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Whether you just purchased a new Chromebook to move away from a Windows laptop or are just a fan of ChromeOS, we have one piece of advice: You don't have to use Google Chrome all the time.

ChromeOS is actually home to many great apps that can enhance the everyday use of your Chromebook, including Android apps, Linux apps, and progressive web apps. However, there are five apps, in particular, that can shape your Chromebook experience, and there are some that I use almost every day.

1. Cog - System Info ViewerCOG open and running on ChromeOS showing CPU activity

As someone who reviews laptops for a living, l like diving into the specifics of a Chromebook and how well it runs. I love seeing how my CPU is being used, its temperature, and how the battery is being discharged. I even like viewing the display information, showing me refresh rates, and more.

A great way to view all of this is in Cog - System Info Viewer. This is a traditional Chrome Web app that's lightweight and efficient. It pulls the system APIs from your Chromebook in a way that's easy to understand, like with the CPU usage graph, which reminds me of the Task Manager on Windows. It doesn't go as in-depth as other apps, but it'll show you everything you need in a clear way.

Download Cog- System Info Viewer

2. GIMP

GIMP running on ChromeOS showing a laptop and different menus

The great thing about Chromebooks is that you can run Linux graphical user interface (GUI) apps on top of ChromeOS. One of my favorite Linux GPU apps for Chromebooks is GIMP, which is an image manipulation program similar to Photoshop where you can edit images, create designs, and so much more. Best of all, it's free.

Installing this app requires that you enable the Linux feature on your Chromebook first and then enter a command in the Penguin terminal, but once up and running, you'll love it. I use it a lot to boost the quality of the photos I use in reviews here at XDA. If you want to install GIMP, use the terminal instruction below.

sudo apt install gimp

3. Sketchbook

Sketchbook running ChromeOS showing random scribbles

I have a lot of great Chromebooks in my collection, but one of my favorites is the original Samsung Galaxy Chromebook because of its impressive 4K resolution OLED touchscreen display, which is perfect for drawing. I'm not much of an artist, but I like to scribble and doodle occasionally. A lot of great ChromeOS tablets, like the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5, can benefit greatly from Sketchbook, especially when the urge to doodle strikes. The Android app (so yes, you can install it on your phone as well) has many types of brushes and other customizable tools. Combined with the right stylus, it will make you feel like you're sketching on paper.

4. Steam

CS:GO showing on the screen of the Framework Chromebook..

Chromebooks aren't just for browsing the web. You can now game on your Chromebook, too. Provided your Chromebook has at least an Intel Core i3/AMD Ryzen 3 CPU and at least 8GB of RAM (most modern Chromebooks with Intel and AMD CPUs have this), you can switch your Chromebook over to the Beta channel and install the Steam app. Once you switch, head over to chrome://flags and set #borealis-enabled to Enabled. From there, restart your Chromebook, search for Steam, and then follow the instructions.

You'll have access to countless amazing video games. Basically, if a game is out on PC, it's likely on Steam. The sky is the limit really, and the more high-end your Chromebook is, the better games will play. You can check out this official list of Chromebooks if you're not sure if your device will support Steam.

5. LumaFusion

This last app has a $30 price tag, but it's absolutely worth trying if you're a creative Chromebook user with a YouTube channel. LumaFusion is a video editor optimized for ChromeOS, so you know it'll work. You can use it for basic video editing, but it also has more advanced features like the ability to add effects and titles, split clips, and so much more.

I was very satisfied using it on my Chromebook. The interface is optimized for all Chromebooks and feels like iMovie on a MacBook or Wondershare Filmora on Windows. Check out a live demo of the app in the video above and download it with the link below.

While there are many more apps that I can suggest, like Evernote to keep track of significant notes or even an alternate browser like Microsoft Edge, these are the top apps you should get running on your device. The platform has evolved to become so much more than a web browser, and if you need to accomplish a specific task on your Chromebook, there is likely an app for you.