Chromebook, Word - full functionality?

[EffectivelyDaydreaming]

What is the functionality like for Word on a Chromebook? Also is it possible to just buy a one-off copy as you still can on a PC or do you have to go the subscription route now?

My elderly DMum has an old desktop that is creaking and is awkwardly located in their house, although she has an ipad and iphone she is reluctant to give up a "proper" computer as she uses Word (purchased years ago with PC, not subscription) a lot to write letters. But her "office" is becoming unsafe (cables and extension leads everywhere as not enough sockets, awkward steps) and it is cold so we would like to have all her IT needs met through portable devices she can use at the kitchen table. I know you can get Word on Ipad but she isn't keen on the little keyboards (touch typist) and I know from my own experience that the functionality is not as good as on PC even with a keyboard and mouse.

But laptops/macbooks are expensive for just using Word, so we were wondering about a Chromebook, that way she is saving into the cloud for security and they are fast and portable as well as much cheaper, but will Word work as she is used to it? There is no way she is going to learn google docs now, it needs to be as similar to her old PC as possible.

Also we might look into whether she still has the licence key for her office products with a view to transferring them if that is possible. But possibly not as Chromebooks aren't Windows

A Chromebook uses an OpenOffice version of word (indistinguishable from Microsoft word for casual users).
I think you can download a Microsoft package to it if desperate for Microsoft version.

Thanks, I might pop into John Lewis or somewhere and have a look

If she wants the computer to be as similar as possible to her old one then surely going from windows to a chromebook is an even bigger jump?
Surely there are some super cheap laptops that just abougopd enough to run word? Also what version of Word is she using on the old computer? As the modern office 365 version is visually a little different to, say Word 2010.

If she still has the disc and licence key for her version of Word you might be able to install it on a new laptop, but obviously no disk drive these days so will have to copy the files on the disc to a USB stick.

If you need the Microsoft package, look on groupon as you can currently buy a lifetime copy for about £12

It was just for cost saving really, also defaulting to cloud saving instead of hard drive makes sense. While I agree about basic laptops being fairly cheap I don't want to buy one and then find the memory is struggling or whatever. I've never used a chromebook, a friend suggested it so I'm trying to find out the pros and cons, I think she's on Word 2010. We have got a USB CD-ROM drive so could use that if she has got the discs.

Thanks, yes I knew you could get one cheap but couldn't remember where.

I bought a really nice Dell XPS 13 laptop on eBay for £200. I run Linux Mint on it, which is free and comes with Libra Office. It also runs Windows 11.

My disabled brother has an All In One (aio) Dell desktop that I installed Linux Mint on. He has a standard user account so that he can't change the settings or install dodgy software - e.g. a scammer tries to get him to install TeamViewer or similar to then take control.

Does your mother have a desk that could accommodate an AIO PC? They just need a single power cable + mouse and keyboard.

Here are a couple of examples.

Dell XPS 13
https://ebay.us/m/W5qE1N

This model is the same as my brother's. It doesn't officially support Windows 11, but it is possible to install it - which this seller has done.
https://ebay.us/m/E1F3vm

@EffectivelyDaydreamingi have literally just purchased and installed it on mine today, it’s a bit annoying as you have to uninstall everything Microsoft but it was fairly simple to do - I got Microsoft office 2024 professional for £10.50

Chromebooks run on Chrome, so probably aren't the best thing to try to run Word on as they a literally set up for Chrome products. If your Mum actually wants to stay on Microsoft, I think you would be best buying a laptop not a Chromebook. If she would be happy to transfer to Chrome, you could look at Chromebooks.

I'm not sure you've quite understood the concept of a Chromebook.

You don't install software on to it like you would on a Windows. Instead you access software over the Web.

So e.g. if you want Word you'd need an online subscription to Office and then access the software through the Web browser.

Chromebooks are completely different to normal laptops
They don't work well, if at all, with Microsoft products. You would need to use Google docs, Google drive etc.
There's no files saved to the computer it's all on the cloud.
It's literally just the Google chrome browser, everything's online

No, I haven't, I had never given them a moment's thought till yesterday when my friend suggested it as a lower cost alternative to a laptop (we're an Apple household and I use Windows laptops at work). I think from everything I have learned here a laptop would definitely be the better option although AIO desktop sounds good too if I can find a location.

