Chromebook for college student

[Chuckanut]

A young relative of mine is going back to college to get a degree. Most likely the degree will be in psychology. It won't be in the hard sciences, math or engineering, that's for sure.

I am thinking of getting her a Chromebook as she is now using an 8+ year old laptop that is slooooooowwwwwww.......

For those of you who have kids in college, do you think a Chromebook would work well? Or should I go for a Windows Laptop? Perhaps one of those sleek Yoga machines? I would love to get her a Mac, but the current Mac prices are just not in my ballpark.

 

[97guns]

My mom uses a chrome book, it's great for surfing the web but not very good for saving and moving files, a pc would be a better choice for those tasks

 

[Red Badger]

I have used only a Chromebook for about seven years. As long as one has web access, saving files is not an issue. I keep everything in the cloud and have never had an issue either storing or retrieving. Plus, when I upgrade to a new unit, I never have to copy files, etc.

It took some time to get over having my stuff in the cloud, but once I got past separation anxiety, I grew to love it. Also, no viruses, malware, etc and no need for defensive software - ever. YMMV

 

[Aerides]

Re files - Google docs takes care of that.

 

[marko]

Heavy Chromebook user. Files can be stored in the cloud, on the book itself (relatively small storage) or on flash drive. Not sure about how appropriate for college however

 

[Chuckanut]

. Not sure about how appropriate for college however

That is what I am wondering about. I know lots of people who use Chromebooks for email, surfing and other not very serious stuff. But, for college, I am not sure.

So, if you know a person in college who uses a Chromebook pass along what they say.

 

[LOL!]

She will want whatever everyone else has, so I suggest giving money and letting her choose for herself.

 

[Sojourner]

She will want whatever everyone else has, so I suggest giving money and letting her choose for herself.

+1

People tend to be fairly picky about the specific brands of their devices, so giving her a Chromebook might be akin to giving her a Toyota when she's actually a die-hard BMW enthusiast. Just give her enough cash (or a gift card) to purchase a decent, middle-of-the-road, modern laptop of whatever make she prefers.

 

[JustCurious]

For those of you who have kids in college, do you think a Chromebook would work well?

Yes, very much so. I use a chromebook, and both of my kids use a Chromebook for school, they are great. I would advise against getting a Windows laptop.

 

[LauAnn]

I have found Chromebooks are not straight forward when it comes to printing. So I would be concerned about that in college. No doubt, however, they are great for surfing and email. I like the suggestion about giving $ instead.

 

[Cobra9777]

...People tend to be fairly picky about the specific brands of their devices, so giving her a Chromebook might be akin to giving her a Toyota when she's actually a die-hard BMW enthusiast. Just give her enough cash (or a gift card) to purchase a decent, middle-of-the-road, modern laptop of whatever make she prefers.

Chromebook is not a brand. It is a type of laptop running the Chrome operating system. They are sold by many different manufacturers.

DD used one her last 2 years in college with no problem at all. She was an education major, so rarely needed to run any specific Windows software. For editing documents, spreadsheets, etc, she used Google Docs and Sheets, and everything was stored on Google Drive.

 

[USGrant1962]

You should also check the college's IT requirements. Even though she is not in a hard science, there may be required software. I agree that a cash contribution is most workable.

 

[aja8888]

On printing, my Chromebook automatically connected to our Epson wireless printer without any issue. I can print anything from anywhere in our house. For storage, I use the web or my 64 GB flash drive.

Love my Chromebook and haven't turned on the Windows laptop for two years.

 

[Sojourner]

Chromebook is not a brand. It is a type of laptop running the Chrome operating system. They are sold by many different manufacturers.

DD used one her last 2 years in college with no problem at all. She was an education major, so rarely needed to run any specific Windows software. For editing documents, spreadsheets, etc, she used Google Docs and Sheets, and everything was stored on Google Drive.

The Chrome OS is very much a brand of operating system, even if the hardware that runs it is made by different manufacturers. So my point is that some people much prefer the Windows OS "brand", which some only feel comfortable using Mac OS and still others may prefer Chrome OS. If you give a Chromebook to someone who is a stalwart Windows user or a long-time Mac OS user, they may end up tinkering with it or not using it at all... or they may love it.

 

[wolf]

+1

People tend to be fairly picky about the specific brands of their devices, so giving her a Chromebook might be akin to giving her a Toyota when she's actually a die-hard BMW enthusiast. Just give her enough cash (or a gift card) to purchase a decent, middle-of-the-road, modern laptop of whatever make she prefers.

++1, no brainer.

 

[Chuckanut]

Good points, especially to see what the college recommends. I'll put it on the back burner for a month or so and see what falls out of the tree when it shakes.

 

[joeea]

I am thinking of getting her a Chromebook as she is now using an 8+ year old laptop that is slooooooowwwwwww.......

For those of you who have kids in college, do you think a Chromebook would work well? Or should I go for a Windows Laptop? Perhaps one of those sleek Yoga machines? I would love to get her a Mac, but the current Mac prices are just not in my ballpark.

Check in with the college first. Many have tech support in place for a limited variety of computer types. If Chromebooks are not on the list, you may want to rethink your choice. Perhaps give her the money toward a better computer and let her decide.

Personally, I love Chromebooks. I'd have no trouble using it unless a course required specific software that wasn't supported (seems unlikely for this major). But then, I'm technical enough to work my way through issues. Your daughter many not be capable.

 

[ExitLeft]

Good points, especially to see what the college recommends.

+1. Not only may the college have recommendations, but they may even have requirements and potentially deals with specific vendors.

Also, students get discounts if they buy directly from most places. Apple and Best Buy are examples that offer student discounts. For Best Buy, the student registers on the BB website with their student email address and receives coupons via email. $200 off IIRC.

Another thing to consider is contributing to a 529 if one exists, that can then be used as a tax deduction, grows tax-free, and can pay for the laptop when necessary.

 

[folivier]

Also some software manufacturers offer student versions at a deep discount. Not sure if they have chrome versions or if she will need any of that software.

 

[JustCurious]

Check in with the college first. Many have tech support in place for a limited variety of computer types. If Chromebooks are not on the list, you may want to rethink your choice. Perhaps give her the money toward a better computer and let her decide.

That's one of the great things about Chromebooks, you don't need tech support, they just work. In that regard, there are no better computers in my opinion.

 

[brett]

Let her decide.

My son went to Apple. I did not understand it. Difficult for me because I worked in IT for Megacorp that was one of the paramount supplies. Plus, I could not negotiate for an Apple unit whereas I had an employee discount for all product.

Then DW wanted a ipad for travel. Fours years on I also have an ipad. Great value. When my desktop dies, if ever, it will be replaced by an Apple assuming the product attributes remain constant.

 

[marko]

Also some software manufacturers offer student versions at a deep discount. Not sure if they have chrome versions or if she will need any of that software.

Just remember that you cannot install traditional software like MS or such on a Chromebook. They have "apps" that run such things but not installed on the laptop itself. Everything like "Word" or "Excel" are in the cloud.

I love it actually as these programs are updated automatically and you never have to worry about viruses etc. With a few exceptions I've found that everything a MS or Apple can do, the Chromebook can do