Chromebook Recommendations

[Andromeda]

I'm looking to purchase a Chromebook does anyone have any experience or recommendations? I've been doing a lot of research and it's actually pretty overwhelming. My price range is about 200 ish dollars and there are so many in that price range that it's hard to choose one. I saw some for even seventy or eighty dollars but I'm very cautious because I know you get what you pay for.

I already have an Android tablet so what I would be using the Chromebook for is a book I am working on. No desire to play games or watch videos or anything like that just basically using it to research on the internet and to have a document program for my writing.

[Chipotle]

I purchase/use a lot of Chromebooks in my work capacity. We've gotten Acer, Asus, HP, Samsung... and tbh, there's not a lot of difference from model to model, especially for the kind of use you're talking about. I'd just get a name brand (the previous mentioned, plus Dell or Lenovo), choose the screen size you want (11.6" or 14") and at least 4GB of memory. Most have at least 32GB of flash storage (eMMC) and I don't think any more really buys you anything in a Chromebook. A Celeron processor might be a bit more future-proof than a less powerful one (e.g MediaTek) but in day-to-day use there really isn't much difference.

The Chromebooks we usually purchase (11.6" screen 4G/32G, MediaTek processors) run around $270-280 new--many of the ones you see for $200 are refurbished, so be on the lookout for that.

[Andromeda]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

I purchase/use a lot of Chromebooks in my work capacity. We've gotten Acer, Asus, HP, Samsung... and tbh, there's not a lot of difference from model to model, especially for the kind of use you're talking about. I'd just get a name brand (the previous mentioned, plus Dell or Lenovo), choose the screen size you want (11.6" or 14") and at least 4GB of memory. Most have at least 32GB of flash storage (eMMC) and I don't think any more really buys you anything in a Chromebook. A Celeron processor might be a bit more future-proof than a less powerful one (e.g MediaTek) but in day-to-day use there really isn't much difference.

The Chromebooks we usually purchase (11.6" screen 4G/32G, MediaTek processors) run around $270-280 new--many of the ones you see for $200 are refurbished, so be on the lookout for that.

Thanks for your response. What you're saying makes sense. I will literally be using this on my couch and at first thought I wanted a 14" screen but I don't know if that will be too big?

Also, are the refurbished models any good or should I just buy a new one?

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by Andromeda

I'm looking to purchase a Chromebook does anyone have any experience or recommendations? I've been doing a lot of research and it's actually pretty overwhelming. My price range is about 200 ish dollars and there are so many in that price range that it's hard to choose one. I saw some for even seventy or eighty dollars but I'm very cautious because I know you get what you pay for.

I already have an Android tablet so what I would be using the Chromebook for is a book I am working on. No desire to play games or watch videos or anything like that just basically using it to research on the internet and to have a document program for my writing.

Originally Posted by Chipotle

I purchase/use a lot of Chromebooks in my work capacity. We've gotten Acer, Asus, HP, Samsung... and tbh, there's not a lot of difference from model to model, especially for the kind of use you're talking about. I'd just get a name brand (the previous mentioned, plus Dell or Lenovo), choose the screen size you want (11.6" or 14") and at least 4GB of memory. Most have at least 32GB of flash storage (eMMC) and I don't think any more really buys you anything in a Chromebook. A Celeron processor might be a bit more future-proof than a less powerful one (e.g MediaTek) but in day-to-day use there really isn't much difference.

The Chromebooks we usually purchase (11.6" screen 4G/32G, MediaTek processors) run around $270-280 new--many of the ones you see for $200 are refurbished, so be on the lookout for that.

We deploy and manage this stuff at scale. My kids still have to suffer Chromebooks too.

I will only buy first tier aka business class stuff that's usually Samsung or HP. HP support has been better than others.

My caution here for someone authoring a book or doing work is display and keyboard quality for all the low cost devices we get not a tablet or better laptop with a general purpose operating system. There are premium Chromebooks that are sort of love or hate. They'll get you a better display or keyboard but you still have a Chromebook.

The better Chromebooks (display, keyboards) are near enough to the Surface family and some Apple products that few are making that choice or repeating it. A very committed to Android user might find the premium Chromebooks more worth it.

For $200 I think you are limited and at the low end I would rather buy a refurbished first tier model than something that might be questionable.

[rdeane]

As a person who went from true laptops and desktops to a Chromebook, I can say that unless you have a need for computing power and onboard storage of files, you won't miss a thing. All I do is email, internet and limited streaming. The Chromebook (a Lenovo I got on sale for less than $200) is perfect for me. I signed up for the Google cloud storage of 100 gigs for $1.99 a month. It works great, and after a short period of familiarizing myself with the Chromebook, I don't think I'll ever have another true laptop or desktop.

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by Andromeda

Thanks for your response. What you're saying makes sense. I will literally be using this on my couch and at first thought I wanted a 14" screen but I don't know if that will be too big?

That's really personal preference. If you are doing a lot of writing on it, a 14" screen may be easier on the eyes (for a bit more money).

Also, are the refurbished models any good or should I just buy a new one?

Here's why I wouldn't buy refurbished: Chromebooks have a built-in "auto-update expiration date". Your Chromebook will get updates for a certain amount of time (say, 5 years) and then no more. Annoying, but there it is. And that date is set when the Chromebook is manufactured, not when you buy it. So a refurbished model may already have a couple years lopped off that date (sat for a while, sold, returned, refurbished...). You'll get more time off a new, recent model.

