Author: Cameron Summerson / Source: reviewgeek.com
There has never been a better time to get into the Chromebook scene, so you’re in a great position to make the leap. If you’re having a hard time figure out which Chromebook to buy, we’re here to help.
Chrome OS has really matured over the last few years, with the addition of Android apps on pretty much all modern Chromebooks.
This really opened the available applications to include many options that were previously lacking on Chrome OS—like image editors, for example.With all the progress Google has been making on Chrome OS as a whole, it’s clear that the company is fully invested in this operating system and has a focused vision for the future. Chrome OS has broken out of the “just a browser” mold and is inching closer to the “full operating system” space.
Before we get into out list of favorite Chromebooks, we let’s highlight the qualifications we used to define “best” for the following classes of Chromebooks. All of our picks will have the following features:
- Full Support for Android Apps: We’re not willing to say something can be the “best” if it doesn’t offer one of the most innovative features to hit the platform in years.
- Convertible Support: Unless otherwise noted, all of the choices here are convertible models, so they can be used as both laptops and tablets. There is only one laptop on this list that doesn’t meet this qualification.
- At least 4GB of RAM: While there are some cheaper options available with only 2GB of RAM, there’s no reason to buy something with such limited RAM in 2018.
Whether you opt for one of our very capable picks or you’re doing some comparison shopping on your own, make sure any Chromebook you look at meets the above criteria.
A Look to the Future: One Small Caveat
Before we dive into our top picks, there is one small but significant caveat to get out of the way. Recently, Google announced plans to also bring containerized Linux applications to Chrome OS, which will offer even more versatility on the platform.
Why is this significant? For years many Chrome OS users have relied on a sort of hackjob solution called Crouton to run Linux applications on Chrome OS. With the new Linux containers, however, that will be a thing of the past—and the development is progressing at a much faster rate than Android apps did (which took much longer than Google expected), so this will hopefully be available as a stable feature soon.
At the current time, however, it’s worth noting that Linux apps are only available on the Pixelboook (and in the developer channel at that), and it’s still unclear how many existing Chromebooks will get this feature. The new features require Linux kernel version 4.4, and currently many Chromebooks are running older versions that can’t support it. Now, it’s possible that some Chromebooks may get updated with the 4.4 kernel, but it’s not recommended that you buy a Chromebook with the assumption it will get updated.
All this explanation is highlight this important shopping detail: if Linux app support is important to you, then you may want to wait a few more months before making the jump to a Chromebook—at least until more information is available on which models will receive Linux app support.
Now, with that out of the way, let’s take a look at some of the best Chromebooks you can buy right now.
The Best Budget Chromebooks (Sub-$300)
When most people think Chromebooks this is what they’re thinking of, because when people are after an affordable, usable computer a Chromebook has long been the go-to answer. Even though there are more Chromebooks available in the high-end market now, there are still a variety of options in the budget scene.
ASUS Chromebook Flip C101: $297
The Chromebook Flip has been one of the best Chromebooks you can buy since the original C100 was released a few years ago, and the re-hashed C101 is no different. This is a small laptop—it has a 10.1-inch screen—so it may not be the best choice for a “main” computer. What it is, however, is a great take-along device or tablet replacement. It features a fully convertible design, so it transforms from laptop to tablet mode in just seconds. Pair that with the your favorite Android apps and you have a great little do-it-all Chromebook.
The C101 features a snappy little Rockchip quad-core processor, 4GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage. If you need to bump the amount of available storage, it also has a microSD card slot.
ASUS Chromebook Flip C213: $299
If you’re looking for something slightly larger and more robust than the C101, the C213 is the way to go….
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