Let’s assume you’re not a computer power user. You don’t program computer games. You still think “Halo” is that glow around a saint’s head. All you want is to surf the web, answer emails, write reports, watch a few videos, play simple games or video-chat with friends and family.

You sound like a perfect customer for a Google Chromebook.

If that name doesn’t ring a bell, it’s an inexpensive type of laptop computer. It differs from other laptops because it’s built for you to do everything on the internet. For most computer-y things you do (including Netflix), you’ll find a Chromebook “extension” for it. Based on Google’s Chrome internet browser and available from several manufacturers, Chromebooks start up almost instantly, get you going on the internet in seconds, provide at least seven hours of battery life and weigh as little as 2 pounds. Pricewise, how does $149 sound for a low-end but fully capable model?

Sounds like a student “dream machine”? It is.

Stuff you could do while you’re offline has been somewhat limited in the past. But all that’s changing.

Earlier this year, Google announced that it’s bringing Google apps to Chromebooks. You’ll be able to install virtually any app in the Google Play Store, adding well over a million apps to your Chromebook’s usability. If your favorite Google app doesn’t need an internet connection, it won’t need one on your Chromebook.

You should know that today’s least expensive Chromebooks have limited on-board hard drive storage (although they don’t need much because they depend heavily on cloud storage). They’re simply not as powerful as Mac or Windows laptops. The Chromebook/Google apps marriage is still in its infancy so some Google apps may be acting a little weirdly.

But I’m blown away by what I can do with a Chromebook. I’m writing this column in Word on my new 10.1-inch $249 Asus Flip — one of three Chromebooks now running Google apps. It has a quality feel to it, a full-size responsive keyboard, an SD card slot and a touchscreen. The hinge connecting the screen and keyboard bends back, instantly converting my Flip into a 10-inch Android tablet. I can use a Bluetooth or wired mouse (it has two USB 3.0 ports) or the keyboard’s touchpad. It weighs only 2 pounds. And now I’ve added a lot of my favorite Google apps and still have room for more.

Sometime this fall, a Chromebook/Google update should be available for most current Chromebooks. Newer models being introduced will have greater processing power, sharper screens, larger hard drives, backlit keyboards— the works. As with any purchase, if you don’t need the additional bells and whistles, don’t get them. (My only suggestion: be sure it has 4gb of memory for better performance.)

But if you’re in the market this year for a new laptop, even if you’re used to a PC or a Mac, do look at a Chromebook/Google hybrid. It’s not just today’s hottest laptop development, it’s one of the best laptop developments in years.