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There are two very valid reasons why Chromebooks are not the right choice for a lot of people, so not usually the people who are the loudest contributors to the shouting match...um...conversation:
1. Need for ubiquitous, high-speed connection. Lots of people do not live in a world where they get always-available high-speed Internet. I often have trouble with my Internet connection at home. I find dead spots on my smartphone. I travel underground during my commute. Having to plan ahead and download a document I want to work on before I get into the subway is a nuisance and having to wait until I'm out of the subway to ensure my changes are saved to my Google Drive are serious limitations.
2. Money. You can go on about how cheap they are, but most discussions about how great they are include phrases like "With a Chromebook, I find myself reach for my laptop less and less" and "When I need to do more than my tablet allows, I grab my Chromebook" and "It's so much lighter than lugging a laptop". All these conversations illustrate that this is a "sometimes" tool that one uses, selected from a range of options a user has. Well, I can't afford a bunch of toys that do mostly the same thing. I'm typing this on a six-year-old laptop because I can't afford another computer right now. I'd be happy to have a tablet or two (a ten inch and a seven), but food and rent come first. My e-reader was purchased refurbished from the manufacturer during a sale. My smartphone didn't require a cash outlay but has me tied to my provider, unless I want to pay it off. This argument about about how totally awesome a Chromebook is seems to assume that the user will have a pile of toys to choose from. I'd rather have my laptop. Not as elegant, light, or easy for some things that the Chromebook can do, but it can do those things and it can do the other things as well. If I can only have one tool, I'd rather it have maximum functionality.
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