If you can find an Ultrabook for under $300, you should probably buy HP Chromebook 11.
| The HP Chromebook 11 is an affordable laptop that’s easy to tuck in your bag. It has an 11.6 inch display, weighs just 2.3 pounds, has 6 hours of battery life, slips easily into a bag or purse, and weighs just over 2 pounds – so it’s equally comfortable at home or keeping up with the things you do everyday. Chromebook starts in seconds, so you can go straight to playing or working (if you have to). Unlike traditional computers, Chromebook updates itself automatically so it doesn’t slow down over time. Browse the web at lightning speed with features like Chrome Instant and the Chrome Omnibox. |
The HP Chromebook 11 has Sa 1.7 GHz Samsung Exynos 5250 dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 with ARM Mali-T604 quad-core graphics and has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.
It runs Google’s Chrome OS, the Linux-based operating system that puts the web browser front and center. Chromebook updates itself automatically (and for free).
Buyers must be aware that if you can’t run something in the Chrome browser on your existing PC, you can’t run it on a Chromebook. You can’t install Microsoft Office, but you can run Office Web Apps or Google Drive (and the Chromebook 11 actually has a nice built-in editor for locally-stored documents.) You can’t install iTunes, but you can use web-based music services like Pandora and Google Music. You can connect external storage drives, but not DVD drives, and printing is a bit of a hassle. I don’t recommend a Chromebook as your primary PC, but as a secondary device for light work or web browsing, Chromebooks are fast, and they don’t get viruses. A tablet might do the same job, but sometimes you want the power of a full web browser.
One more caveat - There’s also no SD card slot, which means you'd best be happy with the 16GB of storage that's included. If you want to put your camera’s photos on the HP Chromebook 11, you’ll need to pick up an SD card adapter and plug it into one of the laptop’s two USB slots.
Relax with your favorite music, write a report using Google Docs, or put the finishing touches on a family video. Video chats are loud and clear on digitally-tuned speakers. YouTube videos shine on the brilliant screen. And 100GB of free Google Drive storage safely stores all your stuff - free for 2 years. Your favorite Google apps are built-in, and there are lots of other apps available for free on the Chrome Web Store.
The HP Chromebook 11 features 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 wireless connectivity.
There are 2 USB ports and a headset jack along the left side of the laptop. That’s where you’ll also find one of the most unusual characteristics of the HP Chromebook 11 — the charging port. While most laptops use a power brick and a proprietary charging port, HP’s little Chromebook has a microUSB port.
But overall, the HP Chromebook 11 looks classy and is comfortable to use.
