Chromebooks started out as a joke in the Internet community since the operating system powering each Chromebook, known as Chrome OS, is pretty much built around the Chrome browser which you can already use in other operating systems. But Google continues to push the emerging OS as it introduces some new apps, a little bit of offline support and better hardware from Google’s partners. For the average consumer that likes to go on Facebook or check email, a Chromebook is a smart choice. The prices of most Chromebooks nowadays rival tablets so you could be leaning on a Chromebook if you plan on doing more word processing. But is it ready to be your main machine for coding? That depends on what type of project you are handling.
Since Chrome OS is a continuously evolving operating system, it is important to get an idea regarding the latest Chrome OS version. For instance, a recent update in April 2014 offers a new feature that lets you snap a small app to the screen’s edge so you can easily view 2 windows at once.
The next thing you should check is apps, which is pretty simple since Chrome OS and the Chrome browser share the same app store. Just launch the Chrome browser and browse the Chrome Web Store. One nice app to try out is Neutron Drive which is a code editor that works with Google Drive so your work is saved online and you can collaborate with other Neutron Drive users too. There are a couple of decent IDE’s as well including sourceLair and ShiftEdit. So if you can’t afford that MacBook Air, a Chromebook can serve you surprisingly well.