I Need a Cheap, Reliable Chromebook for My Kid! What Gadget Should I Buy?

In this version of “What Gadget Should You Buy?” we suggest the perfect finances Chromebook for a faculty child.

I’ve tapped our pretty readers in previous articles for this sequence, however at the moment I’ve the pleasure of serving to a colleague. Gizmodo senior reporter Andrew Liszewski is searching for a laptop computer for his six-year-old son who will primarily use it for homeschooling.

As this technique is supposed for a Ok-12 scholar, it gained’t must run demanding duties; actually, Andrew tells me the laptop computer will likely be perpetually working Google Meet and in any other case importing paperwork. Besides sufficient efficiency to energy easy duties, the laptop computer wants at the very least a 13-inch show, a sturdy chassis that may stand up to a number of knocks, and ideally a convertible type issue (or at the very least a touchscreen). Andrew, who’s changing an outdated MacBook that stopped charging, want to spend not more than $400.

Given their ease of use and decrease price of entry, my intuition is to suggest a Chromebook, a laptop computer that runs on Google’s light-weight, cloud-centric Chrome OS. Decent finances Windows machines exist, however in order for you an affordable laptop computer that’s easy to make use of and performs reliably over time, Chromebooks are usually the perfect place to start out.

With that mentioned, the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 is a powerful choice. At $350 to $400, the Spin 513 sneaks into Andrew’s finances and checks all the correct packing containers. It flaunts a contemporary design and has a crisp 13.3-inch, 1080p show, a convertible chassis, and lengthy battery life. The display is moderately dim and this isn’t the quickest machine because of its Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c, however it’ll get the job executed as long as Andrew’s child doesn’t sprout goals of changing into a well-known YouTuber.

If Andrew can discover one in his finances, the Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook is the same choice with quick efficiency, a good-looking design, and a webcam Monica Chin at The Verge calls “surprisingly usable.” It might be bought on Amazon for $400 however I can’t assure our resident Canadian will discover one for a similar value.

These are, admittedly, on the sting of Andrew’s finances and possibly extra premium than they have to be. If we’re wanting on the least expensive Chromebooks that’ll get the job executed, Acer’s Chromebook 315 Touch prices solely $229 and packs a big 15.6-inch, 1080p touchscreen show, and a good Intel Celeron N4000 processor; HP’s Chromebook x360 14 has good efficiency and a glossy design (although part of me dies suggesting a laptop computer with a 1366 x 768-pixel show); and the Asus Chromebook C424 prices solely $250 and has a 14-inch, 1080p show, however lacks contact assist.

Andrew advised me he’d desire a convertible over a removable but when the latter isn’t utterly out of the query then Lenovo’s Duet 5 Chromebook needs to be a contender. It has an OLED show, a sexy design, and the included keyboard is surprisingly usable. Is it overkill? No doubt. But sadly, the cheaper model of Lenovo’s hybrid pill is just too small, as is the direct Asus rival, the Chromebook Detachable CM3.

Put down your pitchforks Windows customers, I gained’t exclude finances PC choices solely. Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go has a small 12.3-inch show and few ports, however the construct high quality is great and you may get one on sale with a tenth Gen Intel Core i5 for simply $399. Asus’s Vivobook 15 is even cheaper and comes with surprisingly succesful elements, however once more, no touchscreen.

If I needed to suggest just one gadget to Andrew, it’d be the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 (or this on-sale Spin 514) for its glossy, versatile design and lengthy battery life.

Would you suggest one thing else? Let us know within the feedback! And in case you need assistance deciding on which gadget to purchase, then fill out our easy questionnaire.