When a Chromebook ages, it often sits unused and collects dust. However, with a little effort, you can breathe new life into your old device. From passing it down to your kid to turning it into an e-reader or a digital photo frame, here are some ways to repurpose your old Chromebook.

Linux is in a lot of stuff, but did you know it's in ChromeOS too? Well, sort of. There's a strong connection between ChromeOS and Linux, but they aren't the same thing.

Chromebooks were designed to be cheap education machines, or lightweight and affordable portable work laptops. They were never meant to replace general-purpose laptops, or personal computers in general, which includes the entertainment functions of most devices.

Did you know that Steam was available on some Chromebooks? I didn't, until my boss sent me a Chromebook Plus and I stumbled on the installation option in its menus. A few clicks and a login later, and I was in business, but how good could it be?

A great Chromebook results from a balance of compromises. This can be thrown off by the likes of the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 (CB516-1H), which offers deluxe features like a 16-inch screen and 96% keyboard at a wallet-friendly price. Unfortunately, it missed its mark due to a few design mishaps.

While Chromebooks have more limited offline use and app support than Windows, their strengths can outweigh these limitations for some use cases. Having owned and used devices running both operating systems, I've found that Chromebooks outshine their Windows counterparts in several key areas.

I love my MacBook Pro. It's a great computer, but, when it comes to simply getting work done and lasting all day on a single charge, well, it doesn't do either of those things adequately. Because of that (and more), I really want a Chromebook again.