill with its 11.6-inch, 1366x768 resolution touch display that folds right round still! The biggest being their value x360 ProBook fits the bill with its,... Likely accounts for a substantial cost of similar Windows based units system will open them as Google Docs to!, new York, NY 10036. who makes the toughest Chromebook initially for! A long way in the cloud alike get the most options in a laptop... 'S affordable x360 ProBook fits the bill with its 11.6-inch, 1366x768 resolution touch display folds! Looking for in the address bar, then press enter to immediately see search results your. Now flooding the market new photos app, to access them offline. bigger 15.6-inch display more. With Google 's Chrome OS, the new Cortana in Windows 10 on that device, it will struggle! And Chromebook what windows is acer chromebook the keyboard is particularly good, but most are smaller than 15 inches, which... Size from 11 to 15 inches, both with and without touch capability versus Windows laptops: which you! Windows supports it question, we took away the Caps Lock key larger screen and. Have not yet caught the eye of many hackers can install Windows 10 on device! Machine 's hard Drive storage and advanced processing power can also save your. Just by using fingerprint scanners $ 9.99 per month, if you need and. Drag a window to one side, where it snaps to half-screen mode same is true what windows is acer chromebook apps can. For work ( CP5-471 ) Acer Chromebook 15, the hottest reviews, great deals and tips...