Hidden Costs of Owning a Chromebook: Discover 7 Surprises 💡

Summary

• Google One is essential for getting extra cloud storage on Chromebooks, starting at $19.99/year. ☁️
• YouTube Premium offers more than just ad blocking, with a three-month free trial for Chromebook users. 🎥
• Chromebooks may require external audio and video equipment for professional use. 🎤

The main attraction of Chromebooks is their affordability. 🤑 However, there are some additional purchases that aren't immediately obvious to get the full ChromeOS experience. Here are the key points you need to know before making a purchase. 🛒

Google One

The main feature that makes Chromebooks affordable is that they complement their low internal storage with cloud storage via Google One. 📦

Every Google account automatically receives 15GB of free cloud storage via Google One, shared across Google Photos, Drive, and Gmail. New Chromebook users have the benefit of a 12-month trial of the “Basic” plan, which increases this storage capacity to 100GB for just $19.99/year. 🏷️ Even those who aren't heavy users will likely need this extra space, so consider this subscription a necessary part of owning a Chromebook.

Other Google One plans offer increased storage along with additional benefits, but also come at a significantly higher cost. For example, the next tier up is the “Premium” subscription at $99.99/year, which offers 2TB of cloud storage along with Google Workspace features like longer Meet calls and expanded Calendar functionality. In addition to more storage, higher tiers provide access to advanced Gemini AI features. 🤖

Since cloud storage is the foundation upon which Chromebooks are built, Google One is likely an essential service for you. Taking the time to determine which plan you need and whether it's worth the cost is the most important thing a prospective Chromebook owner can do.

YouTube Premium

For most, YouTube Premium is a monthly fee to remove YouTube ads. A Chrome ad blocker You can also perform this function, even in the standalone YouTube app, as long as you are comfortable using it. ❌

However, YouTube Premium offers more than just ad blocking. Additional features include the ability to watch videos offline and remove ads from the YouTube Music app. If you use YouTube on your phone, it also lets you continue playing videos in the background after you exit the app, although for the sole purpose of using a Chromebook, this feature isn't relevant. 📱

With your Chromebook, you get three months of YouTube Premium free, after which it'll cost $13.99/month. 💳

Audio and Video Equipment

Chromebooks often offer lower costs on the camera, microphone, and speakers. While they're generally acceptable for casual use, you'll want to opt for higher-quality alternatives for more demanding applications. 🎧

Obviously, the price range for all this equipment is vast, and you'll generally get what you pay for. The best investment I can recommend is a good pair of headphones to cover both your speaker and microphone needs. 🎤 You're covering two needs in one, and they'll remain relevant for virtually any device you use. Our headphone buying guide can help you navigate.

Webcams are a slightly more circumstantial proposition. If you're going to be making video calls in a professional setting, a better camera than what Chromebooks offer is often crucial. We've rounded up some of the best webcams, though I also suggest looking for a laptop with an internal camera that suits your needs. It's worth noting that some modern Chromebook Plus laptops They use artificial intelligence to improve the quality of the built-in camera. 🖥️

Game Streaming Services

If you're looking to play video games, it's best to go with a Windows device. 🙁 There aren't many games with native support for ChromeOS, except for a few Android games. However, game streaming services offer a potential alternative.

The two main options here are Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Nvidia's GeForce NOW, which offers three free months to Chromebook owners. My experience testing both on a Chromebook Plus was that 2D games ran surprisingly well, but most 3D games were quite laggy. Latency was high, though this varied depending on the game. Still, at $19.99/month, it's really only worth it if a Chromebook is your only gaming option. 🎮

Alternatively, if you have a gaming PC and want to use your Chromebook to stream games, Steam Link is a great free option for playing your Steam library on the go. This is strictly for streaming games from a device you already own, while other services provide devices to stream from, which incur an additional cost.

For any game streaming, you will need a solid internet connection, preferably via an Ethernet cable. Be sure to test before you buy to ensure it works with your setup. You can try streaming from other devices you own (such as phones and tablets) using free trials. 📶

Google Play Apps

Google
With ChromeOS, you have pre-installed apps that access Google's suite of services. Everything else you'll need to find in the Google Play Store. 📲

We recommend exploring Google Play and seeing what's available. In addition to native apps, Chromebooks can run some Android apps and games. Keep in mind that not all Android apps are compatible with ChromeOS, such as the Microsoft Office suite, which is a notable omission. although it can be accessed through the web.

Any Android app purchased through Google Play on other devices can also be downloaded to a Chromebook at no additional cost. So, this could end up being a money-saver for owning a Chromebook rather than an additional expense. 💡

Android devices

Having an Android device is not a requirement to use a Chromebook, but considerably improves the user experience, beyond having a pre-existing library of applications. 🌈

The main feature here is the ability to link your phone to your Chromebook to use Google Messages. This allows you to send messages from your Chromebook as if they were from your Android phone. There are messaging alternatives if you're an iPhone user, but not through the preinstalled Google Messages app. 📱

Android phones can also be used as a hotspot and a way to unlock your Chromebook. Plus, your phone's data and notifications sync with your Chromebook, allowing it to function as a complete extension of your device. 🔄

Eventually Needing a More Powerful Computer

While ChromeOS is a great choice for casual needs or as a second computer, its limitations quickly become apparent when you need to do more than Google services allow. 📉 Even downloading and accessing files can be cumbersome if that's part of your workflow, given the lack of a traditional desktop or file system. Basically, if your needs ever expand beyond browsing, video streaming, and word processing, you may need more than just a Chromebook. 💻

This is to say that to avoid a Chromebook becoming a sunk cost, consider your use case, especially if it's your only computer. 🧐

Ready for the next step in your purchase? You should explore whether a Chromebook or Chromebook Plus is the best option for you. 🚀