Are Chromebooks Good for Travelers?

Chromebooks are laptops that run Chrome operating systems rather than Windows, and most of the tasks are performed using the Google Chrome web browser. Applications and data come from the cloud rather than on the laptop’s hard drive, which means they rely heavily on an internet connection.

While you can get some great Chromebooks, and they tend to come in small-screen sizes perfect for lugging around with you, there are a couple of drawbacks for travelers. The first is internet connectivity: If you are going somewhere with patchy internet, it might not make sense to buy a machine that relies on a good connection for most of its functionality.

Another thing to consider is storage. For keen photographers on longer trips, laptops can be a good place to store photos. Not so a Chromebook. With minimal internal storage you will need to buy an external hard drive to take with you as well, adding another piece of kit to your bag.

That said, if you travel in areas where internet connections are reliable and want a machine that can handle internet browsing, word processing and communication software, Chromebooks are a good option.