Is Chrome OS right for you? A 3-question quiz to find out

Google's Chrome OS is one of the world's most misunderstood computing platforms. Chromebooks are foundationally different from traditional PCs, after all -- and consequently, there are a lot of misconceptions about how they work and what they can and cannot do.
Since people are always asking me whether a Chromebook might be right for their needs, I thought I'd put together a quick guide to help any such wonderers figure it out. Whether it's you or someone you know who's curious, the following three questions should help shed some light on what the platform's all about and for whom it makes sense. 1. Do you spend most of your time using the web and web-centric services? Think carefully here, as the answer might surprise you: What do you do most often on a computer? If the majority of your time is spent in a web browser -- whether it's reading news stories, surfing social media, or using web-centric services like Gmail and Google Docs -- then Chrome OS would probably meet your needs just fine. In fact, there's a good chance it'd actually make things easier than what you're used to with a traditional PC setup (more on why in a minute). [ To comment on this story, visit Computerworld's Facebook page. ] Now, it's important to note that just because something is "web-centric" doesn't necessarily mean you have to be online in order for it to work. One of the most common misconceptions I hear about Chromebooks is that they're completely useless without an active internet connection. In reality, a huge and ever-expanding number of Chrome OS-compatible apps works both online and off, including things like Gmail and Google Docs as well as calculator apps, calendar apps, news-reading apps, games, and even Google Play Movies. (You can browse through the "Offline" section of Google's Chrome Web Store for many more examples.) The truth is that for most people, using a Chromebook offline isn't terribly different than using a traditional PC offline. You aren't going to be able to get on the web or download new content, obviously, but aside from things that inherently require an active connection, there isn't a heck of a lot you'd want to do that wouldn't be available. 2. Do you have specific local programs that you absolutely need, or could most of the things you do on a computer be accomplished with web-centric (and/or Android app) equivalents? Take a moment to think about what programs you use that are locally installed on your PC -- things like word processors, email apps, image and video editing software, resource-intensive games, or specialty software you need for your work. Now think about how many of those programs could or couldn't be replaced with web-centric equivalents and/or Android apps -- the latter of which are now available to install and use on a growing number of Chrome OS devices (and make no mistake about it: Their presence is a pretty big deal).

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