{"id":1736631,"date":"2022-07-11T13:48:06","date_gmt":"2022-07-11T17:48:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/?post_type=station&#038;p=1736631"},"modified":"2022-07-12T02:42:00","modified_gmt":"2022-07-12T06:42:00","slug":"the-best-chromebooks-best-overall-best-battery-life-and-more","status":"publish","type":"station","link":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/plato-data\/the-best-chromebooks-best-overall-best-battery-life-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"The best Chromebooks: Best overall, best battery life, and more"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"wp-block-bigbite-multi-title\"><\/section>\n<p>Are you ready to abandon the cult of Windows and macOS? If you are, Chromebooks serve as a decent alternative for most people. These machines are perfect for everyday workloads like working on documents and spreadsheets, browsing the web, email, and so on. They also tend to have good battery life and sturdy builds. Plus, most files can be stored directly in the cloud. Whether you need something with decent battery life or a lightweight form factor or a competitive price, the PCWorld team has put together a list of different Chromebook options. <\/p>\n<p>This week, you\u2019ll even be able to find several compelling laptops going for oh-so-enticing prices as part of the <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/796384\/prime-day-chromebook-deals.html\">Amazon Prime Day Chromebook deals<\/a> going on July 12 and 13. We\u2019re already seeing some <em>killer<\/em> early deals.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re still on the fence, see our comparison of <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/402141\/chromebooks-versus-windows-laptops-which-should-you-buy.html\" data-type=\"url\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/402141\/chromebooks-versus-windows-laptops-which-should-you-buy.html\">Chromebooks vs. Windows laptops<\/a> for more information. You can also find helpful buying advice below our recommendations. And for even more recommendations, check out our wider guide to <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/436674\/the-best-pc-laptops-of-the-year.html\">the best laptops<\/a> if you\u2019re curious about our top picks across all operating systems.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-product-chart product-chart\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-product-chart-item product-chart-item\">\n<h3 data-p_name=\"Acer Chromebook Spin 713\" class=\"product-chart-item__title-wrapper--title product-chart-title\" id=\"acer-chromebook-spin-713-best-overall\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAcer Chromebook Spin 713 \u2013 Best overall\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<div class=\"large-pro-cons-product-chart-section\">\n<div class=\"product-chart-item__image-outer-wrapper        product-chart-item__image-outer-wrapper--large\">\n<div class=\"product-chart-item__image-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"product-chart-body\">\n<div class=\"product-chart-columns\">\n<div class=\"product-chart-column\">\n<p class=\"product-chart-subTitle\">Pros<\/p>\n<ul class=\"product-pros-cons-list\">\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tStrong performance\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tGood build quality\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tNice selection of ports\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tBeautiful display\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tSolid battery life\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"product-chart-column\">\n<p class=\"product-chart-subTitle\">Cons<\/p>\n<ul class=\"product-pros-cons-list\">\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tNo privacy shutter on the webcam\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tBoring design\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tFan noise is a bit loud\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"product-chart-item__information\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"product-chart-item__information--rrp-label\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMSRP:\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"product-chart-item__information--rrp-value\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFrom $629.99\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"product-content\">\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for a great convertible laptop, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 will surely fit the bill. You can either prop it up like a tent or fold the screen all the way back and use it like a tablet. We were also impressed with its vibrant display, all-day battery life, and diverse selection of ports. The design is a little utilitarian, but this is the kind of machine that favors function over aesthetics. The build is robust and there was hardly any flex in the keyboard tray. There are a couple of downsides like the loud fan noise and the lack of a physical privacy shutter on the webcam, but these issues are relatively minor. Overall, the Spin 713 is a solid convertible laptop that performs well.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-product-chart-item product-chart-item\">\n<h3 data-p_name=\"HP Chromebook x2 11\" class=\"product-chart-item__title-wrapper--title product-chart-title\" id=\"hp-chromebook-x2-11-da0023dx-best-folio-style-option\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHP Chromebook x2 11 da0023dx \u2013 Best folio-style option\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<div class=\"large-pro-cons-product-chart-section\">\n<div class=\"product-chart-item__image-outer-wrapper        product-chart-item__image-outer-wrapper--large\">\n<div class=\"product-chart-item__image-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" class=\"product-chart-item__image\" alt=\"HP Chromebook x2 11 da0023dx - Best folio-style option\" src=\"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/hpchromebook-hero-scaled.jpg\" \/><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"product-chart-body\">\n<div class=\"product-chart-columns\">\n<div class=\"product-chart-column\">\n<p class=\"product-chart-subTitle\">Pros<\/p>\n<ul class=\"product-pros-cons-list\">\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tGorgeous 2K touchscreen\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tSolid performance\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tExcellent battery life\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tRobust design\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"product-chart-column\">\n<p class=\"product-chart-subTitle\">Cons<\/p>\n<ul class=\"product-pros-cons-list\">\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tTrackpad is too sensitive at