The World’s Cheapest Google Chromebook: Is It Worth The Money?

The next time you’re shopping for a new computer, chances are that the right device for you is actually a Chromebook. Basically, if you’re doing something in a web browser anyway and you need a great, inexpensive way to send email, Word documents, Pandora, and Netflix; a Chromebook has everything you need. If you’re more of a gamer or graphic designer, this type of laptop may not be for you, but other than that, it’s a bargain for anyone looking for a cheap computer. Almost every PC maker is making Chromebooks now, and the cheapest you can find on the market right now is the Hisense Chromebook, starting at $ 149.

This laptop will surprise you quite a bit at how it performs compared to the price. It has a quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of hard drive space, which is almost as powerful or sometimes even more powerful than some flagship smartphones. The laptop is mostly made of plastic, however the armrest and touchpad are made of aluminum. It is very thin and light at the same time, with a total weight of about 2.3 pounds. The cheapest Google Chromebook, though, is a fingerprint magnet – you can start seeing smudges just by touching it. The speakers are located on the back of the computer and they sound pretty decent. To prevent the laptop from slipping while you type, there are also 4 rubber pads. The Hisense Chromebook has an 11.6-inch LED screen, with the default resolution of 1366 * 768. Although you can increase it to 1536 * 864, scaling will make the font blurry and distorted, so stay at the default setting. At the top you can find the 720p front camera and microphone. On the left side there is a charging port, an HDMI and a USB 2.0, and on the other side is the headphone / microphone port, another USB 2.0 and a micro SD card reader. Hisense also promises up to 8.5 hours of battery life, something not many laptops can have, especially cheap ones like this one.

Now, as it is a Chromebook, it will depend 90% on the Internet connection. Chromebooks are primarily used for browsing the Internet, writing Word documents, and playing light games. The Hisense has the latest version of Chrome OS and you will start to see more and more applications that can be run offline, which is very useful. Watching normal videos on this laptop is pretty smooth, there is no stuttering or lag at all, but be sure to look directly at the center of the screen because the viewing angles are not that great – the more you manipulate or rotate the laptop, the more distortion will have. ‘I will see. Now if you try to watch 4k video you will run into trouble – there is simply not enough processing power to stream 4k video and that is why the laptop lags and wobbles a lot. With the basic games available through the Web Store, it works quite well without any lag. As the game’s graphics get more intense, you’ll start to see serious lag and stuttering. The cheapest Google Chromebook also features a compact QWERTY layout. The keys are responsive quite well, but it will feel a bit “cheap” when typing. After all, you can’t expect much more at that price.

In conclusion, at $ 150 this Chromebook is a good deal. If all you need is a laptop to write documents and go to the web, this is really the best option you have, especially if you are on a budget. Being thin and light, fast, durable and with a very long battery life, this Chromebook is also perfect for students, as you can do practically any school work on it, as long as there is an internet connection. Otherwise, it is not a good choice for gamers, programmers or graphic designers who need computers with powerful integrated graphics and processors.