Best Chromebook for 2021: Which one should you buy?
CloudJack Wallen offers up what he believes are the best of the best Chromebooks to purchase.
Chromebooks have been adopted by families and businesses alike as a next-gen laptop built for simplicity, reliability and security. With these elegant mobile solutions, you can get serious work done without the bloat found with normal laptops. And the level of security found in ChromeOS, these devices cannot be beaten for large-scale deployments in areas where security is a must.
But when you start shopping for the right chromebook to fit your business needs, you might find yourself at a loss as to which one is right for you. Fear not, we’ve stripped the list down to what we believe are the five best Chromebooks for the end of 2021 and well into 2022. With that said, let’s get on with the list.
The Acer Spin 713 Chromebook.
Image: Acer
If you are looking for a Chromebook with power to spare for your enterprise business needs, the Acer Chromebook Enterprise Spin 713 might be just what you’re looking for. Not only does this device easily convert between laptop and tablet mode, it can also be configured with up to an 11th gen Intel i7 CPU and up to 16GB of memory. The 13.5″ touchscreen display is powered by Intel Iris Xe Graphics shared memory, running at a 2256 x 1504 3:2 resolution. Extra features like a backlit keyboard, duel USB-C ports, HDMI port, glass touchpad and certified MIL-STD 810H4 military-grade chassis, makes the Spin 713 an ideal option for busy, on-the-go users. Price starts at $699 and goes to $1,199.
The Acer Chromebook Enterprise Spin 514
Image: Acer
If you’re looking for a powerhouse chromebook with extra screen real estate, the Acer Chromebook Enterprise 514 is a great option. This 14-inch display offers a full HD IPS four-way slim bevel touchscreen that provides an 84% screen-to-body ratio. With sound to match, this could be your video conferencing machine for on-the-go meetings. The Gorilla Glass touchscreen and glass trackpad are silky smooth, and the keyboard is well-spaced to ensure accurate and speedy typing. The base model comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 3500C processor Quad-core 2.10 GHz and AMD Radeon Vega 8 shared memory, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD drive, while the top-of-the-line model is packed with an AMD Ryzen 7 3700C processor Quad-core 2.30GHz, AMD Radeon Graphics shared memory, 16GB, DDR4 SDRAM, and a 256GB SSD drive. As far as battery life, Acer claims roughly 10 hours of life for all models. The Spin 514 starts at $649 and goes up to $899.
The Google Pixelbook Go
Image: Google
The Google Pixelbook Go has one of the best laptop keyboards on the market. So, if you spend a lot of time pounding keys (be it as a developer or business copywriter), you’ll want to seriously consider this Chromebook to fill your needs. It also offers a lightweight chassis (2 pounds at 13mm thick), a staggering 12-hour battery life, and plenty of power to get you through the task at hand. And, of course, seeing as how this Chromebook is made by Google, it enjoys seamless integration with Google Assistant. The base model Pixelbook Go sells for $649 and is specced with an Intel Core m3 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 64GB of SSD storage. The top-of-the-line Pixelbook Go sells for $1,399 and comes with an Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 64GB of SSD storage.
Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook.
Image: Lenovo
ThinkPads aren’t just for Linux and Windows. The C13 Yoga is all about ChromeOS and offers plenty of features to attract enterprise businesses, such as cloud-based managed and business enterprise applications, the ThinkShield security suite, military-grade aluminum chassis that easily converts between laptop and tablet form factors, all-day battery life and plenty of speed. The base model sells for $819 and ships with an AMD Ryzen 3 3250C CPU (2.60GHz up to 3.50GHz Max Boost with two cores, four threads, and a 4MB cache), integrated AMD Radeon graphics, 4GB DDR4 2400MHz RAM, 128GB SSD storage, a 13.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS anti-glare touchscreen, and a Lenovo USI pen. The top-of-the-line model sells for $1,129 and includes an AMD Athlon Gold 3150C CPU (2.40GHz, up to 3.30GHz Max Boost, two cores, four threads, and a 4MB cache), integrated AMD Radeon Graphics, 4GB DDR4 2400MHz RAM, 32GB eMMC storage, a 13.3″ FHD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS anti-glare touchscreen.
The HP Pro C640 G2 Chromebook Enterprise
Image: HP
The HP Pro C640 Enterprise C640 G2 Chromebook Enterprise edition is all class. From the refined aluminum chassis, a wipeable keyboard, the 140-inch HD or FHD touchscreen, dual mics and powerful Intel Iris Xe graphics, you’ll shine no matter where you work or what work you are doing. And when you purchase this HP chromebook, you also get the Chrome Enterprise Upgrade, which includes 300+ policies and Active Directory integration, as well as VDI and enterprise mobility management support. The C640 G2 doesn’t skimp on ports, with a micro SD card reader, 3.5mm audio/mic jack, USB-C, USB-A, and an HDMI port, you can connect just about anything you need. You’ll also receive a free trial of Parallels Desktop for HP Chrome Enterprise, which makes it possible for you to run Windows productivity apps in ChromeOS. The base model starts at $844 and includes an Intel Pentium 6405U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage. The top-of-the-line model includes an Intel i7 10610U CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD drive, a backlit keyboard and a fingerprint sensor. All models ship with a three-cell, 60WHr long-life battery.