Do Chromebooks support Microsoft Office products?

1. The computer skills that students learn on a Chromebook are easily transferable to Microsoft Office products. Google Docs are very similar to Microsoft Office products. (See the graphic to the right.) The look may vary, but the ways in which each tool can be used are the same. Therefore, the skills that are learned using Google Apps for Education can be quickly and easily transferred to other types of software such as Microsoft Office.

2. The use of Google Apps is becoming more and more prevalent. Currently, there are 120 million users of Google Drive and more than 5 million businesses and institutions using Google Apps. Furthermore, industry experts predict that up to 50 percent of all businesses will use Google Apps by the end of the decade. Click here to see an article by CNN Money describing the increased prevalence of Google Apps. With the rapid changes in technology, it is essential that students develop skills that can be easily transferred to new and emerging technologies.

3. Google Apps for Education provides students with anytime, anywhere access. Google products are available from any machine at any time. Because Google Docs are cloud-based, students will have access to their work even if they do not have access to their Chromebook. Unlike Microsoft products, parents will not need to purchase any software. By logging in to my.ccpsnet.net, students will be able to access their work from any device with Internet access. Students who do not have access to the Internet can still complete their work in offline mode.

4. Microsoft Office products will not disappear. There will still be computer labs equipped with Microsoft Office in Chesterfield County Public Schools. If a specific course requires the use of Microsoft Office, then students will have access to the needed software in school. Microsoft Office is available as a Web App through the Chrome Store.

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