Would you buy a Chromebook?

[AaronM5670]

Hi,

I'm looking for a laptop or possibly (but unlikely) a tablet (I don't want Windows) to take to and from high school that's relatively cheap and serves as a machine for basic functionality such as web browsing and word processing etc. as a cheaper-type MBA for use with my main, much more powerful machine which is used for more complex tasks (iMac at home).

What I'm trying to find out is:

Does anyone have the latest model (Acer C7 I believe)? It says it weighs 1.38kgs, does this feel heavy to you in a backpack type of situation?

How good is the screen etc?

Also are the offline features good enough? My high school doesn't have WiFi readily available although I think this might be coming sometime in the new year; there is ethernet in some places though. I could tether to my phone if necessary.

Are there any new models out soon? Forgive me on this, I know nothing about Chromebooks but every time I go on the Play Store it looks like a new model has come out!!

How long does the battery life last with real-world use? Anywhere near as long as the MBP/A?

Finally, does it play nice with Macs? Or should I just put the whole idea to rest and get a Nexus 7 or used iPad mini? I don't want to take my full-size iPad to school because it's too important & valuable to me. I know cross-platform stuff like Office 365 etc. will work.

 

[js81]

What about an older model Macbook?

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Apple/MB403LLAB/

I've seen cheaper prices than that, too - one of the Mac stores had 2009 models (C2D, 2 or 4GB RAM, 160GB HDD, SD) for ~$239 the other day; I just don't remember who it was...

 

[blanka]

What's wrong with Windows? Try a Surface Pro, and all tablets and Macbooks look stupid in the first second already. It is the only right direction for the future of mobile computing!
The surface pro is pretty expensive though, so I really hope someone is going to crack the Fonepad to run Win 8 as well. The hardware should be full Win 8 compatible, and the Fonepad is only 200 bucks.

As long as this does not happen, I'm very happy with a Asus 1101H netbook. It is 4-5 years old, and still not surpassed when it comes to price/display/portability. For 250 bucks back then, it still is a very capable machine today. I added a cheap SSD though.

Only buy a Chromebook when it runs Linux or Windows too. You will get bored with Chrome OS soon.

 

[.Asa]

I have the Acer C720 chromebook. I think it's a great little laptop. It's really light, I carry it in my backpack at high school no problem. The screen is alright so long as you don't look at it from extreme angles. Keep in mind that it runs Ubuntu in addition to chrome, so contrary to popular belief, it can run real applications and work offline just fine.

I have a nexus 7 also, and I used to have an iPad, I'd recommend a chromebook over a tablet for word processing and web browsing.

 

[JoeRito]

Not if it runs Windows 8... No chance. Win7 is good, OS X the best.

 

[MRU]

What's wrong with Windows? Try a Surface Pro, and all tablets and Macbooks look stupid in the first second already. It is the only right direction for the future of mobile computing!


The surface pro is pretty expensive though...

Anyone looking for a cheap inexpensive laptop would be nuts to look at the surface pro. It's the opposite of cheap and inexpensive.


The C720 OP is nice other than screen. The screen is washed out and very poor viewing angles. It's also rather cheap looking machine.

The sad reality is if the HP chromebook 11 had the processor of the C720 - it would be a great machine with decent processor and a fabulous screen and great build quality.

Sadly at the moment we have compromise, either C720 poor screen but good CPU or Chromebook 11 with great screen but poor performance.

Personally I'd hold off to see if the HP Chromebook gets a processor bump.

 

[potvkettle]

Personally I'd hold off to see if the HP Chromebook gets a processor bump.

I've had a Samsung Series 3 (11") for a couple years now. Yes, it's built like a $200 machine, but I expected that. Otherwise, it's a great little machine.

For your stated purposes, a Chromebook sounds perfect. You've got an iMac; you've got an iPad. No real reason to buy something any more powerful. Login to your Google account on your iMac, and all of the work from your Chromebook will be there (after opening the Chromebook on wifi, of course, since your school work will be done offline).

Chrome's offline capabilities have dramatically improved, so I'd say you're good there.

I played around with the HP 11 before the were pulled over the charger issue; looks like they're just about ready to re-release. I've also played with the new Asus C720; not a bad machine, but HP did a great job with their unit. Battery life is a little disappointing, but that should improve if they indeed bump the processor.

 

[mwebb]

I recommend the HP Chromebook 11

I have a Chromebook (original Acer with decent but not great chip) and an Air 11. The Air is obviously better but carrying one around all the time is asking for trouble. The Chromebook is more secure anyway - no local user data and a more security-conscious operating system.

But I wouldn't recommend the Acer. The Samsung 11 and HP 11 are both lighter. The HP 11 is in Air territory. That makes a big difference.

Be sure to vet your school's software needs. Can you run everything you need, currently, in a Chrome browser on your current laptop? If so, you can probably buy an HP 11 from a retailer with a liberal return policy (no restocking fee) like Best Buy and jump in the deep end and see if it works.

The HP 11 has been off the market due to USB charger melt-downs. It will be back in stores in one or two weeks.