Last update on 2024-04-07 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.
Since Chromebooks are made for working and studying, it is fair to assume they are also great for reading.
In this article, we will take a look at how Chrome OS supports PDFs and other reading formats, and which are the best Chromebooks you can get for reading.
Can you read books on a Chromebook?
Yes. Even though Chrome OS is known for offering less support to an array of software than other operating systems, Chromebooks are still perfect for reading all types of electronic books in all different formats.
Reading PDFs
Reading PDFs is a basic function you should expect from any laptop and smartphone nowadays. Chrome OS has its own application for opening PDFs, called View.
When you download a PDF into your Chromebook you can immediately open it with View. It has limited functions and you might not be able to sign, edit annotate, etc.
There surely are other applications for reading PDF you can find on the Play Store. However, the most popular is Adobe Acrobat, and it is fortunately available for Chromebook users. You can easily download it from the app store and use it to read your PDFs.
Adobe Acrobat being available on Chrome OS is great news for academics as they often need to make annotations and mark phrases with color.
Reading comics
Tablets are often regarded as an excellent option for reading comics, be they superhero comics or manga (even though Kindle is great for reading manga too).
However, if you are getting a Chromebook, you will be able to read comics as well. Some extensions let you view CBZ and CBR files on Google Chrome.
If you want to read comics in the official format, you can find plenty of apps on the Play Store. To read western comics you can count on ComiXology, Marvel Unlimited, Madefire, 2000AD, Dark Horse Comics, and much more.
To read manga, you can download the official MangaPlus which lets you read the latest chapters of titles published in Shonen Jump and Shonen Jump+.
Even more, titles are available on the Crunchyroll Manga app. While MangaPlus is free, Crunchyroll Manga requires a Crunchyroll subscription.
If you’re a student, check out the best Razer Laptops for school.
Reading ebooks
You can choose among many ways of reading ebooks on a Chromebook. Some subscription services are available on Chrome OS making it possible to read thousands of titles.
On the other hand, you can also find apps that will read your ebook files (epub). Some apps include:
- Kindle Cloud Reader (web app)
- Kobo
- Nook
- Google Play Books
- Aldiko
- Moon+ Reader
- Adobe Digital Editions
Check Scribd vs Blinkist (Full Review).
Are Chromebooks good for reading?
Chromebooks are excellent for reading for many reasons. First of all, they are lightweight, meaning that you can stay with them on your lap for a long time without their weight annoying you.
Second, you can download apps to read anything you want, as already shown above.
One of the most important features of new Chromebooks in terms of using it as a reading device is that you can reduce the blue light through the “reading mode”, thus minimizing eye strain.
Blue light is a huge factor that makes people tired from reading and writing for a long time on computers. Accessing this mode requires downloading apps such as Twilight or Screen Shader, available on the Play Store.
But that is not all. Other benefits of Chromebooks include the ability to write notes anytime you are reading and saving them to Google Drive to access later. Academics love this.
Chromebooks are great for reading and can replace reading devices since you also get the ability to access the web, watch videos, write, and do many things.
Related: 3 Popular Chromebooks For Excel.
Can you use a Chromebook as a Kindle?
You sort of can. Kindle is the most popular reading device with due reason. It doesn’t hurt your eyes and allows you to read almost anything. However, Kindle has one weakness which is reading PDFs.
Even though Kindle Paperwhite reads the format natively, it doesn’t let you mark sections and it doesn’t reflow the lines.
Now, considering that the Kindle app is available for Chrome OS, you will be able to read anything on your Chromebook.
If you save free e-books on Amazon or buy e-books, you will be able to access them on your Chromebook without worry.
As you will see below with more details, one of the greatest Chromebook models for reading is ASUS Chromebook Flip. You can use it as a tablet for reading, drawing, etc., and that comes in handy for passionate readers.
Should you buy a laptop or Chromebook for reading?
If your aim is just to read, study and work, meaning you don’t need a huge display or powerful GPU, then Chromebook is the best option. Chrome OS is a lighter OS than Windows or macOS and is also lighter in weight.
Think about this: your device is off and all you want is to read. You turn it on. Windows takes plenty of time to initiate, while Chrome OS is very quick.
If you want to play games on your Chromebook, checkout our guide on Chromebooks For Geforce.
3 Best Chromebooks for reading
Now that you already know Chromebooks are great for reading purposes, what’s left is to learn which are the best models for such a thing.
In this section, we will recommend three different Chromebooks with varying prices and configurations.
