Best Chromebooks of 2020 (so far) By Engadget

Chromebooks have a reputation for being cheap and limited, but that hasn't been true for a while between years of software updates and laptop manufacturers taking Chromebooks more seriously, there are now plenty of Chrome OS computers good enough to be your daily driver. Of course, there are an unnecessary number of Chromebooks out there and find the right one for use easier said than done. Fortunately, I've tried enough at this point to know what to look for and what to avoid. There are a handful of reasons to choose a Chromebook over a cheap Windows laptop for one, the simple and clean nature of Chrome OS. It's based on Google's Chrome browser, which means it's focused on web apps, browsing streaming, music and video and using various social media sites are among the most common things people do on Chromebooks. Unsurprisingly, they also work great with Google services like photos, Docs, Gmail, Drive and so on.

There's no bloatware to uninstall, like you often get into Windows laptops they boot up in seconds, and you can completely erase to factory settings just as quickly Google's also added support for Android apps on Chromebooks, which greatly expands the amount of software available. The quality can vary significantly, but, for example, you can install the Netflix app and save videos for offline watching and Microsoft Office suite and Adobe Lightroom are both surprisingly capable. There are also nice ties between Android phones and Chromebooks, like using your phone as a security key for your laptop or instantly tethering to use mobile data. Google also touts security as a major differentiator for Chromebooks between auto-updates sandboxing for every app you use in site. You visit and a verified boot system.

Chrome OS is pretty secure. Beyond all this, to simplify fat, you generally can't install traditional apps on a Chromebook means. There are a lot less ways for bad actors to access the system, of course, not being able to install native software. It can be a deal-breaker if you are say video, editor or developer, but there are plenty of people who do the vast majority of their work in a browser these days, unless I need to edit photos. I can do my entire job on a Chromebook, but your mileage will vary.

Gaming is also entirely a non-starter as there are no native Chrome OS games of note, but you can install android games from Google Play Store or try Google's game streaming service Stadia since Chrome OS is lightweight. It usually runs well and fairly modest hardware. So the most important thing to look for might not be processor power or store space. That said, I'd still recommend you get a chromic with a recent Intel processor, ideally an eighth generation or newer m3 or i3, as for ram 4 gigabytes should be enough for most people, though eight isn't a bad idea. If you want a future-proof, your investment or, if you're, a serious tab, junkie, storage space is another place where you don't need to spend too much.

Sixty-four gigabytes should be enough for almost anyone. If you plan on storing a lot of local files or loading up your Chromebook with Linux or Android apps get 128 gigabytes things like the keyboard and display quality or arguably more important than sheer specs. The good news is that you can find less expensive Chromebooks that still has pretty good screens and keyboards. You won't mind typing. On all day.

Many cheap Chromebooks still come with small low resolution screens, but at this point, there's no reason to settle for anything less than 1080p. Obviously, keyboard quality is a bit more subjective, but you shouldn't settle for a mushy piece of garbage. As for software, support, Chromebooks get regular updates automatically for about 6 years from their release. Date. Google has a support page that lists the auto update expiration for virtually every Chromebook ever, but a good rule of thumb is to buy the newest machine.

You can to get the most support. Chromebooks started out cheap, often under $300, but as they've gone more mainstream, both quality and price have increased a bit. There are still many budget options out there that may be suitable as cash machines or secondary devices. But if you want a Chromebook that can be your all-day everyday laptop four hundred dodges is about the least you should expect to spend. There are also premium models that cost as much as a thousand dollars, but you're not gonna, find serious upgrades over, say an $800 machine.

As for our favorite options, we'll know both just released a new Chromebook that might be the best you can buy right now. The flux 5 Chromebook does just about everything right, and it's also a tremendous value. It covers all the basics. The 13 inch 1080p touchscreen, has a 360 degree hinge, and it's nice and bright. Although it's a little hard to see in direct sunlight because of glare, it runs on a 10th generation, Intel Core, i3 processor, the eight-hour battery life is solid, and the backlit keyboard is one of the best I've used on any laptop lately, Chromebook or otherwise, and all this can be had for 410 dollars on Amazon, significantly less than many comparable expect options.

I've tried recently, naturally, Lenovo cut a few corners to hit that price. Most significantly, I was concerned about the non-upgradable 4 bytes of RAM, but my testing showed that the flux fab can run plenty of tabs and other apps without many hiccups. If you push things hard, you'll occasionally have to wait four tabs to refresh, but other than that. This is a solid performer. Ultimately, I think the flux fab hits the sweet spot for a large majority of potential Chromebook buyers out there providing a level of quality and performance.

That's pretty rare at this price point. If you have more money to spend, consider the Google Pixel book go. The base. $649 model has an eighth generation: Intel m3, processor, 64, gigabytes of storage and eight gigabytes of RAM I'll, give up a little processing power to the i3 chip found in Lenovo's flux, 5, but double in the RAM might be a better choice for serious multitaskers. The pixel book go also has superior battery life lasting over 13 hours an hour video playback test.

It also features, probably my favorite laptop keyboard around and a 13.3 inch touchscreen has better viewing angles and more contrast than the flux 5 screens. It's also noticeably lighter and slimmer than the flux.5 the go doesn't have a 360 degree hinge, but I don't take away any points for that. If you really want a future-proof. Your investment, Google also has an $80049 pixel book go model with an eighth generation, Core i5, processor, 8, gigabytes of RAM and 128 gigabytes of storage. That's the high point of what people should spend on a Chromebook, but that model should last few years the pixel book goes.

Small size makes it great for road warriors. But if you want a larger screen, consider HP's Chromebook 15, its basic specs include an eighth generation, Core i3 processor, 4, gigabytes of RAM and 64 gigabytes of storage. That's good enough for most people, but its 15.6-inch touch screen is a lot bigger than you'll find on our other picks, and it's the same 1080p resolution as our other favorite Chromebooks. But a bigger screen might be easier on your eyes. Given the large display and large body needed to house it.

The HP Chromebook 15 is a big boy weighing in at about 4 pounds, but the exercise means there's a lot more room in the keyboard deck, so HP put in a full number pad on the right side, but when, if you're a spreadsheet junkie, it's a good overall value too at $449 directly from HP. Thanks for watching. If you want to know more about our favorite Chromebooks check out engadget. com and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos like this, you.

Source : Engadget