She does have a desk but it is in an awkward extension full of tripping hazards, insufficient power sockets, freezing cold, steps to get into it etc and I'd like to work towards emptying it all out and her not using the room any more or just for storage, there isn't space to move the desk (it's huge) or to put a new smaller one unless we get rid of some other furniture and she won't want to do that. She is used to keeping a phone and ipad charged so should cope with a laptop in that sense. I will definitely be making her a user account which blocks downloads and keep the administrator account for myself.

Thanks all

I'd stick with Windows - you can get a basic windows laptop for around the £300 mark which isn't that far off a Chromebook tbh.

HP Laptop 15.6" | Intel N-Series N100 | 8GB RAM | 128GB UFS Storage | FHD (1920 x 1080) Display | Windows 11 Home in S Mode | Intel UHD Graphics | 15-fd0070na : Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

The layout and key functions of a Chromebook keyboard is very different from a standard Windows laptop. We bought my dad a Chromebook and it's fine for him as a casual user with not much experience of computers. I find it maddening!

Imo your mother would find it very difficult switching to a Chromebook.

Why not just buy a cheap laptop, memory really won't be a problem for a few Word docs. And get an external hard drive for everything on her current computer, or just take the hard drive out and get a casing for it.

I'm definitely discounting Chromebooks now, thanks. She's already got an external hard drive. I suspect Mum would prefer a separate keyboard and mouse as she's a touch typist and not used to a laptop type keyboard. That is where the AIO desktops are a good idea, if I can think of anywhere to put it that the cable wouldn't be a tripping hazard, but then she also says she'd like to be able to use it on the sofa so back to laptop again. Perhaps we had better not rush this decision! I might see if I can take her somewhere like John Lewis to have a look at various options, that's what we did for DD for uni recently and it was useful the way they had them grouped into basic, mid-range and high end models plus you could try all the keyboards etc. Basic would be all Mum needs.

I have always used a mouse with my laptop, can't get along with trackpads. I too am a touch typist! I have a laptop, a larger screen connected to the laptop by an HDMI cable, and a separate keyboard and mouse. On our dining table. I can detach the laptop any time I want to, and the mouse will still work (mouse and keyboard connected by a dongle).

So, before I got the larger screen, I was using a laptop with a separate mouse. Worked very well. If your DM wants to use it on the sofa, get a little laptop table from somewhere like Ikea. Mine had room for the laptop and mouse.

We've got one of those little tables, she could have that. I have a similar setup to you for work, laptop on a riser to one side, monitor and separate keyboard and mouse in front of me. But I also use the laptop standalone quite a bit as I move around the building with it and use my macbook standalone at home so I am fine with a trackpad too, but Mum would struggle I think so at a minimum she needs a mouse, possibly a USB one so it doesn't go flat, I'm always having to charge my work bluetooth one because I forget to switch it off at night. Also trackpads vary, some are much better than others

Mouses/mice are very cheap, I think we paid £12 each for the (many) Logi ones we have (DH also has one, plus we have a spare). They're battery driven, I never turn mine off and the AA battery lasts for months at a time. Easier, imo, than remembering to recharge them!

She could use an external keyboard, either usb or bluetooth with her Ipad. Personally I think Ipad screens are too small to use, at the distance it would be at on a desk with a keyboard in front. Likewise with a pc laptop buy a decent external keyboard.

Yes, thinking about it I had a battery one in my old job and it lasted ages. We have got so many in our house, DH buys them and either mislays them or the dongles.

Yes, we've tried that, she does use an ipad for reading magazines etc and email but finds it too small for proper typing and the screen is small. I use mine as a mini laptop for web browsing with the built in keyboard stand, but again not for proper word or excel use.

So, my advice (as a similar user to your DM) would be a cheap Windows laptop, and combined Logi external keyboard and mouse. The mouse can be used away from the keyboard, on the sofa, say.

I also use an iPad for Facebook, news etc, but would never use it for typing stuff.