The typical entry-level Chromebooks I recommend cost around $300, although they sometimes see a $50 or so discount on sale. The new HP Chromebook 11a has an MSRP of $219, however, and it’s currently on sale at Best Buy for $169, which is mind-boggling.
Again, this is “entry-level” so consider it as a basic browsing device for the couch, kitchen or comfy chair.
And the specs illustrate that expectation since this three pound clamshell Chromebook uses an older Intel Celeron N3350 processor. I guess Intel still has a bunch of those chips on hand or it has a fabrication line still churning them out for now. You’ll also get 4 GB of memory and a meager 32 GB of local storage, but again, even at the full price of $219, the HP Chromebook 11a will get around the web for social media, email or Google Docs.
Yes, there are those big ol’ bezels around the 220 nit brightness 11.6-inch 720p display. No they’re not the prettiest to look at. There is an upside though: Larger bezels all around make the chassis a little wider for the keyboard so it shouldn’t feel too cramped for a device with this screen size.
You’re getting the typical Chromebook features on the cheap here: WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 support, a microSD card slot for storage expansion, a multi-gesture trackpad, a pair of SuperSpeed USB Type-C ports (5 Gbps transfer speeds), a pair of SuperSpeed USB Type-A ports, a 720p webcam, and of course, Android app support.
I checked on the Chrome OS automatic expiration date for software updates but don’t yet see when it expires. And I don’t see how long the 42 WHr battery is expected to last on a charge either. I do like that this Chromebook comes with a USB-C power adapter though.
Is this the nicest looking and sleekest 11.6-inch Chromebook on the market? Nope. Does this use an older Intel Celron processor? Yup. Is it worth the price? At $219, I’d say it probably is for a secondary device to have around the house. For $169, I’d say yes, for sure.
2 Comments
Chrome OS has not changed much since the Play Store/Android was added. The apps available for it are not processor or memory challenging, but REVIEWERS keep rising their expectations as to what is required. and adequate.
Although there is a wide range of Chromebooks, that does nono t mean that the “flagship” models have any reasons for existence besides thrilling reviewers and giving wealthier fanboys fancier toys to promote unjustified dissatisfaction with perfectly adequate Chromebooks. This is noting more or less than planned dissatisfaction “obsolescence” to drive consumption and support bloggers who have no reason to exist besides promoting consumption;. Most offer little or no guidance on how to productively use the products they promote. They just endlessly whine about processors,memory, screens and keyboards without demonstrating that they can do anything besides chat and write blogs – something most 14 year olds could do with a 5 year old Android tablet.
This is despicable behavior. At a time when many people have lost months of income and depleted savings, promoting unnecessary consumption is socially irresponsible,
I’m right there with you on unnecessary consumption! But, there are people (like me) who use a Chromebook and want to do more than just browse the web. I’ve written a number of times about using a high-end Chromebook for coding and computer science learning that require more than an entry-level device. One of several examples: https://45-56-100-85.ip.linodeusercontent.com/news/can-you-learn-to-code-in-a-college-computer-science-program-with-a-chromebook/