14″ HP Chromebook 14-ak050nr Laptop via Amazon
HP Chromebook 14-ak050nr is a recent release low cost entry level 14 inch laptop with a lower mid-range quad core Celeron N2940 processor, 16GB eMMC flash memory as you will be relying on Cloud storage with Chrome systems and you will be getting 2 years free 100GB Google Drive storage for up to two years (needs to be activated within sixty days and is not transferable). Intel Celeron N2940 is a fourth generation processor at 1.83GHz speed that moves up to 2.25GHz with turbo function but without hyperthreading of the previous generation as it already has quad cores, is optimised for great internet browsing and multimedia tasks while offering energy efficiency for long battery life (TDP of just 7.5 watts) and high performance and along with the multitasking power of 4GB DDR3L SDRAM (1 DIMM) performance for daily tasks will be above average. And remember this is not a Windows computer so the burden on your system will be less and the overall speed is actually quite impressive and you will be doing most things online on a Chrome web browser although there are a few offline apps for Chrome OS is available too these days. Chromebook 14-ak010nr model you’ll see on the same page has a dual core processor and 2GB memory.
Chrome operating system works pretty fast, is as simple as using Google Chrome browser and gets updated constantly in the background without you being aware or doing any manual updates and it is not prone to viruses as much and has built-in security features. It doesn’t have an optical DVD drive but a 2×2 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, an HDMI output, a USB 3.0 port, 2 x USB 2.0 ports, a Headphone-out and Microphone-in combo jack and a Media Card Reader. Matte finish anti-glare screen is 14 inch diagonal Full HD WLED backlit with 1920×1080 pixel resolution and has an IPS panel for very large viewing angles of up to 178 degrees horizontally and vertically so the image quality will not be distorted and you will be getting comfy viewing at any angle. You’ll find a good quality HP TrueVision high definition webcam in the middle that offers clear image even in dim light but there is no Skype for Chromebooks yet but GoogleHangouts. It has a stylish and pretty design with HP Star pattern in silver and a white cover over the thin chassis and smooth contours, weighs just 3.74 pounds and measures 13.54 x 9.45 x 070 inches so you can comfortably use it at home and school or take it on the road wherever you go- this is a light and slim Chromebook that you can put in your backpack comfortably.
There is no set-up involved as all you do is sign into your Google account after you see the Chrome logo on screen and you’re good to go. You can surf the net fast and you will be running Hulu, Netflix and Youtube smoothly- without lagging and work on your Word documents (Chrome Microsoft Word Extension or Google Docs) or spreadsheets. Keyboard is not backlit and has no 10-key numeric pad but is comfortable to type on with nicely spaced out keys and a large and has a functional touchpad right in the middle. You have two models to choose from on the Amazon product page and the first and cheaper option- Chromebook 14-ak010nr is a dual core Celeron with 2GB memory and the item we’re reviewing on this page has 4GB memory and will definitely give you an advantage to have a few apps and browsers simultaneously without slowing down. The metal looking solid plastic chassis has a decent build quality and a modern fan-less design so it runs quietly and stays cool, there is no mechanical drive but a 16GB SSD + 100GB Google Drive, is lightweight and slim, keyboard feels nice and ergonomic, is very easy to use overall, late 2014 release CPU with a passmark benchmark score of 1784 is faster than the Intel Atoms and the built-in Intel HD graphics (Bay Trail) is quite adequate for a Chromebook at this price range as this is not an expensive Windows gaming machine, you will be performing your basic daily tasks smoothly and you can play the Chrome games comfortably.
Click here for a closer look on Amazon