Microsoft Teams & Office/Zoom on Chromebook

[Anonymous]

We want to purchase an inexpensive device (must have a keyboard) for our rising 3rd grader to use for distance learning next year. Her school uses Microsoft Teams as it’s distance learning platform, and teachers often email lessons as attachments in Microsoft PowerPoint and Word. She also uses Zoom for some extracurricular activities. Would a chromebook be too limiting for those tasks? Would I be better off getting a budget laptop with a windows OS instead?

[Anonymous]

Following this. I’ve been reading up on various Chromebooks this morning for my kids. I’ve read a few accounts of Zoom issues with Chromebooks, but I’m confused as to whether it’s across the board, or just on certain models.

[Anonymous]

We bought a chrome book for our 2nd grader when distance learning started this spring. She hasn't had any problem with Teams or Zoom. There have been a couple times where some extra features were unavailable in the Chromebook version of the software. The one that sticks out is the Chromebook version of Teams doesn't allow you to change you background which you can do if you're using Teams on a regular PC. We have a Lenovo we bought on sale from Costco.

[Anonymous]

I was told chromebooks don't support microsoft. We use office 365 and teams at work, and my IT guy told us it wouldn't work with chromebooks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was told chromebooks don't support microsoft. We use office 365 and teams at work, and my IT guy told us it wouldn't work with chromebooks.

Please ignore my comment, I'm sorry. I just googled this and there are office options for chromebook, so my IT guy must have either been wrong, or simplifying another issue and I misunderstood.

Carry on.

[Anonymous]

I would get a laptop over chomebook. More functionality and faster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was told chromebooks don't support microsoft. We use office 365 and teams at work, and my IT guy told us it wouldn't work with chromebooks.

Please ignore my comment, I'm sorry. I just googled this and there are office options for chromebook, so my IT guy must have either been wrong, or simplifying another issue and I misunderstood.

Carry on.

How do I know which are the office options for chromebook?

[Anonymous]

Teams works great on the Chromebook. Install the Android app from the Play store as it works better than the web version. I think video per screen is limited to 2x2 in Android/iOS apps vs 3x3 on Windows/Apple at the moment but Microsoft is increasing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was told chromebooks don't support microsoft. We use office 365 and teams at work, and my IT guy told us it wouldn't work with chromebooks.

Please ignore my comment, I'm sorry. I just googled this and there are office options for chromebook, so my IT guy must have either been wrong, or simplifying another issue and I misunderstood.

Carry on.

How do I know which are the office options for chromebook?

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/install-and-set-up-office-on-an-android-cafe9d6f-8b0c-4b03-b20a-12438a82a22d

[Anonymous]

Zoom and chromebooks do not work well for distance learning. All of the interactive features of zoom are inaccessible to chromebook users. I provide teletherapy via zoom and chromebooks are terrible. I cannot give mouse control to clients--so they are unable to click, drag, type on the shared screen. I'd avoid chromebooks if interactivity is involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Zoom and chromebooks do not work well for distance learning. All of the interactive features of zoom are inaccessible to chromebook users. I provide teletherapy via zoom and chromebooks are terrible. I cannot give mouse control to clients--so they are unable to click, drag, type on the shared screen. I'd avoid chromebooks if interactivity is involved.

We've been using Zoom on a new Chromebook for therapy for a kid. It works great once you install the Zoom app from the Play Store. Most recent Chromebooks can run Android apps though not some old ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Zoom and chromebooks do not work well for distance learning. All of the interactive features of zoom are inaccessible to chromebook users. I provide teletherapy via zoom and chromebooks are terrible. I cannot give mouse control to clients--so they are unable to click, drag, type on the shared screen. I'd avoid chromebooks if interactivity is involved.

We've been using Zoom on a new Chromebook for therapy for a kid. It works great once you install the Zoom app from the Play Store. Most recent Chromebooks can run Android apps though not some old ones.

It works fine, but you are not using any of the interactive zoom features because they are not possible on Chromebooks. For distance learning, the interactive features will really matter long term. Otherwise, the student is sitting passively.

[Anonymous]

I don’t see any advantage with chrome books over windows laptops. They are much more limited and the price is only a tiny bit less, maybe $25-$50. Just get a windows laptop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was told chromebooks don't support microsoft. We use office 365 and teams at work, and my IT guy told us it wouldn't work with chromebooks.

Please ignore my comment, I'm sorry. I just googled this and there are office options for chromebook, so my IT guy must have either been wrong, or simplifying another issue and I misunderstood.

Carry on.

You can definitely use O365 on a Chromebook. That’s all I have and I use it for work daily for Teams video calls and everything else on O365. If you need the actual desktop applications instead of the web versions, I think that is more challenging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see any advantage with chrome books over windows laptops. They are much more limited and the price is only a tiny bit less, maybe $25-$50. Just get a windows laptop.

You need to look at it beyond a hardware cost comparison. It's the software that has the big value.
* Chromebooks have never been hacked
* Chromebooks do not need any antivirus/antimalware as they can't get infected
* Chromebook OS software updates (even "major" ones) only put your computer unusable for 10 seconds while it reboots. Software updates of the OS and programs are automatic.
* Chromebooks get to the login screen in about 10 seconds

So they save you time and effort keeping it maintained. Also, they are more secure so you are less likely to get compromised vs Windows.