Asus Chromebook CM14 Review: An Uber-Cheap Laptop Leave a comment

The excellent news is that the keyboard and trackpad are fairly good right here. The Chromebook CM14 gives a snug typing expertise, and the trackpad is spacious, although the fabric Asus makes use of has a bit of extra drag than I’d like. They’re backed up by a stable base to the laptop computer with none flex throughout regular use.

You get a full 1,920 x 1,080-pixel decision on the 14-inch display, although Asus has show scaling set out of the field so it seems to be extra like a 1,536 x 864-pixel display. You may alter the scaling again right down to native decision and it seems to be suitably crisp. Nevertheless, I can’t say the identical in regards to the washed-out colours, dim max brightness, and poor viewing angles of the TN show.

If there’s one superpower the MediaTek platform brings to the CM14, it’s effectivity. I used to be impressed with the battery life I might eke out of this laptop computer, clocking in round 10 to 11 hours of combined use all through a traditional workday. Asus claims you’ll be able to stand up to fifteen hours of battery life, so that you might be able to squeeze out much more relying on how you employ it.

The webcam isn’t something particular, providing you with a 720p shooter that appears OK on video calls. You get a bodily swap to dam it for additional privateness, which is a pleasant contact. Ports are additionally comparatively good for the value. There are two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, a 3.5-mm headphone jack, and one microSD card slot. The microSD slot is useful in order for you additional storage, because the 64 GB of built-in storage is certain to change into restrictive.

Hunt for Gross sales

So do you have to purchase the Asus Chromebook CM14? Possibly. Whenever you dip into the price range vary, there are all the time trade-offs, and so they’re evident within the poor show and efficiency struggles. Nevertheless, brilliant spots like nice battery life, a stable construct, and a superb keyboard make the CM14 a Chromebook value contemplating if you may get by with essentially the most fundamental of fundamentals.

What makes this a tricky choice is the aggressive pricing I’ve seen on extra succesful Chromebook Plus laptops, which begin at $399 however are often on sale for a lot much less. On the Chromebook CM14’s full $299 value, it’s value contemplating whether or not you’ll be able to choose up a extra highly effective possibility, just like the Acer Chromebook Plus 514, by spending a bit of additional when it’s on sale. That mentioned, I’ve seen the CM14 dip to $180 when it’s on sale, and it’s completely a terrific purchase at that value.