What you should pay attention to in case you want to look for something else is the display quality and the ability to reduce blue light.
Low resolution will result in a terrible reading experience, and if you can’t reduce blue light, you won’t be able to read for many hours.
ASUS Chromebook Flip C214MA-YS02T
Last update on 2024-04-07 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.
This is the perfect Chromebook that will allow you to use it as closer to a Kindle as possible when you want to relax and read a fiction book.
If you are reading academically, it is great too. Its touchscreen allows you to select exactly what you want to mark and annotate in a few touches.
This model is a bit heavier than other Chromebooks but still is lighter than plenty of laptops in the market.
As for hardware, it doesn’t feature any fantastic processor, storage tech, or RAM. Its price, though, is justified because of the ability to use it as a tablet. So, you should think of it as a machine for light tasks.
Specs:
- 4GB RAM DDR4
- 32GB/64GB SSD
- Rugged and flexible 360 degree
- 11.6” HD touchscreen, 1366 x 768 pixels
- 2 cameras
- Intel Dual-Core Apollo Lake N4000
- 12-hour battery life
- 2.60 lbs
- Intel UHD Graphics 600
Pros
- You can use it as a tablet
- Easy to carry around
- IPS panel with wide viewing angles
Cons
- Small screen if you need to use the device for more than reading
What do the reviews say?
Reviewers say that this device has a huge cost-benefit and is great for students.
On the other hand, it seems it is not too durable unless you take great care of it. Chromebooks overall seem to have this same problem.
Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook 10.1
Last update on 2024-04-07 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.
Lenovo offers great devices, and the Ideapad Duet Chromebook 10.1 is among them. At the time this article is being written, it has a sweet price at Amazon making it irresistible if you are looking for a Chromebook.
This Chromebook’s design is pretty unique. You can use it as a tablet just like the ASUS Flip, but it also looks like a tablet even when you are using its keyboard.
It feels like a tablet with an external keyboard connected to it. This makes it look modern, fresh, and also easy to take anywhere. You can adjust its angles any way you like.
Similar to ASUS Flip, it doesn’t come with awesome hardware, making its main appeal the possibility to have a device that is a half-step between a smartphone and a laptop which isn’t a tablet (but feels like one sometimes). Because of Chrome OS, it is fast even with humble specs.
Specs:
- 4GB RAM
- 64 GB eMCP
- 10.1″ FHD (1920×1200) WVA 400nits
- MediaTek P60T (8 Cores, 4x A73 @2.0GHz + 4x A53 @2.0GHz)
- Camera: Front 2.0MP + Rear 8.0MP
- 2.7 lbs
Pros
- You can use it as a tablet
- Easy to carry around
Cons
- Flash memory limits what you can do with the device
What do the reviews say?
Students love this laptop and tell about the quality of the display as one of its best features.
However, customers also point out that even though Lenovo aimed to make a Chromebook look like a tablet, it doesn’t actually feel like one when using it.
Samsung Chromebook Plus
Last update on 2024-04-07 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.
Yet another Chromebook you can use as a tablet for reading or watching videos and movies. Samsung is known for making great smartphones, but their laptops are good too, even gaming models. Because of that, you should expect a Chromebook made by them to have similar quality.
This model is intended for artists that want a touchscreen laptop to draw since it comes with a built-in pen, but the fact that it is a 2-in-1 model still makes it great if you want to read plenty of books.
Specs:
- Intel® Celeron® Processor 3965Y
- 4 GB LPDDR3 Memory at 1866MHz
- Intel® HD Graphics 615
- 12.2″ FHD WUXGA LED Display (1920 x 1200) with Touch Screen Panel
- 10-hour battery life
- 2.98 lbs
- 64 GB eMMC
Pros
- Two cameras
- You can use it as a tablet
- Easy to carry around
- Pen for drawing
Cons
- No HDMI port
What do the reviews say?
Many reviews mention that this Chromebook is great for students, just as is the goal of Chrome OS.
However, some people mention that the device occasionally freezes. Fortunately, it happens only for few people.
Final Thoughts
You can definitely use a Chromebook for reading. In this article, we clarified that there are plenty of apps to read all types of things on a Chromebook: academic papers, fiction books, comics, manga, etc.
Those seeking a laptop just for reading will find the Chromebooks recommended in this article incredible. If you don’t care about touchscreen and folding your device, you can still pick other models as long as their hardware is not worse than the models in this article.