times\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tLight on ports\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"product-chart-item__information\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"product-chart-item__information--rrp-label\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMSRP:\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"product-chart-item__information--rrp-value\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$599\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"product-content\">\n<p>The HP Chromebook x2 11 is a solid folio-style laptop, meaning the keyboard and kickstand detach, leaving you with a sub 1-pound tablet. Besides being lightweight, the battery life is impressive. The keyboard is suitable for long typing sessions and the kickstand keeps the tablet nice and stable. The 1440p touchscreen display is beautiful, too. Colors looked vibrant and smaller details were sharp and easy to see. The Snapdragon 7c processor is fast enough for general use as well. The only real drawback is the over-sized touchpad, which tends to fire off a few false clicks here and there. If you can live with an occasionally temperamental touchpad, then the x2 11 is a fantastic option, especially if you travel a lot for work.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead our full<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"product-chart-item__review-link\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/609500\/hp-chromebook-x2-11-da0023dx-review.html\">HP Chromebook x2 11 review<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-product-chart-item product-chart-item\">\n<h3 data-p_name=\"Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebook Duet 5\" class=\"product-chart-item__title-wrapper--title product-chart-title\" id=\"lenovo-ideapad-chromebook-duet-5-best-for-oled-fans\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLenovo IdeaPad Chromebook Duet 5 \u2013 Best for OLED fans\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<div class=\"large-pro-cons-product-chart-section\">\n<div class=\"product-chart-item__image-outer-wrapper        product-chart-item__image-outer-wrapper--large\">\n<div class=\"product-chart-item__image-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4207\" height=\"2177\" class=\"product-chart-item__image\" alt=\"Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebook Duet 5 - Best for OLED fans\" src=\"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/duet-5-header.jpg\" \/><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"product-chart-body\">\n<div class=\"product-chart-columns\">\n<div class=\"product-chart-column\">\n<p class=\"product-chart-subTitle\">Pros<\/p>\n<ul class=\"product-pros-cons-list\">\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tGorgeous screen&nbsp;\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tAmazing battery life&nbsp;\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tGood price\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"product-chart-column\">\n<p class=\"product-chart-subTitle\">Cons<\/p>\n<ul class=\"product-pros-cons-list\">\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tAwkward aspect ratio\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tNo fingerprint or face scanning\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"product-chart-item__information\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"product-chart-item__information--rrp-label\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMSRP:\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"product-chart-item__information--rrp-value\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$500\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"product-content\">\n<p>When it comes to the Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebook Duet 5, a Chrome OS tablet that doubles as a laptop, the biggest highlights are the keyboard and its drop-dead gorgeous OLED display. The 1080p full HD display produces colorful images, although the 16:9 aspect ratio might feel awkward for some users. On the other hand, it could be a boon for watching movies. The keys have a decent travel distance of 1.3mm and the detachable keyboard as a whole doesn\u2019t feel too cramped. There\u2019s also a kickstand that can be adjusted up to 135 degrees. The one tradeoff is that the USI-compatible pen costs extra.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead our full<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"product-chart-item__review-link\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/557564\/ideapad-chromebook-duet-5-review-less-than-the-sum-of-its-parts.html\">Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebook Duet 5 review<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-product-chart-item product-chart-item\">\n<h3 data-p_name=\"Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5\" class=\"product-chart-item__title-wrapper--title product-chart-title\" id=\"lenovo-chromebook-flex-5-best-keyboard\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLenovo Chromebook Flex 5 \u2013 Best keyboard\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<div class=\"large-pro-cons-product-chart-section\">\n<div class=\"product-chart-item__image-outer-wrapper        product-chart-item__image-outer-wrapper--large\">\n<div class=\"product-chart-item__image-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" class=\"product-chart-item__image\" alt=\"Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 - Best keyboard\" src=\"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/lenovo-chromebook-flex-5-1.jpg\" \/><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"product-chart-body\">\n<div class=\"product-chart-columns\">\n<div class=\"product-chart-column\">\n<p class=\"product-chart-subTitle\">Pros<\/p>\n<ul class=\"product-pros-cons-list\">\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tAttractive design\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tAffordable\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tPunchy audio\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tExcellent keyboard\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"product-chart-column\">\n<p class=\"product-chart-subTitle\">Cons<\/p>\n<ul class=\"product-pros-cons-list\">\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tMediocre performance\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\tSubpar battery life\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"product-chart-item__information\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"product-chart-item__information--rrp-label\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMSRP:\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"product-chart-item__information--rrp-value\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$389\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"product-content\">\n<p>The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is a good laptop for productivity. It\u2019s fast enough for web browsing, editing documents, and so on. That said, it can \u201cfeel taxed by demanding tasks.