70 TECH ADVISOR • FEBRUARY 2020COMPARISON
a Windows PC, booting and resuming them just
generally feels more efficient than Windows. Part of
that is the simplicity: Google takes care of most of
the mundane tasks of powering a PC, like security
and driver updates. ‘Blue screens of death’ occur
on Windows; Chromebooks rarely crash – a fact
Google emphasizes in commercials.
Still, some of those more mundane tasks can be
irritating to Chromebook users, too, such as printing,
file management and utilities. These small, minute-
to-minute tasks can be where differences between
the two platforms can become abrasive, especially if
you’re used to doing things in a certain way.
Take printing, for example. The world’s printers
were designed from the ground up for Windows and
Macs, and can print either over a wireless network or
from a USB cable. Chromebooks, on the other hand,
can struggle with direct printing or using the more
advanced features of certain printers, and prefer that
you set up a ‘cloud printer’ to print documents over
a wireless network. The latter’s not especially difficult,
but does require that you own a Wi-Fi enabled printer
and understand how to set it up. (Ironically, ‘cloud’
printing using a traditional wired printer requires it to
be connected to a PC or laptop running Chrome.)
Certain tasks also require a different way of doing
things on a Chromebook versus a Windows PC. Sure,
there’s the Chrome OS keyboard shortcuts, where
taking a screenshot or a portion of one requires
knowing to press the Ctrl + ‘switcher’ key. When you
take that screenshot, you’ll see it saved inside a folder- but you won’t be able to rename that file without
70 TECH ADVISOR • FEBRUARY 2020COMPARISON
a WindowsPC,bootingandresumingthemjust
generallyfeels more efficient than Windows. Part of
that is the simplicity: Google takes care of most of
the mundane tasks of powering a PC, like security
anddriverupdates.‘Bluescreensofdeath’occur
onWindows;Chromebooksrarelycrash– a fact
Googleemphasizes in commercials.
Still, some of those more mundane tasks can be
irritating to Chromebook users, too, such as printing,
file management and utilities. These small, minute-
to-minute tasks can be where differences between
thetwoplatformscanbecomeabrasive,especiallyif
you’reused to doing things in a certain way.
Take printing, for example. The world’s printers
were designed from the ground up for Windows and
Macs, and can print either over a wireless network or
from a USB cable. Chromebooks, on the other hand,
can struggle with direct printing or using the more
advanced features of certain printers, and prefer that
you set up a ‘cloud printer’ to print documents over
a wireless network. The latter’s not especially difficult,
but does require that you own a Wi-Fi enabled printer
and understand how to set it up. (Ironically, ‘cloud’
printing using a traditional wired printer requires it to
be connected to a PC or laptop running Chrome.)
Certain tasks also require a different way of doing
things on a Chromebook versus a Windows PC. Sure,
there’s the Chrome OS keyboard shortcuts, where
taking a screenshot or a portion of one requires
knowing to press the Ctrl + ‘switcher’ key. When you
take that screenshot, you’ll see it saved inside a folder- but you won’t be able to rename that file without