Chrome not "compatible" with Excel?

I am required to use Excel for work. My boyfriend got me a Chrome book for Christmas. I like it so far, but I'm noticing it's telling me to go to the "Google App Store" to "find a program that can open" many files, including Excel. Why is this? What am I looking for in terms of programs that can help me use Excel on this computer?

 

Excel and Chrome don't get along. I am required to use Excel for work as well, on top of many different website sources. I prefer to use Chrome since all of the pages open much easier there, but none of my excel sheets will open properly, forcing me to use both Chrome and IE. It's weird. Not sure what the issue is with this. I've asked my Tech Support as well and all they can say is "something with the programming". If you hear anything, share the information!

 

You can't install Excel because on a Chromebook you can't "install" programs, you can download your Excel files to the local hard drive and edit them using Google Docs or the online web version of Microsoft Office. Excel is a very complicated and rich application and I don't know the usage that you give it so maybe the online version will not have the formulas or the capacity to run Macros that your documents could have.

While you may lack features the fact that you edit your documents directly online has the advantage of having them available everywhere and from many devices, so you can seamlessly move from one computer to another while the changes that you do on your document will travel along.

 

I always use excel online without a problem like fcuco stated above though that it is not the full excel (becasue its free) like a downloadable excel would be, it really depends on what type of work you need it for, whether or not it will work for you or not. I have had great success with Microsoft office online however and it is worth a shot to take a look at it to see if it would work for you.

 

Gee, this is new to me. A chrome was one of our options for a laptop and from what I gathered, it is a laptop with a Chrome OS that is mainly for online use. And only downloadable applications can be installed so that means it is dependent on the online site of the Chrome which is similar to the Play Store. Well, this puts a nail on the coffin of the Chrome regarding our choices because we need to install a variety of software in the laptop. Thanks for this info, very helpful to me.