Best Chromebooks for Easy Online Work

Chromebooks by their design have typically not been made to be powerful laptops. At best, most models are designed to meet a user's basic computing needs, such as web browsing, word processing, and other light tasks. That's why it comes as a surprise when a Chromebook like the Lenovo S330 comes along, giving users a powerful laptop that comes in at a very affordable price. This Chromebook is made to handle more than basic tasks. In fact, it's one of the more powerful models we have reviewed, thanks to its 2.1 GHz MediaTek MTK8173C processor. Usually, ARM-based processors such as this one are meant more for adding portability and light battery usage rather than speed, but this processor proves more than capable for this Chromebook.

What is also surprising about this model are the other specifications. The 4 GB of RAM gives you plenty of memory for running multiple tasks at once, while the 64 GB of storage is definitely on the higher-end of most Chromebooks, providing plenty of internal storage for large files such as videos and music. Of course, you also get the benefits of cloud storage thanks to Google Drive, but the internal storage should be sufficient for all but the most demanding users.

The Lenovo Flex 5 flexes on its competition in more ways than one. Hanging with the company's IdeaPad bunch, this model has both the brains and the brawn to tussle with the best in the business.

To get the ball rolling, what supplies the brains is the Intel® Core™ i3-10110U processing unit. With this unit, the system can handle program compilation, financial and scientific modeling, 3D rendering, video encoding (as well as different compression or decompression algorithms), data mining, and more. The CPU will enable seamless multitasking, letting you juggle multiple system-demanding apps at the same time without slowing down. Of course, the 4GB DDR4 RAM setup will be covering the central processing unit's six, helping with the same task. Between the two, this model covers large databases, high-res image editing, complex spreadsheet management, and so forth.

What's interesting (and impressive simultaneously) is that, despite the robust hardware, the Chromebook's battery life is superb, lasting as long as 10 hours when you stick with less demanding applications or at least 7-8 hours when you play games and work with heavy programs. Besides that, the battery life will also depend on the keyboard's backlighting that you can always remove. You cannot, however, remove the 1.4-mm key travel distance on the keyboard, facilitating a comfortable typing experience.

You also cannot remove the two USB-C 3.1 ports, one USB-A port, and an audio jack. While the last two are nothing new, the updated USB-C interface will enable fast data transferring, blazing-fast multimedia streaming, and speedy battery charging, all from one port.

This Chromebook from Samsung is an affordable solution that business students will like the most, but certain professionals will not mind as well. At less than $350, this device does not quite rank among the most capable computers, which is understandable. Needless to say, its Intel® Celeron® N3060 processing unit, even counting the 2.48 GHz boost, will not let you manage multiple demanding apps simultaneously. It is, however, pretty good at running them individually, even the more system-intensive ones. Plus, again, at this price point, this CPU is not something we can complain about.

That being said, we can complain about the integrated storage capacity capping at 16 GB. Sure, this device accepts SD cards, so you can add 32 GB, tripling its initial storage capacity, but the model could use at least 32 GB from the get-go without requiring an SD card. On the plus side, the eMMC flash hard drive will also let you work with mobile devices, not just providing improved storage capabilities but also streamlining data management, offering seamless boot-up times, and supporting HD video playback.

While the CPU does not quite facilitate multitasking, the same cannot be said about the 4 GB 1600MHZ LPDDR3 RAM setup. Of course, without the processing unit matching its efforts, the aforementioned RAM setup will not enable anything crazy, but basic multitasking is a reasonable expectation from this system.

The HP 14-db0020nr looks gorgeous, that's the first thing that catches the eye and the first thing that we'd like to discuss pertaining to this product. While you can also go with snow white and ink blue, the chalkboard gray complements this Chromebook unlike most colors, with the weathered-like giving the laptop character. Plus, the flexible hinge rotates 180 degrees, so you can collaborate and share the screen with others without passing this device around.

What we're not quite so crazy about is the native resolution. Considering that the screen measures 14 inches, the 1366 x 768p native resolution is passable at best, making separate pixels noticeable upon close inspection and the on-screen visuals a little washed out. Needless to say, this little but important mishap does not quite aid comfortable movie viewing, which is a shame since everything else here tries to solve this problem.

To name one, the IPS display reproduces accurate colors, with a high contrast ratio delivering deep blacks and bright whites. Plus, the colors do not shift when viewed at an angle because, as always, the IPS panel stretches the viewing angle 178 degrees. Owing to the same panel, the videos do not look muted or subdued, so despite the middling native resolution's 'best efforts', most movies look quite alright on this system.

The Acer Spin 11 has no problems spinning right round, not unlike the fabled record. Using the 360-degree hinge, this device lets you switch between tablet, tent, stand, and laptop modes, accommodating creative professionals. Of course, there are countless Chromebooks out there that come equipped with dual-torque hinges. But these 'books do not also come supplied with a protective sleeve and a Wacom stylus pen. With the pen's fast and accurate control mimicking a natural writing experience, the Wacom® tech pen ensures unsurpassed usability. You'll be able to draw, doodle, write, sign documents, there's very little that this pen will not let you do. In the same vein, the 10-point touchscreen will enable surfing, organizing, swiping, and editing without even touching the touchpad. While the protective sleeve will not help with these tasks, the sleeve will help with transportation, protecting the screen on the road.

Considering that this product costs less than $400, the protective sleeve and the Wacom stylus pen are an excellent addition to the package, but they're not what sells this package, not quite. Before they can contribute, what sells this package is the IPS display. Not unlike most IPS panels, this display keeps the colors accurate, the contrast ratio high (meaning that the blacks are deep and the whites are bright), and the viewing angle wide, 178 degrees wide, to be more precise. Plus, measuring 11.6 inches, the screen's 1366 x 768p native resolution is an excellent fit, making the picture sharp and detailed.