What to Purchase

Basic Requirements

Parents and students have a lot of flexibility and choice in deciding what Chromebook to purchase.  The following are the only requirements:

  1. It needs to be a Chromebook
    • This means it needs to natively run the Chrome OS operating system
    • Windows laptops and Apple laptops (MacBooks) are not allowed
  2. It must still be receiving updates
    • This means it must not have passed its Automatic Updates expiration date
    • Here is a comprehensive list of Chromebooks and their Automatic Updates expiration dates (Auto Update policy)
    • In general, if the Chromebook was made within the last few years, you will not have a problem

Technical Recommendations

As long as you are buying a Chromebook, there are no minimum technical specifications.  However, if you can afford it, you may want to consider some of the following things.

  • More RAM
    • The minimum amount of RAM, or memory, you can get is usually 4 GB.  While this is adequate, if possible we would recommend 8 GB or more.
  • Touchscreen
    • While this is definitely not required, students seem to often find having a touchscreen a convenient upgrade.
  • Larger screen
    • A 10 inch screen is usually the smallest you can get, and this is adequate.  However, in general it seems that a larger screen is better.
  • Faster processor
    • Any Chromebook with any processor is fine.  However, if you can find and afford a faster one, it will make the experience better.  Generally it will result in less waiting and a smoother experience.  There are a lot of different options for processors, so we would recommend an internet search to compare different ones.

Where to Buy and Warranties

You can purchase a Chromebook from anywhere.  We would recommend either a major retailer or direct from a major manufacturer.  Below are some links for your convenience.

We would also highly recommend buying an extended warranty.  All the retailers and manufactures below offer extended warranties, but they may vary quite a bit as far as price, number of years offered, what is covered, and other details.

Here are some potential places to buy Chromebooks along with examples of the warranties offered.