\u201d When our tester opened up multiple tabs, he noticed a sag in performance. The port selection, however, is nice combination of old and new. It has two USB-C ports, a single USB-A port, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, and a microSD card reader. Although the Flex 5 has a lot to offer, the standout feature is the keyboard. Our tester liked the \u201ccrisp and taut\u201d feel of the keys. There\u2019s also a good amount of space on the palm rests. If you\u2019re looking for a Chromebook with a tactile keyboard, the Flex 5 will fit the bill.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead our full<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"product-chart-item__review-link\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/564116\/lenovo-chromebook-flex-5-review-the-reasonable-choice.html\">Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 review<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"how-we-tested\">How we tested<\/h2>\n<p>The PCWorld team puts each and every laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we\u2019ve tested. Due to the cloud-based nature of Chromebooks, they go through a series of web-based tests. It wouldn\u2019t be fair or possible to run the same kinds of tests on a Chromebook as we use on laptops because they exclusively run a completely different operating system. Below, you\u2019ll find a breakdown of each test and the reasons why we run them.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"chromebooks\">Chromebooks<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CrXPRT 2<\/strong>: The CrXPRT 2 benchmark tests a Chromebook\u2019s battery life. <\/li>\n<li><strong>Speedometer 2.0<\/strong>: This test determines a Chromebook\u2019s web browser performance. It simulates this by adding, completing, and removing a to-do list.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Basemark Web 3.0<\/strong>: This benchmark gauges how well a Chromebook can handle web-based applications. <\/li>\n<li><strong>Kraken 1.1<\/strong>: Kraken 1.1 is a JavaScript performance benchmark that measures browser speed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Jetstream 2<\/strong>: Jetstream 2 is a combination of WebAssembly and JavaScript benchmarks. This is a way to gauge how well a Chromebook runs advanced workloads.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"what-should-i-look-for-in-a-chromebook\">What should I look for in a Chromebook?<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for a Windows or MacBook alternative, you may want to consider a Chromebook. Equipped with low-power processors, they typically have good battery life and are usually silent in operation. They make great productivity machines, as they\u2019re specifically designed for lightweight tasks like browsing the web, watching Netflix, and so on. Plus, they\u2019re largely virus free. That said, most Chromebooks have minimal RAM and storage. If you\u2019re a hardcore gamer or a video editor, you\u2019re going to want something with a lot more power than a Chromebook is capable of providing. <\/p>\n<p>Our guide to <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/402141\/chromebooks-versus-windows-laptops-which-should-you-buy.html\">Chromebooks vs. Windows l<\/a>aptops can help you determine which operating system is best for your needs. For more options, you\u2019ll want to check out our <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.com\/article\/436674\/the-best-pc-laptops-of-the-year.html\">best laptops roundup<\/a>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Operating system: <\/strong>Although every operating system has its pros and cons, I\u2019d argue that Chrome OS is one of the most user-friendly ones out there. That said, with Chromebooks, you don\u2019t have the option of picking another operating system, as they exclusively run Chrome OS. You\u2019re stuck with it, bud.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Processor<\/strong>: Shoot for a mid-range Chromebook if you can. They cost anywhere in the $400 to $600 range and many of them come equipped with Intel Pentium processors. These Chromebooks have better browser performance and are capable of running more intense gaming apps. It\u2019s the best bang for your buck.<\/li>\n<li><strong>RAM<\/strong>: Many Chromebooks have 4GB of RAM, which isn\u2019t a lot. Chromebooks are web-based machines, so you need a fair amount of RAM to keep those tabs open and running smoothly. If you can spend a couple of hundred extra, you\u2019ll be able to find a mid-range Chromebook with 8GB of RAM.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Storage<\/strong>: I recommend at least 64GB of storage. Since you\u2019ll mostly be storing things in the cloud, you don\u2019t a ton of local storage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Durability<\/strong>: Chromebooks are popular in the education market because they\u2019re pretty darn robust. I\u2019m not saying you should smack one around with a baseball bat or anything, but they\u2019re durable enough to handle the daily abuses of life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1729691,"template":"","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","type":"","auto_type":false,"post":"","stream":"","stream_url":"","waveform_data":[],"duration":0,"bpm":0,"downloadable":false,"download_url":"","purchase_title":"","purchase_url":"","post-count-all":0,"like_count":0,"download_count":0,"editor_note":"","copyright":"","captions":[]},"genre":[78],"artist":[99],"mood":[],"activity":[],"station_tag":[18744,18711,7387,18723,18119,10610,177,18710,18750,18732,3862,9445,18726,14105,13258,18715,18719,18742,18712,18714,18729,5227,18749,16767,3702,18708],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/station\/1736631"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/station"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/station"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1729691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1736631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"genre","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/genre?post=1736631"},{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=1736631"},{"taxonomy":"mood","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/mood?post=1736631"},{"taxonomy":"activity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/activity?post=1736631"},{"taxonomy":"station_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platogaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/station_tag?post=1736631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}