TechRadar released their list of the best Chromebooks of 2015. This list is from the perspective of an individual consumer. Expectations of Chromebooks change when thinking about using them in the educational environment. I have adjusted TechRadar’s top 5 by to be viewed through the educational lens:
#1 – Dell Chromebook 11
CPU: 2.6GHz dual-core Intel Celeron Bay Trail-M N2840 | Graphics: Intel HD for Intel Celeron processors | RAM: 4GB RAM (DDR3L, 1,600Mhz) | Screen: 11.6-inch HD, 1366 x 768 touchscreen |Storage: 16GB SSD | Optical drive: none |Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0; 802.11ac (B/G/N), dual-band Wi-Fi | Camera: 720p webcam | Weight: 2.91 pounds Dimensions: 12.6 x 8.4 x 0.76 inches
Current Price: $215
The Dell Chromebook 11 was specifically built with the educational market in mind and it shows. The price point, rugged design, and hardware specs make this the go to laptop for education in 2015. Some reviews have knocked this Chromebook for have a small keyboard, but this is less of a drawback when thinking about elementary and middle school age children. Be aware that not all models are touchscreen.
3 Way Tie between:
This second tier all have a mix of positives and negatives. They are definitely worth your consideration as they mix good price points with differing features, but in each case they slip behind the Dell.
Acer Chromebook 15 C910
CPU: 2.2GHz Intel Core i5-5200 dual-core processor | Graphics: Intel HD 5500 Graphics with shared memory | RAM: 4 GB, DDR3L SDRAM | Screen: 15.6-inch full HD (1,920 x 1,080) | Storage: 32GB SSD | Optical drive: none | Connectivity:802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi | Camera: 720p HD webcam |Weight: 4.85 poundsDimensions: 1.0 x 15.1 x 10.1 inches (H x W x D)
Current Price: $305
Asus Chromebook Flip
CPU: 1.8GHz Rockchip 3288-C (quad-core, 1MB cache) | Graphics: ARM Mali T624 | RAM: 2GB LPDDR3 SDRAM | Screen: 10.1-inch, WXGA (1,280 x 800) IPS multi-touch display | Storage: 16GB eMMC | Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 | Camera: 720p HD webcam | Weight: 1.96 pounds |Dimensions: 10.6 x 7.2 x 0.60 inches (W x D x H)
Current Price: $239
Lenovo N20p Chromebook
CPU: 1.83 GHZ Intel Celeron Processor N2930 | Graphics: Integrated Intel HD Graphics | RAM: 2GB PC3-10600 DDR3L 1333 MHz | Screen: 11.6″ HD (1366 x 768) dsplay with 10-point multitouch | Storage: 16GB eMMC storage | Optical drive: none | Connectivity: Bluetooth® 4.0, 802.11 a/c WiFi | Camera: 720p webcam | Weight: 2.86 lbs Dimensions: 11.6″ x 8.34″ x 0.70″
Current Price: $275
#5 – Google Chromebook Pixel 2015
CPU: 2.2GHz Intel Core i5-5200U (dual-core, 3MB cache, up to 2.7GHz with turbo boost) | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5500 | RAM: 8GB DDR3 | Screen: 12.85-inch 2,560 x 1,700 IPS touchscreen display | Storage: 32GB SSD | Optical drive:none | Connectivity: Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260; Bluetooth 4.0 LE |Camera: 720p HD wide angle camera with blue glass | Weight: 3.3 poundsDimensions: 11.7 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches (W x D x H)
Current Price: $1144
At a current price of $1144 this is the most expensive option on the list. While this is best laptop from a pure power perspective, when looking to scale to a classroom set or district 1:1 this is not a realistic laptop for most districts.
We have said this before, but remember if you are looking to rollout Chromebooks in your district you should always get the “white glove” service. This service means you provide the vendor your network information and your Chromebooks are ready to deploy the moment they arrive at your district.
Are you using any of these Chromebooks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. If you are interested in TechRadar’s review grab it here.