Data Structure
Networking
RDBMS
Operating System
Java
MS Excel
iOS
HTML
CSS
Android
Python
C Programming
C++
C#
MongoDB
MySQL
Javascript
PHP
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Mathematics
English
Economics
Psychology
Social Studies
Fashion Studies
Legal Studies
- Selected Reading
- UPSC IAS Exams Notes
- Developer's Best Practices
- Questions and Answers
- Effective Resume Writing
- HR Interview Questions
- Computer Glossary
- Who is Who
Difference between Laptop and Chromebook
Laptop and Chromebook are two widely used modern personal computers which are commonly used by students, office professionals, programmers, etc. The fundamental difference between the two is that a laptop is a type of personal computer having a portable design and used for performing general purpose tasks like word processing, internet browsing, gaming, and more; whereas a Chromebook is a type of laptop computer that has the Google Chrome Operating System (Google Chrome OS). Similar to any other laptop, the Chromebook is also used for general purpose tasks.
Read this tutorial to learn more about Laptops and Chromebooks and how they are different from each other.
What is a Laptop?
Laptop is a type of personal computer that is designed to carry from one place to another. Therefore, laptop consists of all the major components of a computer system, such as CPU, motherboard, memory unit, input unit, output unit, etc. in a single case.
Laptops run by taking power from a battery contained in its case. Laptops are basically designed to perform basic general purpose tasks, like word processing, spreadsheet, presentation design, programming, web browsing, and more.
Laptops can run on different types of computer operation systems such as Windows, MacOS, Linux, etc. Depending on the user’s need, laptops come in a variety of sizes and system configurations.
Finally, laptops are general purpose computers that are light weight and smaller in size, and designed in a self-contained unit form factor, making it portable and convenient to carry from one place to another.
What is a Chromebook?
A type of laptop computer that runs on the Google’s Chrome Operating System (Chrome OS) is called Chromebook. Chromebook is mainly designed to be more affordable and supports Google’s web-based services.
Chromebooks are mainly optimized for web-based computing and cloud storage services, instead of locally installed software applications and local storage units.
The unique feature of a Chromebook in comparison to a traditional laptop is that they come with pre-installed google produces like Gmail, G Drive, Google Docs, Sheets, etc. and can run android applications.
In comparison to a normal laptop, chromebooks are less expensive. However, they are capable for performing basic computing tasks, and are not suitable to run high-end software applications.
Difference between Chromebook and Laptop
The important differences between chromebook and laptop are listed in the following table −
Parameter |
Laptop |
Chromebook |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A laptop is a type of personal computer designed in a self-contained unit to carry conveniently from one place to another. |
A Chromebook is a type of laptop that runs on Google’s Chrome OS. |
| Operating System (OS) | Laptop can run on any operating system like Windows, Linux, MacOS, etc. |
Chromebooks always run the Google’s Chrome operating system. |
| User Interface | In laptops, the operating system is responsible for creating primary user interface. |
In chromebooks, the chrome browser acts as the primary user interface. |
| Storage | In laptops, storage is provided locally by installing hard disk drives (HDDs) or solid state drives (SSDs). |
In chromebooks, storage is provided through cloud storage services. |
| Software compatibility | Laptops are compatible to run a variety of software applications. |
Chromebooks support a limited number of software applications, also it mostly relies on web-based applications. |
| Android compatibility | In laptops, the compatibility with android devices depends upon the operating system used. |
Chromebooks are fully compatible with android devices and play store apps. |
| Need of internet | Laptop has locally installed software applications, therefore, there is no need of an internet connection regularly. |
Chromebooks are based on web-based apps require an uninterrupted internet connection to work properly. |
| Cost | Laptops are generally expensive. |
Chromebooks are less expensive than traditional laptops. |
| Battery life | Laptops typically have a shorter battery backup time. |
Chromebooks have longer battery life time than laptops. |
| Processor | Laptops are generally equipped with a more powerful processor. |
Chromebooks do not have a powerful processor as the laptop. |
| Size & Weight | Laptops are typically larger and heavier than chromebooks. |
Chromebooks are relatively smaller and lighter in comparison to other laptops. |
| Performance | Laptops give high performance. |
Chromebooks give relatively poor performance than other laptops. |
| Ports for peripherals | Laptops generally have a greater number of ports for connecting peripheral devices. |
Chromebooks have a lesser number of ports for peripherals. |
| Multitasking capability | Laptops are highly optimized for multitasking, a they have more powerful hardware architecture. |
Chromebooks are not capable for multitasking. |
| System customization | Laptops are easy to customize to change their hardware configuration as per need. |
Chromebooks are not flexible to customization, as they have fixed hardware configuration. |
| Maintenance | Laptops require more maintenance, as they have local hardware setup and software applications. |
Due to web-based and cloud-based architectures, chromebooks require less maintenance. |
Conclusion
From the above comparison, it is clear that laptops and chromebooks have different benefits, features, and limitations. Hence, they are suitable for different user requirements. The most significant difference that you should note here is that laptops are powerful and versatile personal computers with a portable form factor, while Chromebooks are a type of laptop that operates on Chrome operating system and are less expensive than traditional laptops.
94 Views
