You actually get pretty decent build quality for the price.
by Andrew Cunningham
by Andrew Cunningham
Google's Caesar Sengupta introduces HP's Chromebook 11.
Andrew Cunningham
Until now, Chromebook buyers have had to make a choice. You could get either a cheap laptop with cheap components or the premium-but-ridiculously-expensive Chromebook Pixel. When Google says that HP's new $279 Chromebook 11 is "inspired" by the Pixel, it's not about components—the Chromebook 11 lacks the high-resolution touchscreen, the high-end Ivy Bridge CPU, and the solid aluminum construction—the Pixel's banner features. Rather, it's about making a laptop that makes enthusiasts happy without the Pixel's sticker shock.
That begins with the screen. It's an 11.6-inch 1366×768 non-touch affair (that's a non-remarkable resolution, though in a laptop this size it's more reasonable than it is in a 13-inch-or-larger system), but the most significant thing about it is that it's an IPS panel instead of the low-quality TN panel that has come with every cheap Chromebook to date. Nothing tanks an otherwise good laptop like a bad display, and the low contrast ratio and shallow viewing angles of the screens in the Samsung Chromebook or Acer's C7 Chromebook made those computers more difficult to recommend despite their low prices.
The panel in the Chromebook 11, on the other hand, is glossy with nice colors and deep blacks—not AMOLED deep, but great for the money. If you've ever wondered to yourself why a $199 tablet can offer a higher-quality display than a $600 laptop, the Chromebook 11 was made specifically for you.
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