Should I change to Chromebook?

[Killfer8]

I use my laptop almost exclusively for school (word, powerpoint, pdf, music, etc...) but to be honest I was never satisfied with it (Lenovo ideapad 500-15acz), its heavy, bulky, kind of slow because it runs on AMD A10 and battery lasts like 2 hours. And it has been over a month since I've been watching chromebooks. Im planning on selling my lenovo and buying a $200-$350 chromebook but i just dont know if its worth it because i have a tablet (Xiaomi Mi Pad 3), I barely use it anyways, just when I have to go to school and have to have an additional book open (I always read on paper). I want to know your opinion, should I sell my lenovo and buy a chromebook (i saw some good ASUS ones) or should I buy another windows laptop or what do you suggest?

 

[Seaweed Monster]

If you find most of what you're doing is done online:

• Google Docs
• Office.com - Word, Powerpoint, Excel
• Video streaming (Netflix etc...)
• YouTube
• Tomshardware 🆒
• Music streaming
• Social media

Then, it is definitely worth considering. You can do quite a bit offline using a Chromebook (Word processing and such), but you really need to be connected to the internet a lot of the time to benefit from a Chromebook, just like a smartphone I guess. Don't forget, some Chromebooks allow you to download and use Play Store Apps, which is great!

EXTRA: Chromebooks do tend to run faster and more efficiently with power efficient hardware compared to Windows. This is due to the lightweight Chrome OS operating system (Android)! Battery life can range from 9-12hrs easily and performance is usually snappy and quick.

On the other hand, if you need to be able to install certain types of software to your machine that is not available via online tools, websites and apps, and you mostly work offline (Not connected to the internet), then maybe not.

Overall, it really depends, but they're very good devices if you:

• Want a device that is inexpensive, but also quick and has a very good battery life for on the move work, play and entertainment
• Only really work or spend your time online

If you are interested, take a look at these and watch some YouTube review's to see if they meet your needs:

• ASUS Chromebook Flip C302 $469.99 - widely recommended by reviewers online.
• ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 (Coming soon - March 2019) No pricing yet
• ASUS Chromebook C423NA (14Inch) $229.99
• ASUS Chromebook C523NA (15inch) $229.99
• Samsung Chromebook Pro $505.00

Keep away from any processor less than an Intel Celeron N3350 and less than 4GB's RAM. Intel Core M3-6Y30's or higher is ideal, but Celeron N3350 is still good.

 

[Killfer8]

Thank you so much for your answer! I have additional questions: Is Lenovo S330 a good option? Is MediaTek processors a good option? Thanks in advance!

 

[Seaweed Monster]

It's an entry-level budget Chromebook and will very much be a plastic body given the price. It will be okay for basic use and nothing intense.

The Mediatek MT8173C in the Lenovo is somewhat comparable to the Celeron N3350 from the limited information I could find comparing the two, but I am not familiar with MediaTek processors as they're found in budget/low priced tablets.

Personally, I'd sway more towards Intel-based processors with Chromebooks as they tend to be better (commonly found in Chromebooks):

• Intel Celeron N3350
• Intel Pentium N4200
• Intel Core M3

The Intel Core M3 processors would be ideal if you can stretch that far, as they offer the best performance for the money.

 

[Killfer8]

Again, thank you so much for answering. So I've seen some prices and I came to the conclusion that an M3 processor isn't going to be one of my options because of the price point (most CB with M3 start at ≈550) but maybe a Celeron one could do the trick. Would you care to recommend some CB with the Celeron Processors that you listed before please. (Anything between $200-$350)

 

[Seaweed Monster]

I have found a Pentium N4200 Chromebook - ASUS C523NA-IH24T, which is much faster than the Celeron (As you can see here), it will be worth the extra cost and is the one I would recommend.

Specifications:

• Pentium N4200 - Quad core
• 4GB DDR4
• 64GB eMMc storage
• 15.6" 1080p screen - 1920 x 1080
• Chrome OS
• 2x USB 3.0
• 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C
• 2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C - Supports display
• 1x Combination Headphone/Speaker jack

A good spec Chromebook. Battery life is probably around 6-7 hours of 1080p constant video playback and around 10 hours for normal usage. See here for more info.

I have found two links, with Costco being the cheapest and the best deal, but the Amazon link is still within budget:

• Amazon $341 - https://www.amazon.com/Touchscreen-...07KY8QV1D/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
  
  
• Costco $319 - https://www.costco.com/ASUS-15.6"-Chromebook-Bundle---Intel-Pentium---1080p---Bonus-ASUS-Wired-Mouse-.product.100461409.html

Edit: forgot to add prices

 

[Killfer8]

Thanks, even tough there are several costcos at my city, I dont live in the US. I will be searching other local stores or online stores that ship internationally (amazon, etc...)

Is there a good 13 inch option that you know about, Im searching too by my own

 

[Seaweed Monster]

From what I have seen around the market at your budget, not unless you downgrade to an Intel Celeron N3350 processor.

 

[Killfer8]

I found this one: https://m.newegg.com/global/mx-en/product/N82E16834316325 is it a good deal? Its around 250 american dollars

 

[Seaweed Monster]

It's a good price for $250 dollars, but it is refurbished, so that will be a decision only you can make on whether to buy it or not.

Overall, yes it is the same specification as the Asus 15" I linked.