I rely less and less on native Windows applications, and found I spent most of my time in the Chrome browser anyway.
If you use your Smartphone a lot, and have migrated to online banking and online bill payment, I'd encourage you to measure the actual time you spend using PC or Mac applications versus just existing on the web.
What I Use Most
- Dropbox - is now a Chromebook application from the Google Play store.
- Microsoft Office Online - works just fine and I use it with Dropbox to edit Microsoft Word documents (I could use Google Sheets as well).
- Google Docs/Sheets - works offline as well.
- Bittorrent Client - I'm playing with Bitford right now, but searching for another client - install from the Google Play store.
- Flipboard - I use this for all my newsfeeds - I don't trust Facebook to filter news for me.
- Hootsuite - this manages multiple Twitter/Facebook/Linkedin feeds.
- Netflix - works just fine from a Chromebook. Change your virtual country (see PrivateInternetAccess below) and stream different Netflix streams - the UK and USA are very different from Canada.
- PrivateInternetAccess - give me a virtual presence in several countries. Highly recommended and works fine in a Chrombook.
- Chromecast - this is a hardware/software dongle you attach to the USB port on your TV. Indispensable for anyone operating a Chromebook, as it allows you to do a number of things with your TV (like display your desktop, stream movies, project YouTube and Netflix, etc).
I Still Can't Replace These
- HP Scanner Utility for the Envy 4500 wireless printer/scanner. Only the scanning part won't work with the Chromebook. Printing works fine, and cloud printing is pretty painless.
- Calibre is an ebook management programs for managing my Kindle. Most people wouldn't need this, as Amazon handles all their ebooks on their site.
- Videostream is used for streaming movies to my Chromecast/TV. I only need this when I'm really lazy - I can either cast (using Chromecast) video to the TV or use the included HDMI connector on the Chromebook. But since there's limited storage on the Chromebook (16GB), I normally store all my movies on the PC.
- Scrivener is an ebook editing/publishing application for creating ebooks. I haven't used this program in a few years, but it's there if I ever feel the need to write another book.
- Prezi is presentation software I sometimes use or some contract work I do. Again, I haven't used this in over a year.
Overall, I use the Chromebook about 90% of the time. I use the desktop/laptop PC about 5% of the time for "PC only" apps, and the other 5% is for times I'm too lazy to use the Chromebook.
Other Benefits
The biggest benefits (to me) with the Chromebook platform are:
- Cost - if I break or lose this computer, it's trivial and inexpensive to replace. The one I'm using right now cost $269.
- Battery Life - I can get a full day of use out of my Chromebook, and often forget to charge it overnight. It will recharge in a couple of hours, so I can plug it in when I go for a walk, and it's ready to go again.
- Size and Weight - this thing is small. Not Macbook Air small, but small - 2.76 lbs.
- Speed - as long as you're aware that the number of browser tabs you have open effects the speed, it's very fast. If anything becomes an issue, close a tab or two. I often have 5-6 tabs open at one time, and see no performance hit.
- Ultra Portability - as long as you have an Internet connection, this thing is fantastic. If you need to do something without net access, you have to think twice (make sure your Docs and Sheets are synced, any movies you want to watch are on the internal drive, etc.).
I'm pleased with the switch. I have a friend in Victoria (Rick) who is very Microsoft-centric and wanted me to move to the Microsoft Surface platform. It looks pretty good, and the ability to run anything and everything is a bonus, but cost is a factor. If I break or lose my Chromebook, no biggie. And since everything exists in the cloud, I lose nothing.
My next computer will be another Chromebook.
