The best way to save cash on a portable is by going Chrome, and a few Black Friday deals are still good on well-reviewed Chromebooks at discounts of up to 50%
If you’re looking to pick up a laptop, look beyond Apple and Windows laptops to the Chromebook world. What was once a niche for ultra-cheap laptops for students has expanded radically as Chrome OS gets more powerful and versatile with every release, and modern Chromebooks are faster and more capable than ever while still being way cheaper than the competition. Black Friday saw some super-deep discounts, and a few of them are still valid until they sell out. Act fast if any of these solid portables snag your interest, because they’ll be gone soon.
The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 took home our Editors’ Choice award as «the best Chromebook for most people», with reviewer Brian Westover saying the unit «proves that budget-friendly Chromebooks have more to offer than ever before, with more performance and even better features.» At just under $400, you get a surprisingly peppy machine that excels in cloud-based tasks. Components include an Intel Core i3-1215U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of internal UFS storage; that’s all significantly better than most other ChromeOS machines on the market. Throw in a bright, clear FHD display and MIL-SPEC-certified design and you’ve got a real winner.
Lenovo’s The IdeaPad 3i—another ultra-budget portable—is still seeing a great price post-Black Friday. It’s a perfect choice for students, as its quality Lenovo construction can withstand extended use while still coming in at a little over a hundred bucks. It also has excellent battery life, with over 13 hours at normal usage. The display is bright and the 1080p webcam is better than you typically get in this price range. Inside the computer you’ll find an Intel Celeron processor coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB eMMC storage, which is pretty typical for a cost-efficient model like this one. Compare it with our best Chromebooks if you’re unsure of which model is right for you.
This is an absolutely spectacular portable that’ll make you forget you’re using a Chromebook. In our review of the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714, expert Matthew Elliot proclaimed that it «remains our absolute top Chromebook pick», praising its durable all-metal chassis, included stylus, and surprisingly peppy performance. The screen is killer, with a 16:10 14-inch WUXGA display that features 100% sRGB coverage.
