A while back, I sold my Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet due to getting one of the new Samsung phones with VR. I figured with VR available with my phone for watching movies and whatnot why bother having a tablet anymore? Eventually though the setup with VR became an annoying thing to go through when I just wanted to watch a 20 minute show and the phone by itself just didn't feel adequate. So, I started looking for another tablet. I wanted something with 2 in 1 capability though. Laptop when I needed it, tablet for most of the time. I couldn't really find anything that fit the bill for me. Pure tablets with bluetooth or attachable keyboards were either too expensive for what I felt you got or too cheap and not enough oomph performance wise.
Chromebooks seemed like an interesting thing, especially when I found out Google Play was coming. I tried an Acer Chromebook 14 ($299) and it was alright, but no touchscreen was too much of a dealbreaker for me and the performance wasn't great. Ended up sending it back. Then I tried the newer Acer Chromebook 13.3 ($399) with the touchscreen and Google Play on beta. The touchscreen however just had too many issues with not registering consistently in tablet mode, it was a bit too bulky and again performance was so-so. I ended up sending that one back too. Both of the Chromebooks I tried also had multiple dead pixel issues. I kind of gave up on finding what I wanted for a bit and figured I'd just wait for something better to come along.
Well it didn't take long! Once I saw that this and the Samsung Chromebook Pro line were coming I started researching again. Eventually decided I'd give this ASUS a shot (but expected I'd probably end up going with the Samsung, their products have personally never disappointed me). I didn't make it that far. I've been using this laptop for about 3 weeks now and it has been fantastic. The trackpad and backlit keyboard are great. I have owned many laptops over the years and I can't say I've ever had a better experience on either front. Chrome's trackpad shortcuts are a big reason why. Normally I just connect a mouse and forget about trackpads, but I feel no need to do that with this laptop. The backlight on the keyboard is battery friendly with several variable lighting options (use the Alt + Screen Brighten/Dim key to adjust).
The full HD display is perfect for me. At the end of the day I'll take better battery life over a slightly sharper screen. This is especially true with Chromebooks as from what I understand Chrome OS and higher def screens don't really play well together. Honestly even at 1080p when using this in tablet mode I sometimes have to tap a couple times while navigating because the targets are so small. It would be great if they could add the magnifying feature from Android (where you click on something and if it isn't sure what you meant it will enlarge the area so you can more easily tap what you want). Colors, viewing angles, etc.. no complaints here. Battery life is as expected. Maybe not quite as good as advertised but it rarely is. It isn't far off.
Connectivity is solid. Two USB-C ports futureproofs the device a good bit. USB-C is the next standard and soon pretty much all of your accessories will be using it, and I personally hate and always lose dongles. You've also got micro SD for extra storage.
Performance is buttery. Seamless transition from laptop to tablet mode, ~21k Octane score. Far and away better than the other 2 Chromebooks I test drove. No doubt the Intel Core M processor is a huge help here.
The bulk is admittedly still a little much for a pure tablet user but I mean it's hard to expect this area to be perfect when you're going from strictly tablet to a 2 in 1. Having the keyboard and trackpad in the back is still a very strange feeling but not something I can't get used to.
Besides, the build quality makes the bulk WORTH IT! This thing is gorgeous. Solid metal and the hinges feel extremely sturdy. It's very sleek and could easily be mistaken for a high end laptop if not for the Chrome badging. The somewhat odd 12.5 inch size is spot on for me. Just large enough that when you're using as a laptop you don't feel cramped or limited but just small enough that using it as a tablet doesn't feel totally ridiculous.
About the only con I can think of is the price. At 500 bucks you're pushing into a price range where many solid traditional laptop options are available. It wasn't a huge deal for me. I spent about the same amount on my last tablet and as far as I was concerned that's what I was purchasing a replacement for.
With the addition of Android apps on Chrome, the Chrome OS provides the perfect level of functionality now in my opinion for all but power users. It loads lightning fast (~7 seconds cold boot, instant wake up), shuts down practically immediately and is extremely user friendly. No worrying about updates, drivers or Antivirus. It just works. And, if you're feeling a little adventurous, it isn't hard to install Linux on a Chromebook for an actual full fledged laptop experience. This device in particular is a great candidate for that since it packs more hardware capability with the Intel Core M than most other Chromebooks out there. You also get double the storage of most Chromebooks (64 gb vs 32).
Overall through 3 weeks I can't say enough good things about this Chromebook. I really feel ASUS has hit a home run here and hopefully I won't run into any unforeseen issues now that I've touted its amazing-ness. Give it a try!
| Standing screen display size | 12.5 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 Pixels |
| Processor | 2.2 GHz core_m |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR3 |
| Memory Speed | 2400 MHz |
| Hard Drive | 64 GB Embedded MultiMediaCard |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel HD Graphics 515 |
| Chipset Brand | Intel |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Graphics Card Ram Size | 4 GB |
| Wireless Type | 802.11ac |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 2 |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 10 Hours |
