Chromebooks are a great option for those who are looking for a simple productivity machine that is also affordable, but they are often criticized for their specifications and reliance on the internet. Things have changed over the years with manufacturers improving their specs, adding software support, and allowing a range of offline functionality. Today, we will be looking at six things you might not know Chromebooks can do.
Run the Microsoft Office Suite
The Microsoft Office suite runs on Chromebooks, but you have to install the office online versions from the Chrome Web Store. You can create, edit and view numerous types of documents on your affordable but capable Chromebook. Chromebooks have also become powerful enough that you can create and run PowerPoint creations with numerous transitions and animations.
Play Games
Yes, you can play games on a Chromebook. You can play most games by streaming them from another computer using Chrome Remote Desktop. Using this hack, you can play any game on the Chromebook that the host computer is capable of playing.
If you want to play native games on the Chromebook, you can download some from the Google Play Store or Chrome Store. You can also play Android games on most Chromebook devices. Google has provided a handy guide on how to play Android games on a Chromebook.
Use Productivity Apps
Since you can download Android apps onto your Chromebook, you can also use productivity apps available for Android. These include apps like Microsoft Office as we have discussed above or Skype, Meet, and Zoom.
To get the best experience, it would be a good idea to get some Chromebook accessories like a headset and mouse. Lenovo already has a line of accessories that work with Chromebooks so you can choose ones that make you more productive.
If you use a voice assistant on your phone, Chromebooks already run Google Assistant which is arguably the best voice assistant in the world.
Edit Videos
Now, do not expect to edit 4K or high-res videos on your Chromebook, but you can get decent results using one of the available Android video editing apps.
If you want a powerful editing option, you can always remotely connect into a more powerful computer and run software like Adobe Premiere.
Edit Photos
Adobe released a suite of tools that run on Android and thus run on Chromebooks. These include Photoshop Mix, Photoshop Express, Photoshop Sketch, and Photoshop Fix. Just like on Android, you should not expect the latest features, but you get a suite of Apps that will help you get great results right on your Chromebook.
There are also Android equivalents of Adobe Lightroom and other Adobe software that will run on Chromebooks.
Use It as a Tablet
There are lots of 2-in-1 Chromebook models on the market that you can fold over and use as a tablet. Many of them come with impressive specs such as 8 GB of RAM and a 14-inch screen for productivity or media consumption.
While you have to use hacks like remote connections and installing Android apps, Chromebooks are very capable devices that you can do a lot with. They can be productive or entertainment machines depending on how you set them up.
