UKH

My Windows10 laptop has just died and I need a replacement. It's mostly for MS Office stuff, so the obvious choice would be an Windows laptop, but I'm really not a fan of their formats and layouts any more. 

Anyone got any experience with the newer ChromeBooks, especially in regards to using MS Office?

I have had a chromebook for a few years now. Love it. Still as quick as ever, none of this clunky slow windows nonsense. 

No problem with online versions of word etc. All pretty much the same as an offline one, but faster!

I had a chromebook a few years back and loved it. Then google did a firmware update and bam the wifi started to cut out (not ideal being something that requires the internet for full functionality). I suffered with it for 6 months, changing routers a few times because they blamed that, lots of reports the of the same thing online, so binned it and bought another laptop. It was great up until then. So I wouldn't rate their support, if you are going down that route google for the Chromebook you are thinking about getting and "problems"

Google are like a child; they get a new toy, play with it exclusively for a while, and then get bored and forget all about it.

Operating systems: ChromeOS, Android, and now Fuschia. How long before they get bored with ChromeOS and Android...?

forgive my lack of knowledge could you install windows or Linux on it? 

Most Chromebooks can easily run Linux (ChromeOS is a version of Linux anyway), though it won't necessarily run all that well on the cheapest models. Most of them will also run Linux software and/or Android apps inside ChromeOS these days.

Macbook all day for me, but depends on what you use (and budget). Requiring internet to work is a no for me, limits the use cases.

You can't run proper Office on a Chromebook - the whole point of it is that it's a browser-based machine for doing everything online.  I think you can now run the Android apps and Office Online but they're not a real substitute.

For running Office you need a Windows machine or a Mac.

What have you found that you need from office that you can't do online? Most people only ever really use word and Excel, both of which are absolutely fine online. I have never regretted not having windows!

I don't like Office Online as an everyday tool, it's slow, clunky and unresponsive compared with the proper native version.  It's also dependent on an Internet connection so no use for e.g. working on the train or on a campsite where it can be patchy.

If you find Office Online faster than regular Windows Office, your Windows machine was underspecced.

I use phone tethering if I really need to use the computer outside of the house, but since my phone is basically a small computer I mostly just use it these days, even in the house! I only really use the chromebook (which is the closest to a proper computer that I have) when I am doing translation work and need to type a lot as it is then quicker to have a proper keyboard.

I always bought the cheapest machine that I thought I could get away with - there are always more bikes and tents to buy with that money so I won't waste it on a boring computer! But for the same price as a really basic and clunky windows machine, I have a fast and simple chromebook which works really well and doesn't get slower and crapper with age. 

The reviewing and track changes functions work poorly for me. I tried to use my Chromebook for a part time masters and it was a grind.

My present Windows laptop is a £400 HP which is quick enough (8GB RAM is the key with Win 10).  I'll probably have knackered it before it gets frustratingly slow.

I paid £200 for my chromebook, and I think it has 4GB RAM. How do you knacker it other than it getting slow? I have found every windows machine needs replaced within a couple of years due to getting too slow. The chromebook must now be at least 3 years old , maybe nearer 4? And from switching on to using it takes about a minute. No updates or any of that nonsense. It just works, and works, and works! I'm not interested in fancy tech, I just want tech which makes my life easier, doesn't cost a fortune and doesn't need replaced too often!

I think I am probably a more 'simple' user of these things!! I didn't really need to track changes etc.

By Office online, that's different to an Office365 subscription isn't it? I can use my work office365 subscription on additional devices but that's no use if I need to be online 

I travel a lot (though not as much as I used to) and so my laptop tends to lead a hard life.

Sometimes doing a back to box reinstall helps that assuming it's not a spec issue.

To be fair if it works for you by all means use one - I just wouldn't recommend it for the original poster's use-case.

Depends on the Office 365 subscription.  Most likely a work one includes the installation of the software itself rather than just the online version.

The OP wasn't very specific about usage, just said MS office stuff. 

It's pretty easy for the OP to try all the online versions first to see if they are suitable for their use! 

True.  I would still suggest, though, that if MS Office is your primary aim the online tools *won't* be adequate for most people - they are not even nearly the full product, they are more like a M$ version of the Google Suite.