Which of the lightweight laptops running Google Chrome will be the best?
1. Asus Chromebook C300
The long-life Chromebook that will ensure you keep going all day»Processor .........................Intel Bay Trail-M Celaron N2830 2.16GHz dual-core
»Memory ...........................2GB DDR3L 1600MHz SDRAM
»Dimensions ......................339 x 230 x 20mm
»Weight .............................1.4kg
»Display size .....................13.3-inch (117ppi)
»Display resolution ...........1366 x 768 pixels
»Camera ............................HD web camera
»Connectivity ...................Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
»Ports.................................1 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x HDMI, SD card slot
The C300 is the largest of Asus’ limited range of Chromebooks. It sports a 13.3-inch screen and weighs 1.4kg, which is very reasonable for its size. It definitely doesn’t feel heavy or bulky when you’re carrying it around. It has got a very clean and simple design, although the polycarbonate case does feel a little bit scratchy and collects fingerprints quickly. Once you’ve opened it up it’s got an attractive brushed aluminium look and sits at just the right height for you to type away without finding your wrists resting painfully on the fairly sharp edge. The trackpad is the largest in its class and it is very big, making pinch zooming very easy to control. It feels secure and well made, even if there may have been a little bit of skimping on materials. The keyboard is a generous size and, although it took a little while to get used to the keys all being slightly more to the right than we’re used to, the keys were responsive and hit the sweet spot between firmness and sensitivity. It runs off an Intel Celeron 2.16GHz dual-core processor and an Intel Celeron 1.83GHz quad-core processor. In general these are speedy enough to deal with everyday Chromebook tasks, such as writing documents, playing videos and surfi ng the web. Things do become a little jerky and laggy when playing graphics-rich games so if you are a hardcore gamer, this might not be the best Chromebook for you. The battery life is the C300’s big sell, promising that it can deliver up to ten hours of use. While performing standard browsing tasks it looks like it could make good on that promise, so as a workstation it would be a very useful machine for a working day or taking with you on a long-distance journey. Things weren’t so impressive away from browsing – gaming did chew quite dramatically into the battery life, so it is much better suited for professional use. The video camera is quite sharp, although it did struggle when up against a backlight, so if you enjoy Skype video calls, you’ll need to think twice about how the Chromebook is positioned.
Head-to-Head
- Design
The C300 has nice, rounded, curved edges all around, making it a very comfortable machine to carry and use. The brushed look is polarising, however, and it does feel extremely plasticky. It is quite slim at just 20mm thick.
- Performance
The dual-core and quad-core processors zip through basic tasks but aren’t quite up to anything too intense. Gamers will not appreciate this, but the limited performance is one of the things that will keep the C300 going for 10 hours.
- Battery life
- Usability
This is a really well balanced machine. It is a nice height to work at and the keyboard has accurate keys that you have to press firmly, but they don’t feel sticky. The trackpad is nice and large, giving users a big range of movement.
2. Lenovo N20p Chromebook
The Chromebook that is tiny but mightyLenovo’s ThinkPad range is very well regarded in the world of the PC, so it comes as little surprise that the Chinese company is turning its attention to Chromebooks. The N20p is Lenovo’s 11-inch offering, providing a compact Chromebook option at a low price point. The N20p’s big selling point is the fact that it’s hinged, so you can fold it right back so the keyboard acts as a stand. This turns the Chromebook, which has a touchscreen, into a upturned tablet, making it perfect for watching films. We found that it did feel a little unstable when tapping on it in this mode, but if you just want to use it for viewing, it is ideal. Although the 1366 x 768 screen isn’t razor sharp, it still plays videos with a high level of clarity and the processors are capable of keeping up with the frame rate. It is impressively bright and colourful, managing to provide the user with a very positive experience. If you can manage to ignore the overly shiny Lenovo logo on the front, this is a very pleasingly designed laptop. The silver is nice and resistant to fingerprints and it has a mixture of straight edges and curves that complement each other well. It is very smooth all over and the inside has a matt black finish, which works well. Despite its size it weighs a fairly hefty 1.4kg. This is comparable to the other models, but considering it’s the smallest of the bunch that is something of a disappointment. The bezels around the edge of the screen are very large, cutting quite dramatically into the screen size. In a larger machine this wouldn’t be so bad but as it’s already a small model, this could present an issue for some users. The keys are very fl at and light, which does occasionally lead to a missed letter when typing but in general it is a well laid out and spaced keyboard. The trackpad is very secure in its housing and is responsive to scrolling. The webcam isn’t great at dealing with low light conditions but is nice and sharp, capable of producing high-quality images and video.
Technical specs
»Processor ................................Intel Celeron 2.16GHz quad-core
»Memory ..................................4GB DDR3L
»Dimensions ............................ 295 x 212 x 17.9mm
»Weight ....................................1.4kg
»Display size ............................11.5-inch
»Display resolution ...................1366 x 768
»Camera ....................................720p
»Connectivity .......................... Wi-Fi , Bluetooth 4.0
»Ports.........................................1 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x micro HDMI, SD card slot
3. Acer Chromebook 15 C910
The C910 is the size of a laptop, but is bigger really better?
