Chromebooks in the Classroom: Comparison Study
Today’s students want fast, responsive electronic devices with long battery life—if the device they use to do school work takes too long to load something and forces them to constantly worry about battery life, it can be hard to keep them focused and engaged. They want to pick up their device, get going right away, and move from one thing to another quickly and easily. Teachers want this, too — the less time their students spend waiting for their devices to open an app or document, the sooner they can start learning and the more likely they are to be engaged and stay engaged instead of distracted or frustrated.
As more Chromebook models enter the market, it’s becoming harder for schools to choose the right one. We put on our student hats, and put two representative Chromebooks through scenarios that included tasks such as watching a TED-Ed video and taking notes. We also looked at how long the two Chromebooks could keep running without a charge.
Which Chromebook is the better choice? We found that only the Intel® processor-powered Chromebook aced the test, lasting over 57 percent longer unplugged than the ARM processor-based Chromebook while also delivering up to 50 percent less waiting in four student scenarios. With the Intel processor-powered Chromebook, students spend less time waiting and more time learning.