[Andromeda]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

That's really personal preference. If you are doing a lot of writing on it, a 14" screen may be easier on the eyes (for a bit more money).



Here's why I wouldn't buy refurbished: Chromebooks have a built-in "auto-update expiration date". Your Chromebook will get updates for a certain amount of time (say, 5 years) and then no more. Annoying, but there it is. And that date is set when the Chromebook is manufactured, not when you buy it. So a refurbished model may already have a couple years lopped off that date (sat for a while, sold, returned, refurbished...). You'll get more time off a new, recent model.

Thanks for the explanation! I've had tablets with that issue. I bought refurbished Tablets before and sometimes within a year or two they are completely out of date. I have no problem spending a few extra dollars on a brand new model.

[jseth]

I'm wrestling with the decision of going with a Chromebook, and this thread has been helpful for me...

Please keep us apprised of your experience with the Chromebook; what you end up buying, how it's working for you, like that...

I don't do a lot of heavy-duty computer stuff, and the idea of the Chromebook is appealing for me... I recently got a Dell tower system, after having a Dell laptop for years. I have a 90 day return policy with Costco for it, and, although it's fast and all, I've already found myself missing the portability of my old laptop - even though I don't move it around all that much.

Looking forward to hearing how this works for you!

[Andromeda]

Originally Posted by jseth

I'm wrestling with the decision of going with a Chromebook, and this thread has been helpful for me...

Please keep us apprised of your experience with the Chromebook; what you end up buying, how it's working for you, like that...

I don't do a lot of heavy-duty computer stuff, and the idea of the Chromebook is appealing for me... I recently got a Dell tower system, after having a Dell laptop for years. I have a 90 day return policy with Costco for it, and, although it's fast and all, I've already found myself missing the portability of my old laptop - even though I don't move it around all that much.

Looking forward to hearing how this works for you!

I'll be getting this either in the next two weeks or the end of October. I'll definitely come back with my evaluation.

[ifret]

We got 2 Samsung Chromebooks 2 years ago. They were each $600. My cover cracked at the hinge after about 1 1/2 years. I had to tape it together to keep it from imploding. I am very careful with my electronics, it just didn't hold up. My husband's is still doing OK. I just replaced mine with a nice tablet, to avoid the hinging. I liked it pretty well except for that. But, I'll never get another. They are lightweight compared to notebooks, which generally hold up much better to opening and closing.

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by frets4fun

We got 2 Samsung Chromebooks 2 years ago. They were each $600. My cover cracked at the hinge after about 1 1/2 years. I had to tape it together to keep it from imploding. I am very careful with my electronics, it just didn't hold up. My husband's is still doing OK. I just replaced mine with a nice tablet, to avoid the hinging. I liked it pretty well except for that. But, I'll never get another. They are lightweight compared to notebooks, which generally hold up much better to opening and closing.

FWIW, not to shade anyone's choices, but I'm not sure what spending $600 on a Chromebook gets you. It still runs ChromeOS and limits the sorts of apps you can run as compared to a laptop--and you can get a decent entry-level laptop for $600. As for the cover hinge, our Chromebooks are used by by elementary students ages 7-12 who, as you might imagine, can be a bit rough on them. Most have held up fine; I can't think of one broken hinge in literally hundreds. But you can always get a lemon.

[ifret]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

FWIW, not to shade anyone's choices, but I'm not sure what spending $600 on a Chromebook gets you. It still runs ChromeOS and limits the sorts of apps you can run as compared to a laptop--and you can get a decent entry-level laptop for $600. As for the cover hinge, our Chromebooks are used by by elementary students ages 7-12 who, as you might imagine, can be a bit rough on them. Most have held up fine; I can't think of one broken hinge in literally hundreds. But you can always get a lemon.

Glad to hear it worked out for the kids.
All I can report is what happened to me. I used it a lot....probably much more than the kids. It did what it did. As for my choice in buying a Chromebook, it was just that....my choice, I don't have to justify it here. Like I said, it worked fine, except for the hinge. Maybe I'm not making the right choices in what I spend on guitars either. Oh well.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Andromeda

Thanks for your response. What you're saying makes sense. I will literally be using this on my couch and at first thought I wanted a 14" screen but I don't know if that will be too big?

Also, are the refurbished models any good or should I just buy a new one?

I would recommend 14". If you're going to be doing a lot of writing a 14" screen will help. You can zoom text if you need to and still get a decent amount of words widthwise and lines on the screen. As mentioned, you need a comfortable keyboard, somewhere where you can feel the keys get pressed and not flimsy. Again, because you'll be writing a lot .

Can I ask what you're writing? It sounds exciting.

[robj144]

Lenovo Duet... I've had one for about 6 months and it's very good. It comes with a nice cover with kickstand and even a detachable keyboard so it can be used as a laptop or tablet. Battery life is like 12 to 15 hours too. And, the end of life is in like 8 years too.

[Andromeda]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

I would recommend 14". If you're going to be doing a lot of writing a 14" screen will help. You can zoom text if you need to and still get a decent amount of words widthwise and lines on the screen. As mentioned, you need a comfortable keyboard, somewhere where you can feel the keys get pressed and not flimsy. Again, because you'll be writing a lot .

Can I ask what you're writing? It sounds exciting.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'm writing a book on European Royalty, specifically the history or arranged marriages.