A cheap laptop with a stonking 11-hour battery life.
At first glance, the Asus Chromebook C200 may not seem very different from the manufacturer’s other budget laptops, except that it runs Chrome OS not Windows 8. But what really sets this apart is its quality. Basically, Asus has made the best Chromebook yet by getting a few key design choices right.
Keyboard design is often overlooked in favour of more eye-catching features, but not here. The C200’s keyboard is one of the best we’ve used. Ihe large keys have plenty of travel and feedback, so typing is fast, accurate and comfortable. The touchpad is also first rate - large, precise and smooth. Although Chrome OS still doesn’t support the otherwise ubiquitous pinch-to-zoom gesture, other basic gestures are recognised, such as swiping two fingers up or dowrn to scroll, and swiping two fingers sideways to go backwards or forwards through pages in the Chrome web browser.
We’ve been generally unimpressed by the performance of the Intel Celeron N2830 dual-core processor in Windows laptops, but it runs the less demanding Chrome OS without problems. We’ve seen Chromebooks with faster processors running power-hungry apps (such as games with 3D graphics) more smoothly, but for most tasks it’s quick enough. Starting up and waking from sleep are almost instantaneous due to the 16GB SSD.
The N2830 is an energy-efficient processor, which helped the C200’s battery last just over 11 hours when using less taxing apps, such as Google Drive and Spotify. This is one of the longest battery lifetimes we’ve seen in a Chromebook, and at 1.2kg, the C200 is perfectly suited for use on the move.
Inevitably, compromises have been made to keep the price this low'. While bright, the 11.6in screen’s colour accuracy is poor, and cramming 1366x768 pixels into this relatively small screen means text can be too small to read without straining the eyes. The plastic casing is also far creakier than we’d like.
Chrome OS is little more than the Chrome web browser with all your apps running inside the brow'ser itself, while all your files are stored on Google Drive by default. This won’t suit everyone, especially if you use specialist Windows programs with no Chrome OS equivalents, or if you have sensitive files you’d rather not store online. Chrome OS does have its benefits though - it requires very little maintenance and most apps are either free or very cheap.
The Asus Chromebook C200 isn’t without its flaws, but we’re more than willing to put up with them given this laptop’s low' price, excellent battery life and great keyboard. It’s the best Chrome OS laptop we’ve seen yet.
SPECIFICATIONS: 2.13GHz Intel Celeron N2830 dual-core processor • 2GB memory • 16GB SSD • Intel Integrated graphics • 11.6in 1366x768-pixel screen • 802.11ac/a/b/g/n • ChromeOS • 1.2kg (1.3kg with charger) • 20x304x200mm (HxWxD) • One-year warranty
VERDICT: A great Chromebook in almost every way - superb value.