I have not tried a Chrome book yet and I'm curious. I know a Chrome device may be used for other things aside from browsing the web. What are its advantages over a PC or a Mac? What are the applications that it can run? If it does not support applications like Skype or MS Office, are there application replacements available?
First of all, the main advantage of using a Chromebook is that it's virus-free. The operating system used is Chrome OS, a variant of Linux made by Google. You will be safer compared to using a Windows operating system. A Chromebook also stores all the booting codes in a ROM, in case any malicious applications will damage the system files of the device.
The applications a Chromebook can run are only limited to the developer database handling the necessities of the device, for example:
1. Use LibreOffice as an alternative to the Microsoft Office pack. It has the exact same functionalities, it is as user-friendly as possible, and it can store and open your documents in the same extensions as Microsoft Office.
2. Chromebook does support an alternative to Skype : Google Hangouts. It has the same features as Skype, you can chat via webcam, or microphone and also add different contacts to your Google Hangouts account. No installation will be necessary because Google Hangouts can be accessed from this link.
I must mention that the Chromebook is a lightweight laptop made primarily for portability and easy internet access. In time, more and more applications will be developed and moved to the Chrome operating system, giving a more wide array of choices for you software needs.
