For the 85 year old grandpa, absolutely. I have an uncle (around 85) who went through multiple computers (edit: all Windows), and kept getting virus and other malware; he kept falling for sites that would advertise to "clean" his computer, and it just kept getting worse and worse as a result. The instant he switched to a ChromeOS-device, that all went away, and my tech-support burden also went away instantly.

His biggest issues with ChromeOS is printing (his printer of the time was not compatible with Google's cloud printing service), but after he bought a new printer that basically went away too.

> he kept falling for sites that would advertise to "clean" his computer

If they need Windows for some reason, AdBlock is a big help with this.

I got one for my 25 year old brother (history teacher) as a replacement for his old Macbook. All he does is watch YouTube, browse Facebook, listen to Pandora, check his email, and use Google Drive.

He loves the device (an Acer C720) and his only complaint is that he can't run Skype. He switched to Hangouts.

For the average user I recommend Chromebooks without question unless they need Microsoft Office.

Skype is a pretty big dealbreaker for my grandparents, though. All of their elderly friends are on Skype and many have no idea what Hangouts (or Google Plus) are.

Can't even run Skype? That's a massive failure.

Hangouts is a deal-breaker for those who don't want the integration and privacy costs that come along with data from search, chats and email all integrated through a single provider. On top of that, hangouts doesn't even work in some parts of the world.

So, Hangouts are a privacy cost, but Skype is acceptable? Have you ever paid attention to Skype's track record?

grandparent refers to the risk of having all your stuff available to the same provider, so skype's track record is not all there is to it.

What do you mean, "privacy costs"? Hangouts by Google, Skype by Microsoft. Either way, NSA has direct access.

Remember, there's even an online MS Office now...

I bought Chromebook for my Dad who is 66 (who never used computer before) and my daughter who is 8. Both have been using chromebook regularly with little to no help from anyone else.

Fair warning. Chromebooks don't support Java browser plugins (arguably a plus) and some big colleges still need them for their student websites. Something that you'd want to check out first.

I gave my 61 yr-old Mom a Chromebook.

Gets the job done for her and pretty happy with it.