Before you buy a new laptop, ask yourself: How much you do that requires only a web browser?

Social networking on Facebook and Pinterest? Email from Gmail, Yahoo or other cloud-based providers? Streaming video from Netflix ? Word processing and spreadsheets from Google Docs? If that’s the bulk of your computer regimen, you should consider buying a Chromebook.

While there’s never been a wider array of great Windows laptop choices, Chromebooks have advanced steadily over the years, without skyrocketing in price. Among the simplest laptops you can use, they start as soon as you open them up because they offer essentially just a web browser, Chrome from Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc. Any laptop buyer with budget constraints should start here.

Instead of Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop, you’ll have to use cloud-based software from Google and others that isn’t often as full-featured but meets most people’s needs. If your work requires it, you can even log into a private corporate network.

And Chromebooks can now run Android apps downloaded from the Google Play store. Certain models—including our recommendations—already have the ability or will get it soon. Yes, you can now play “Clash of Clans” or “Monument Valley” on a Chromebook.