Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsI use it as my daily driver
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2019
I have had this chromebook for three weeks now, and I have used it on a constant daily basis of about 8-10 hours per day. I am impressed by the build quality and usability. I haven't had a chromebook for a long time. I had an original Samsung Chromebook for a couple years, and back then Chrome OS was still edgy enough to not always be able to fill my needs as a student and teacher, but it was enough to get by until I got home to my desktop. Since getting this Asus c434, however, my desktop has been collecting dust. I work two teaching jobs and attend school, so I am constantly on the computer planning lessons, reading, typing documents, doing research, or just streaming Netflix or Hulu at home.
Screen: I love that it is compact and light, but still packs a 14" touchscreen. I use the multi-position screen either when I'm using it like a tablet, or I'll fold the screen back and use my own bluetooth keyboard and mouse. The hinge is tight and holds the screen in any position very nicely. The colors are good, and movies are clear and crisp. The touch panel works smoothly, and I find myself using my fingers almost as often as my mouse. Also, I often plug in an additional screen while I'm teaching or working, and I haven't had any issues with that at all. It just does everything automatically, and the processor doesn't get bogged down at all.
Keyboard: I read dozens of reviews before purchasing this one, and the top negative comment was about the keyboard backlight making it difficult to see the letters sometimes. This is true, but the easy fix is to simply turn down the backlight when there is a lot of ambient light. Otherwise the typing is smooth. I don't love chiclet keyboards in general, but this one is not bad, even when I've typed a few pages on it.
Battery: I have gone a full ten hours on this thing while just using browser tabs and typing or viewing. However, there are certain apps, like one game I enjoy playing, that drain the battery more. Even if I play that for an hour or two, I can still get 6 or 7 hours of use without a problem. Usually I just charge it once at night and then carry it with me throughout the day without needing a recharge.
OS: Chrome is smooth and fast, and if like me you mostly use web-based applications like Google office, Office 365, Canvas, Blackboard, etc., then this is perfect. I also love that now Chrome can run a lot of Android apps. I run a lot of the same apps that my Google Pixel phone can run, including some games. In addition, it can now run Linux at the same time as Chrome with the simple click of a button in the settings. I installed a couple of Linux apps just to test it out, and it's pretty cool, like GIMP or LibreOffice. My only gripe with the Linux is that I can't copy and paste between the Linux apps and the Chrome/Android apps. The Intel CoreM processor seems to handle everything like a champ, whether it's having open 20 tabs with 2 screens, or playing an intense Android game. Oh, and I haven't had any issues with the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth so far.
Downsides: Overall, this computer fits my needs almost perfectly. Perhaps the only glaring con I will mention is the speakers. They're really not very loud. Even at full blast it can be difficult to hear in a room with a moderate noise level. Luckily I don't need this feature very often.
TL;DR: I highly recommend this Chromebook to power users of Chrome. It's features and build quality are well worth the higher price.
