The next time you’re shopping for a new computer, there’s a good chance that the right device for you is actually a Chromebook. Basically, if you do anything in a web browser anyway, and need a great, cheap way to send emails, Word docs, Pandora, and Netflix; a Chromebook has everything you need. If you’re more of a gamer or graphic designer, this type of laptop might not be for you, but other than that, it’s a bargain for anyone looking for a cheap computer. Almost every PC manufacturer makes Chromebooks now, and the cheapest you can find on the market today is the Hisense Chromebook, starting at $149.
You will be quite surprised at how this laptop performs compared to the price. It has a quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of hard drive space, which is almost as powerful or sometimes even more powerful than some flagship smartphones. The laptop is mostly made of plastic, however the palm rest and touchpad are made of aluminum. It is very slim and light at the same time, with a total weight of about 2.3 pounds. However, the cheapest Google Chromebook is a fingerprint magnet: you can start seeing smudges just by touching it. The speakers are located on the back of the computer and they sound pretty good. To prevent the laptop from slipping while typing, there are also 4 rubber pads. Hisense Chromebook has a 11.6-inch LED screen, with a default resolution of 1366*768. Although you can increase it to 1536*864, scaling will make the font look blurry and distorted, so just stick to the default settings. At the top you can find the 720p front camera and microphone. On the left side is a charging port, an HDMI, and a USB 2.0, and on the other side is the headphone/microphone port, another USB 2.0, and a micro SD card reader. Hisense also promises up to 8.5 hours of battery life, something not many laptops can have, especially cheap ones like this one.
Now, since it is a Chromebook, it will depend 90% on the Internet connection. Chromebooks are basically used for browsing the internet, writing Word documents, and playing light games. The Hisense has the latest version of Chrome OS and you will start to see more and more apps that can run offline which is very useful. Watching normal video on this laptop is pretty smooth, no stutters or lag at all, but make sure you look directly at the center of the screen because the viewing angles aren’t that great – the more you throw or rotate the laptop, the more distortion will have. ‘I will see. Now if you try to watch 4k video you will run into problems – there just isn’t enough processing power to stream 4k video and that’s why the laptop lags and wobbles a lot. With the basic games available through the Web Store, it works pretty well with no lag. As the game graphics become more intense, you will start to notice severe lags and stutters. The cheapest Google Chromebook also features a compact QWERTY layout. The keys are fairly responsive, but you’ll feel a bit “cheap” when typing. After all, you can’t expect much more from that price.
All in all, for $150 this Chromebook is a pretty good deal. If all you need is a laptop to write documents and connect to the web, this is really the best option you have, especially if you are on a budget. Being thin and light, fast, durable, and with a long battery life, this Chromebook is also perfect for students, as you can do just about any schoolwork with it, as long as there’s an internet connection. Otherwise, it’s not a good choice for hardcore gamers, programmers, or graphic designers who need computers with powerful graphics and integrated processors.