The C910 bucks the trend of Chromebooks rather by being a very big machine. The screen is a massive 15.6-inches, and the wide bezels make it even wider. It is unfortunately lacking somewhat in terms of style. The backing is a scratchy, textured plastic that put us in mind of those pull-down blinds for car windows. It is certainly unique but it failed to appeal to us. Opening up the C910 reveals two large speakers either side of the keyboard, which is great for listening to audio and fills the gaps either side of the keyboard nicely. The keyboard is widely spaced so you have plenty of freedom while typing, and helps ensure typing accuracy. The trackpad is an absolute magnet for fingerprints, though, and does not sit comfortably at all. Even a slight press looks like you’re going to push it right out of its housing and it doesn’t seem to quite fi t, sporting a huge gap along the bottom and right-hand side. It is the heaviest on test at 2.2kg, which is getting far away from normal Chromebook territory and towards notebook and netbook levels. The screen resolution is a very low 100ppi and this is clearly noticeable when viewing video and images, although it doesn’t spoil basic browsing. The Intel Celaron 1.5GHz dual-core processor isn’t quite up to the task of playing games or video, occasionally freezing or lagging mid-action. The viewing angles aren’t great on the horizontal level, but you do get a high range of viewing on the vertical plane, which is handy. The 3,270mAh battery has a life of around nine hours, which is one of the main positives for this machine as it could keep you powered through an entire standard work day. The camera for web chats is very good, producing a clear video that has a lot of detail. Even when backlit, faces can be seen so Acer has done well with its camera technology.
Technical specs
»Processor ..........................Intel i3 1.5GHz dual-core
»Memory ............................16GB storage / 4GB RAM
»Dimensions .......................383 x 245 x 24mm
»Weight ...............................2.2kg
»Display size .......................15.6-inch
»Display resolution .............1366 x 768 (100ppi)
»Camera ..............................720p webcam
»Connectivity ......................Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
»Ports....................................1 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x HDMI, SD card slot
4. Chromebook Pixel (2015)
Is Google’s own Chromebook worth the money?As the developers of Chrome, it stands to reason that Google should produce its own Chromebook and the Pixel has long been held as the standard bearer for all Chromebooks. That still appears to be the case as the latest Pixel has an awful lot going for it. The colour scheme is all silver and it is very distinctive with straight lines all round and a very fl at finish, setting it apart from the others. This design could put some people off as it is quite metallic and rigid but it certainly looks like a premium machine. It is quite weighty at 1.5kg but that is mostly down to the metal casing that gives it that smooth, premium feel. The keyboard is edge-to-edge and very nicely spaced so you are unlikely to accidentally tap more than one key. They are very fl at so don’t take a lot of pressing, which is a great advantage during prolonged use. Boot up time is lightning quick, which is excellent as that means you get to see the stunning screen as quickly as possible. It really is absolutely glorious. It is superbly sharp, picking out tiny detail in everything with clarity and precision. The resolution is 2560 x 1700 and on the 12.85-inch display that translates to a pixel density of 239ppi, way better than its competitors. Under the hood is an Intel Core i7 2.4GHz processor that deals with pretty much everything you throw at it with ease. It plays videos and games without any visible lag and navigating around web pages happens instantaneously. It ships with an excellent 16GB of RAM and 64GB storage, plus has a microSD slot. It’s camera has a wide angle lens that helps get more people in shot if you are trying to take a group picture.
Technical specs
»Processor ................................Intel Core i5, 2.2GHz or Intel Core i7, 2.4GHz
»Memory ..................................8GB or 16GB
»Dimensions ............................298 x 224 x 15.3mm
»Weight ....................................1.5kg
»Display size ............................12.85-inch
»Display resolution ..................2560 x 1700 (239ppi)
»Camera ...................................720p HD
»Connectivity ...........................Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
»Ports.........................................2x USB 3.0, SD card reader, 2 x USB Type-C charging
The winner... Chromebook Pixel (2015)
You’re paying a lot of money but there is no way we could say anything other than the Chromebook Pixel is the best device out there. The screen is streets ahead, the processor is far and away the most powerful on the market and it looks great. The Type-C charging is another huge advantage so it ticks every box in terms of looks, practicality, battery life and quality of use.
The only slight faults are with the weight and price, but if you’re after a brilliant Chromebook that actually offers some storage capabilities as well, then this has to be the one you choose. It is followed by the Lenovo N20p. This performed very well in tests and does everything a Chromebook should. It is small, portable and works quickly and quietly. We enjoyed using the touchscreen and the ability to turn it into a tablet is a great touch. If you want a quality Chromebook that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, this should certainly be a contender.
The Asus Chromebook C300 is next up. It is a very good machine, and was generally up to task but fell short a little bit in terms of the processing power and the general look and feel of it. Finally, the Acer Chromebook 15 brings up the rear. It just felt too big, too heavy and too slow to be a quality Chromebook and we reckon there are much better models out there for the price. It could be a good option if you want a laptop-style cloud-based computer, though.
