Are you thinking of purchasing a Google Chromebook but not sure if they are suitable for you?

To help you, I’ve listed below seven great benefits that I think may persuade you to join the growing number of Chromebook users.

From my personal perspective, I’ve been using and writing on a Chromebook for more than two years. And quite frankly – I love it!

1. Incredibly low prices. Chromebooks are considerably cheaper than Windows machines with similar specifications. How is this possible? The answer lies in the Cloud. As computing and storage are mostly handled remotely, the Chromebook Operating System is lightweight, and the onboard storage requirements are minimal.

2. They really are virus free. It may be hard to believe, but Chromebooks have no need for antivirus software to be installed. This is because each web app (programs such as Netflix and Spotify that run from within the Chrome browser) is isolated. Due to this partitioning, if any malware manages to affect one web app, it’s prevented from spreading to other web apps. Additionally, Google real-time monitors all web apps to ensure that they are safe. Enjoy the Internet free from annoying pop-ups, dodgy viruses and constant threats to your data and privacy.

3. Easier to use than even a Mac. Worried about learning a new Operating System if you buy a Chromebook? Forget about it. Chromebooks are incredibly easy to use. Much simpler than either Windows or Apple machines. If you already use the Chrome browser, then you’ll have no problem operating a Chromebook. Expect to fall in love with an almost exclusively web-based computing experience.

4. All your data is stored securely in the Cloud. If you are used to storing everything locally, then you’ll likely need a change in mindset. At first, learning to store everything in the Cloud can take some getting used to. However, once you discover the ease of access, the data-loss prevention and the sharing capabilities – you will be hooked. Cloud storage is quick, friendly and available on all your devices.

5. Lightning-fast browsing. Once you have tried a Chromebook, you won’t want to go back to any other machine. They are designed specifically for web-browsing, and it shows. Pages load quickly. Multiple tabs and windows run effortlessly. And your browsing experience is always smooth and unhindered.

6. Your Chromebook won’t slow down. If you’ve ever bought a new Windows machine, you’ll know what happened after a few weeks of use: it became sluggish. Due to corruption, caching and malware, Windows machines are prone to becoming slower over time. Your Chromebook won’t do this. As most of the processing is handled remotely by Google, there really is very little locally to slow your machine down. Enjoy the brand-new laptop experience – for much, much longer.

7. Increasing software compatibility. One of the criticisms you may have heard about Chromebooks is that they are incompatible with Microsoft Office products such as Excel and Word. This certainly used to be a problem. However, over the last few years, Google has made significant efforts in updating Google Docs and Google Office. Not only can you now view common Microsoft files, but you can also edit them online. In addition, it’s very easy to create a document in Google Docs and then save it in a common Microsoft Word format.

The above benefits are immensely compelling, and I’m convinced that Chromebooks are the way forward.

Here’s how Chromebooks work for me…

Google Docs is where I like to do the bulk of my writing work. I love the fact that it autosaves my writing, and also enables me to pick up my work from various devices.

Furthermore, Google Docs allows me to easily copy across images and text to my WordPress installations – all of which work like a dream on my HP Chromebook 14. I won’t bore you by listing all the writing tools I use, but what I will say, is that they are all web-based and Chromebook compatible.

So which Chromebook should you go for?

To be honest, new models are being released all the time. My recommendation would be to keep an eye on the latest reviews, such as this one: 10 best Chromebooks 2016