As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy something through a link on this page, I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what I recommend and it does not change your price.
How to pick
A Chromebook is worth considering more seriously than most people do. If everything you do happens in a web browser, which for a great many people is the truth, a Chromebook starts in seconds, updates itself without drama, and is very hard to infect with anything. That makes it an excellent machine for someone who finds Windows stressful. The honest limits: it will not run Windows programs, so if you need a specific desktop application it is the wrong choice, and it leans on having an internet connection. Two things to check before buying. First the Auto Update Expiration date, which is the month Google stops sending it updates, because after that it stops being safe to use online. Google publishes this per model and it is the single most important number. Second, get 8GB of memory rather than 4 if you keep a lot of tabs open.
What I recommend
SD or microSD card
Chromebooks usually come with very little storage because the idea is that your files live online. A memory card slotted in the side is the cheap way to keep photos and documents on the machine itself.
- Why
- Chromebooks ship with little storage
- Size
- 128GB is plenty
- Check
- Which slot your model has
- Use for
- Photos and documents
USB-C hub for Chromebook
Most Chromebooks have one or two USB-C ports and little else. A small hub gives you HDMI for a monitor, USB-A for a mouse or a memory stick, and lets you charge at the same time.
- Adds
- HDMI and USB-A
- Charging
- Pass through, so you keep a port
- Size
- Small is fine here
- Brands
- Anker, UGREEN
Chromebook
Check the Auto Update Expiration date before anything else, because that is when Google stops sending security updates and the machine stops being safe online. Get 8GB of memory rather than 4 if you keep a lot of tabs open, and prefer a screen that is 1080p rather than the lower resolution ones.
- Check first
- Auto Update Expiration date
- Memory
- 8GB, not 4
- Screen
- 1080p rather than lower
- Not for
- Windows programs
Related reading
Wondering if a Chromebook would suit you?
Happy to talk it through honestly. For some people it is the best machine they could own and for others it is completely wrong.