[SOLVED] Need help choosing good Chromebook

[alphacoyle]

Need one that will do zoom and other edu' stuff, can be used by child or adult. Ideally a 2in1 would be perfect, but main thing is it be reliable. I have found some that meet requirements (needs to be under $500, at least 64gb internal storage, and durable with good components so not sluggish etc.)
Here are the ones I've found, they seem ok but reviews are mixed; which is why I am asking, hopefully either can give opinions on ones listed or suggest something better. Thanks.
Acer Spin 311
Dell Inspiron 14
Lenovo C340
Acer 715 (the no-backlit keyboard version)
Samsung Chromebook 3

 

[LordVile]

Need one that will do zoom and other edu' stuff, can be used by child or adult. Ideally a 2in1 would be perfect, but main thing is it be reliable. I have found some that meet requirements (needs to be under $500, at least 64gb internal storage, and durable with good components so not sluggish etc.)
Here are the ones I've found, they seem ok but reviews are mixed; which is why I am asking, hopefully either can give opinions on ones listed or suggest something better. Thanks.
Acer Spin 311
Dell Inspiron 14
Lenovo C340
Acer 715 (the no-backlit keyboard version)
Samsung Chromebook 3

Chromebooks are bad value machines, under 500 i would look 2nd hand on ebay.

 

[alphacoyle]

Chromebooks are bad value machines, under 500 i would look 2nd hand on ebay.

Even in my ignorance I'm prone to agree with you, but why are they a bad value?
I don't like Unix, apps any of that; am a windows fan but I won't be using it, son & mom will be, and they are big tablet users, windows is more complicated for them.
Please explain why they are bad value; are you suggesting buying a windows laptop used or a used chromebook?

 

[LordVile]

Even in my ignorance I'm prone to agree with you, but why are they a bad value?
I don't like Unix, apps any of that; am a windows fan but I won't be using it, son & mom will be, and they are big tablet users, windows is more complicated for them.
Please explain why they are bad value; are you suggesting buying a windows laptop used or a used chromebook?

You're just so limited to what you're actually able to do, everything is through the play store for example. Plus the hardware is abysmal. You're paying over $300 for a celeron and 4GB of RAM?

Windows is ubiquitous and people should know how to use it if you think about it that way.

 

[jefjam7812]

Why Chromebook ? They are Not worth for Money.

 

[alphacoyle]

You can go for either ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 or HP Chromebook x360. The type for the both chromebook are Laptop as well as convertible and with a huge screen size between 14" to 15". If you are well on budget then go for HP Chromebook x360

Those are both good suggestions and while a bit over the $500 budget having 8gb ram is worth it.

And as to why Chromebook; they are used to apps, playstore etc and don't really go outside that area; just needs to be able to work with the school's programs which seem to be very Chromebook centered that's it's main purpose.

 

[Benjamin22044]

You can go for ASUS Chromebook C202XA which is a good worth at $300. I find it really sturdy and is build like a tank in terms of hardware. Tell you what, I deliberately let it fall from my desk to see if the claims by Asus are factual. To my surprise, no harms to the screen and no issues whatsoever.
They are even right about the spill-proof keyboard (yes, I tested this too). The performance of this device is taken care of my a Mediatek processor and it is doing really speedy. In fact, the Mediatek processors seem to power a lot of things these days. The battery backup is good and the display section is good too. At just $300, I couldn't have expected better.

 

[alphacoyle]

Can you provide a link; the ones I'm finding are double that price?

 

[booch221]

Chromebooks are bad value machines, under 500 i would look 2nd hand on ebay.

I love my Chromebook. In fact, I love it so much I bought a Chromebox, and a second laptop. I've recommended it to family and friends and they are happy with their purchase too. So much better than Windows.

 

[booch221]

Need one that will do zoom and other edu' stuff, can be used by child or adult. Ideally a 2in1 would be perfect, but main thing is it be reliable. I have found some that meet requirements (needs to be under $500, at least 64gb internal storage, and durable with good components so not sluggish etc.)
Here are the ones I've found, they seem ok but reviews are mixed; which is why I am asking, hopefully either can give opinions on ones listed or suggest something better. Thanks.
Acer Spin 311
Dell Inspiron 14
Lenovo C340
Acer 715 (the no-backlit keyboard version)
Samsung Chromebook 3

It depends on whether portability is important to you. If it is, go with the smaller, lighter Chromebooks. If it's going to be pretty much stationary, get a 15 incher. The bigger keyboard and screen make it easier to use.

 

[LordVile]

I love my Chromebook. In fact, I love it so much I bought a Chromebox, and a second laptop. I've recommended it to family and friends and they are happy with their purchase too. So much better than Windows.

Better than windows isn't that hard but you lack a lot of functionality with such a basic OS

 

[booch221]

It does everything I need it to do.
That's all that matters.

 

[KnightShadey]

I agree that they are not a good value for people who straddle all platforms, but if it's about form & familiarity over function, well that makes sense for non-traditional users.

Having guided a few of these purchases recently for others whose kids were starting/returning to school needing a chromebook, I'm still not a fan, but there are some interesting options.
One not on your list that would seem like a good fit to me if they are tablet focused, I'd recommend the Lenovo Idepad Duet, it's tablet with a mediocre keyboard... but if they aren't used to a real keyboard, then not much of a sacrifice, and always a peripheral option if they want a better keyboard.
It's got sufficient storage, even if I'd prefer 8GB Ram (which you'll struggle to find), and while the Mediatek P60 isn't an i5 power, it's faster than the prior 8-series mediateks and celeron n-series. I would recommend the slightly faster 128GB over the 64GB.

Now if you need that traditional laptop chasis or need a bigger screen, then I'd go with something a bit more powerful like the intel CM3 or Ci3-u series rather than the celeron n4xxx series, something like the Asus Chromebook Flip 14" wih a Cm3, or an Acer 14" with the Ci3.

Those and a super cheap Lenovo 500e (8/64GB) were the 4 types bought last month, everyone seems pretty pleased with them.

BTW do NOT get the 500e unless you have a specific need, it was the person's school-only device, they had powerful desktop and tablet already, not good as an 'only' platform. It's old & slow! and low-res, but it was a blow-out sale ~ $100+ cheaper than the rest.

Good luck.

(just noticed date of first post, this might be a little late, oh well 🤷🏻‍♂️).

 

[Benjamin22044]

I also came across this Acer Chromebook R13 recently and thought I should inform you about this. Well this is a light and powerful 2 in 1 Chromebook that is meant for the light and normal uses. Some of the websites endorse it to be a writer's laptop but I think it can do much better. The display and the connectivity specs are good enough owing to the presence of MediaTek quad-core chipset and even the battery backup is quite good. best of all, it costs just $500 and can offer you really good performance. What do you think about it?