The Best Chromebook

 

A good Chromebook can do almost a few component a ordinary computer can do, and the great ones sense better to apply than their similarly priced Windows opposite numbers. After checking out maximum of the Chromebooks launched over the last eight years and trying out 16 models to date in 2022, we advocate the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook (thirteen″). It’s comparatively much less pricey, and it offers speedy overall performance plus an super keyboard and trackpad. The Flex 5i is also compact and slight, and its 1080p touchscreen is vivid and high-quality. Though our exceptional options last more than one hours longer, the battery in the Flex 5i want to nonetheless live to tell the tale a complete day of work or training. 

The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook (13″) is an notable Chromebook. In addition to being an all-around exceptional computer, our endorsed version gives faster ordinary overall performance than most Chromebooks under $500. Many reasonably-priced Chromebooks can’t deal with a video name and an open file on the identical time, or they experience slow with best a handful of tabs open. But way to its Core i3 processor and 8 GB of memory, our choose out can control everyday workloads with aplomb. The Flex 5i’s predecessor, the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 (13″), is a great opportunity in case you discover it in inventory and on sale with a Core i3 processor, however it has handiest four GB of reminiscence, and its confident update assist runs out a year faster.

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If you’re inclined to pay extra for a smaller and lighter Chromebook with longer battery existence, get the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2. The Flex 5i is greater than accurate sufficient for most of the people, however if you want a sleeker, extra transportable Chromebook, the Galaxy Chromebook 2 is the excellent opportunity—if I needed to carry a computer round all day, this is the only I’d purchase. Unlike our other alternatives, this version has best USB-C ports; if you very personal older peripherals that use USB-A, you’ll need a dongle or dock to residence them. (Note that we don’t advise the Galaxy Chromebook 2 with a Celeron processor, as it’s too slow for its fee.)

If you want a bigger show display and a number of pad, the Asus Chromebook Flip C536 (C536EA-BI3T3) is the best opportunity. Its 15.6-inch touchscreen affords greater room to do work or experience media, however it also makes the pc bulkier. We don’t propose this 4.Three-pound laptop in case you need to take yours to artwork, class, or even a espresso shop—it’s great used throughout the residence. If the C536 is unavailable, the honestly same Asus Chromebook Flip CM5 (CM5500FDA-DN344T) is a few different notable alternative.

It may be difficult to find out a respectable Chromebook in stock at a few degree inside the once more-to-faculty shopping season. If none of our options are available, we recommend installing stock alerts via NowInStock.Net or browser extensions like Keepa. If you can’t discover a new Chromebook anywhere, keep in mind a used Chromebook—however double-check the valid give up-of-guide date in advance than you buy. You also can turn an antique Windows or Mac pc in

What is a Chromebook?

A Chromebook is a laptop that runs Chrome OS, an jogging machine that uses the Chrome internet browser as its primary interface. Chromebooks are ideal for students and kids, but you need to additionally remember one if you spend most of your laptop time in a web browser, if you’re on a decent price range, or in case you have already got a fantastic laptop PC. A exact Chromebook can do nearly something a ordinary pc can do—as long as that task is viable in a web browser or in Android apps. And Chromebooks are cheap: A $four hundred Chromebook is quicker, lighter, and sleeker, and blessed with higher battery life, than a $500 Windows pc. Chromebooks also are cozy and smooth to hold.

But Chromebooks can’t run Photoshop, Windows-precise video video games, or the diverse programs you might be used to having for your Mac or Windows laptop. They don’t have a whole lot neighborhood storage, and they paintings exquisite with a whole-time internet connection—despite the fact that there are offline alternatives for Gmail, Google Drive, and distinctive apps. If you use internet-primarily based e mail, if you may get with the aid of with Microsoft’s Office 365, Google’s office net apps, and Android app alternatives, and if you flow your music and movies over the net as nicely, a Chromebook want to do pretty much the whole thing you want it to

In 2022, most Chromebooks have 64 GB or 128 GB of onboard garage; Google additionally presents one hundred GB of unfastened on-line Google One garage for 3 hundred and sixty 5 days. (Once your year is up, you need to pay to maintain that cloud garage. Right now, 100 GB of storage costs $2 in line with month or $20 consistent with 365 days.) Most Chromebooks moreover include USB ports and a microSD card slot that you could use to make bigger the storage.