I Need a Cheap, Reliable Chromebook for My Kid! What Gadget Should I Buy?

In this edition of “What Gadget Really should You Get?” we endorse the finest price range Chromebook for a university child.

I have tapped our pretty readers in earlier articles for this collection, but these days I have the enjoyment of helping a colleague. Gizmodo senior reporter Andrew Liszewski is in search of a laptop computer for his 6-12 months-outdated son who will mostly use it for homeschooling.

As this system is meant for a K-12 pupil, it won’t need to operate demanding duties in reality, Andrew tells me the notebook will be perpetually jogging Google Fulfill and if not uploading files. In addition to ample functionality to energy simple tasks, the laptop computer desires at minimum a 13-inch show, a durable chassis that can stand up to a number of knocks, and if possible a convertible form element (or at the very least a touchscreen). Andrew, who is changing an old MacBook that stopped charging, would like to spend no more than $US400 ($555).

Presented their relieve of use and decreased price tag of entry, my instinct is to endorse a Chromebook, a laptop computer that runs on Google’s lightweight, cloud-centric Chrome OS. Respectable spending budget Home windows equipment exist, but if you want an cheap notebook that is very simple to use and performs reliably more than time, Chromebooks are commonly the most effective put to get started.

With that stated, the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 is a potent solution. At $US350 ($486) to $US400 ($555), the Spin 513 sneaks into Andrew’s spending budget and checks all the proper bins. It flaunts a fashionable style and has a crisp 13.3-inch, 1080p screen, a convertible chassis, and lengthy battery everyday living. The monitor is rather dim and this is not the fastest equipment because of to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c, but it’ll get the work performed so lengthy as Andrew’s kid doesn’t sprout dreams of getting to be a well known YouTuber.

If Andrew can discover 1 in his funds, the Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook is a very similar option with rapid general performance, a handsome structure, and a webcam Monica Chin at The Verge phone calls “surprisingly usable.” It can be purchased on Amazon for $US400 ($555) but I cannot promise our resident Canadian will discover a person for the exact price tag.

These are, admittedly, on the edge of Andrew’s funds and most likely much more high quality than they want to be. If we’re looking at the most economical Chromebooks that’ll get the job done, Acer’s Chromebook 315 Touch prices only $US229 ($318) and packs a big 15.6-inch, 1080p touchscreen screen, and a decent Intel Celeron N4000 processor HP’s Chromebook x360 14 has superior overall performance and a sleek style (however a component of me dies suggesting a laptop with a 1366 x 768-pixel screen) and the Asus Chromebook C424 charges only $US250 ($347) and has a 14-inch, 1080p screen, but lacks touch assistance.

Andrew informed me he’d choose a convertible in excess of a detachable but if the latter is not completely out of the concern then Lenovo’s Duet 5 Chromebook ought to be a contender. It has an OLED exhibit, an appealing design and style, and the provided keyboard is surprisingly usable. Is it overkill? No question. But regretably, the less expensive edition of Lenovo’s hybrid pill is much too compact, as is the direct Asus rival, the Chromebook Removable CM3.

Put down your pitchforks Home windows buyers, I will not exclude finances Computer options solely. Microsoft’s Surface Notebook Go has a little 12.3-inch screen and few ports, but the establish good quality is fantastic and you can get one particular on sale with a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 for just $US399 ($554). Asus’s Vivobook 15 is even cheaper and comes with amazingly capable factors, but again, no touchscreen.

If I experienced to advise only just one machine to Andrew, it’d be the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 (or this on-sale Spin 514) for its sleek, functional structure and lengthy battery existence.

Would you endorse some thing else? Enable us know in the remarks! And if you need aid deciding on which gadget to obtain, then fill out our uncomplicated questionnaire.