Thinking about getting a Chromebook for school, any suggestions?

[neonworm]

Which Chromebook do you think would be best for a High School student? I use Google Drive for a lot of my papers and notes. A Chromebook sounds really appealing to me right now. I am looking for a Chromebook that is not too expensive, but at the same time performs well enough for my needs.

Thanks in advance.

 

[B. Diddy]

I'd say the Acer C720 is still the best value. The latest model with the i3 processor will give you the best performance, but the original C720 with the Haswell Celeron 2955U processor (which is what I have) is totally fine. The 11.6" size is highly portable. I don't think the touchscreen is worth paying extra for--I personally find it awkward to go from keyboard to screen to keyboard. The screen is pretty mediocre, and the build certainly doesn't feel premium, but it's pretty solid, and it's hard to beat for around $200. Besides, you can always get a cool skin (I just got a burlwood skin from Decalgirl.com--it's totally sweet).

If you want a bigger screen, the HP Chromebook 14 (which I also have) is a good value, and can be found for a little over $200 refurbished from various sellers. It has the same decent Haswell processor. If you find one with the T-Mobile 4G data, then you have the added safety net of 200 MB/month of free T-Mobile 4G data (regardless of what wireless provider you already use). The Toshiba Chromebook 2, with a 13" screen, also sounds very promising, and hopefully has better build than their first one.

 

[neonworm]

I'd say the Acer C720 is still the best value. The latest model with the i3 processor will give you the best performance, but the original C720 with the Haswell Celeron 2955U processor (which is what I have) is totally fine. The 11.6" size is highly portable. I don't think the touchscreen is worth paying extra for--I personally find it awkward to go from keyboard to screen to keyboard. The screen is pretty mediocre, and the build certainly doesn't feel premium, but it's pretty solid, and it's hard to beat for around $200. Besides, you can always get a cool skin (I just got a burlwood skin from Decalgirl.com--it's totally sweet).

If you want a bigger screen, the HP Chromebook 14 (which I also have) is a good value, and can be found for a little over $200 refurbished from various sellers. It has the same decent Haswell processor. If you find one with the T-Mobile 4G data, then you have the added safety net of 200 MB/month of free T-Mobile 4G data (regardless of what wireless provider you already use). The Toshiba Chromebook 2, with a 13" screen, also sounds very promising, and hopefully has better build than their first one.

Thank you! That helps a lot. One more question, is the Chromebook Pixel worth the price? It is expensive and I don't know if I can justify the purchase.

 

[B. Diddy]

I would say no. It's a great machine, but still not worth the $600-800 it now goes for used. Ara Wagoner, who recently started writing for AC, has a nice G+ post about her experience here: https://plus.google.com/104708157352618325985/posts/WpVrmLhpJY1

 

[CHIP72]

I'd also recommend the Acer 720 if you are new to chromebooks, and concur the Pixel's cost doesn't justify its value right now (though a Pixel 2 might...).

 

[Algus]

The screen on the Pixel has to be seen to be believed but it is absolutely a luxury device. It has some of the best components in a chromebook. Even with the old Ivy Bridge chipset, it's still packing a really good i5 CPU. That said, Chrome OS's system requirements are so minor that you don't really need all that horsepower for it to run well. Really, unless you are doing some Linux voodoo you are wasting your money (unless you just want a premium device - which the Pixel definitely is)

The $200 Acer C720 really remains one of the best devices on the market, even though it's also one of the cheapest. It has enough horsepower to run everything buttery smooth while boasting excellent battery life (a HUGE downfall of the Pixel). Unless you want a larger device or things like mobile broadband, there really is little reason to consider another device. The C720 is a fabulous device for the price.

BTW for your stated uses, if Google Drive is already your daily driver for office/school work then a chromebook is an EXCELLENT option. You'll get better battery life, amazing protection from viruses/malware, and very speedy performance for less than you'd pay for a Windows laptop.