Older Chromebook in 2019
Back in 2013 I was reading about Chrome OS. It was very intriguing to me that you could fulfill basic computing needs for an affordable price.
In August 2014, I snagged this refurbished Acer C720 for $130 on Groupon:
https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-acer-116-chromebook-with-14ghz-dual-core-processor
In 2019, I can tell the battery is aging, but it performs like it did when it first arrived. That's probably not the experience you have with other tech you bought in 2013-2014, especially if it had a spinning hard drive.
If you are shopping for a Chromebook, this chart can be helpful to see what kind of relative performance you can expect - Zipso Chromebook Comparison Table. Google Octane 2 is how you can benchmark your existing computer/tablet versus what you can get in a Chromebook. I also enjoy watching Chrome Unboxed's videos on YouTube and reading their reviews.
If you're picking up a Chromebook, I recommend getting an Intel processor and at least 4 GB of RAM. 2 GB is really only good for 3 or 4 tabs at a time. That'd be one thing I would love to be able to upgrade on my Acer C720, but the memory is soldered on to the motherboard. The installed storage isn't as important as the processor and RAM, because most of what you need is on Google Drive or elsewhere in the cloud. My C720 has 16 GB of internal storage, but that can be upgraded pretty easily.
Smart phones are great for most tasks, but I've always found that I need a laptop around when I want to type something up or work on a spreadsheet. This little 11.6" device is so lightweight and great to throw in a bag when I need to head to a local coffee shop. I've even been leaving my work computer at work on weekends and just fire this Chromebook up when I need to get something done. When I've wanted to do any photo or video editing, my iPhone can handle those tasks on an app optimized for that.
Now this is what it looks like:
In August 2014, I snagged this refurbished Acer C720 for $130 on Groupon:
https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-acer-116-chromebook-with-14ghz-dual-core-processor
In 2019, I can tell the battery is aging, but it performs like it did when it first arrived. That's probably not the experience you have with other tech you bought in 2013-2014, especially if it had a spinning hard drive.
If you are shopping for a Chromebook, this chart can be helpful to see what kind of relative performance you can expect - Zipso Chromebook Comparison Table. Google Octane 2 is how you can benchmark your existing computer/tablet versus what you can get in a Chromebook. I also enjoy watching Chrome Unboxed's videos on YouTube and reading their reviews.
If you're picking up a Chromebook, I recommend getting an Intel processor and at least 4 GB of RAM. 2 GB is really only good for 3 or 4 tabs at a time. That'd be one thing I would love to be able to upgrade on my Acer C720, but the memory is soldered on to the motherboard. The installed storage isn't as important as the processor and RAM, because most of what you need is on Google Drive or elsewhere in the cloud. My C720 has 16 GB of internal storage, but that can be upgraded pretty easily.
Smart phones are great for most tasks, but I've always found that I need a laptop around when I want to type something up or work on a spreadsheet. This little 11.6" device is so lightweight and great to throw in a bag when I need to head to a local coffee shop. I've even been leaving my work computer at work on weekends and just fire this Chromebook up when I need to get something done. When I've wanted to do any photo or video editing, my iPhone can handle those tasks on an app optimized for that.
Now this is what it looks like:
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