Reddit reviews ASUS Chromebook C200MA-DS01 11.6-Inch Laptop

I think I have something for you.

HP Stream 11: a 11.6 inch Windows laptop for $199 with a small SSD and 2 GB of RAM. Comes with Office 365 out of the box and has a battery life of around 6 to 8 hours. And you can choose between different colour (including blue or pink). It's not released yet, so you will have to wait a little bit.

Otherwise I would suggest a Chromebook. Either the Acer C720 or the Asus C200MA. It comes with ChromeOS, which means that you can't use MS Office. You will have to write your stuff in Google Docs (or install another Linux distribution on it and use LibreOffice).

This is very kind of you regardless of any of the suggestions that get posted here.

In all honesty? A smaller/lighter laptop (like your chromebook idea) would be more practical. I cannot imagine her wanting to use it anything more than to browse online and share or see photos. Something like this ASUS chromebook would be really nice since it has nearly ~10 hours of battery, as close to a macbook air without being one for about 1/4 of the price, 13" scren, and some pretty cool features. Big issue is that you are getting a lot less power for more money compared to the refurbished HP. The HDD size drop alone makes me kinda hesitant to suggest it.

However when it is all said and done, the chromebook will suit her needs a bit better IMHO.

The Samsung and Asus Chromebooks are equal in terms of build quality and they both have the same Intel Celeron processor. But the Asus is the better deal out of the two. The Asus C200 with 2GB RAM retails for $199. The Samsung Chromebook 2 with 2GB RAM retails for $249. The 4GB RAM version of the Asus C200 costs $249, so you get double the RAM at the same cost of the Samsung Chromebook 2. Asus also has the benefit of an 11-hour battery, while Samsung's battery is said to last around 9 hours.

However, right now Amazon has the Asus C200 4GB RAM version for $259, instead of the usual $249 for some reason. If you can't go over your $250 budget, and you can't find the Asus C200 with 4GB RAM, save $50 and buy the Asus C200 with 2GB RAM.

The cost of your mobile Internet data for one year (you will need bandwidth to use a remote machine anyway) could very well be over the cost of a $200 cheap Chromebook (11" if you really want a small one) on which you can install Linux and have a decent programming environment.

E.g.:

http://www.amazon.com/Chromebook-Intel-Celeron-Black-Silver/dp/B00KD5RUN2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451670235&sr=8-1&keywords=chromebook+11+inch

A nice deal here (although 11.6" screen):. It's 32GB storage and 4GB of RAM, for some reason less than the lower model...

13" Asus has OK reviews, most criticism from the processor

Options:

• Acer C720, $200. 11" TN panel, 2955U. Still in my opinion the best value if power matters. Can be converted to pure Linux if that's what you prefer. The 2955U is still the most powerful Chromebook CPU around. Build quality average.
  
• Asus C200, $200. 11" TN panel, Bay Trail N2830. Slightly less powerful than the C720, but better build quality and battery life.
  
• Asus C300, $230. 13" version of the C200.
  
• Toshiba Chromebook 2, $250. 13" TN display, Bay Trail N2830. Better build quality than the C720, but CPU a little slower. Much better battery life though.
  
• Toshiba Chromebook 2, $350. 13" IPS FHD display. This is the same as the one above but with a significant display upgrade and 4 GB RAM instead of 2. It's clearly way out of your budget, but worth considering anyway, if only for the display.

Has he ever messed with a Windows 8.1 computer before? If not, would you be willing to show him that he can easily get to the desktop he's used to looking at like in Windows 7?

His's best options are a Windows 8.1 or a Chromebook. And since he's used to Windows 7 he may really hate using a Chromebook, especially at his age.

Asus X205 Signature Edition Not very powerful but it's best feature is the battery life and weight. Sounds like he wont need anything all that powerful anyways.

• 11.6 in HD LED-backlit (1366 x 768)
  
• Intel Atom Z3735F
  
• 2GB memory/32GB eMMC (Be sure to remove the recovery partition for more storage for him)
  
• MicroSD
  
• Up to 12 hours battery life
  
• $179.00
  
  HP Stream 13 Signature Edition Just a little over $200 and with decent battery life. Weighs 3.40 lbs. More powerful than the Asus and a bit bigger (so maybe easier to read text).
  
  
• 13.3 in LED (1366 x 768)
  
• Intel Celeron N2840
  
• 2GB memory/32GB eMMC (Again, remove the recovery partition for him)
  
• MicroSD
  
• Over 7.5 hours battery life
  
• $206.10
  
  Now, as for Chromebooks, they are a great alternative, and fairly easy to navigate. But this will depend on your father and his willingness to try something new. However the displays tend to be "meh" as most come with TN panels, not LED, though some come with LED.
  
  
  Asus CB C200 12inch
  
  
• 11 Hours battery life. 11.6" High definition LED display.
  
• Lightning fast dual-core Intel 2.16 GHz processor.
  
• Gigabit dual-band 802.11A/C Wi-Fi for ultra fast web browsing.
  
• High definition webcam for Google hangouts. USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, SD card reader ports, and Bluetooth 4.0 for convenience.
  
• 100GB of Google Drive free for 2 years and 16 GB of local flash storage with 2 GB RAM
  
  Acer C720 11.6inch
  
  
• Built-in dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
  
• Intel Celeron 2955U 1.4 GHz (Haswell micro-architecture)
  
• 16 GB Solid-State Drive
  
• 11.6-Inch Anti-Glare Screen, Intel HD Graphics
  
• HDMI port, 8.5-hour battery life
  
• Has a fan
  
• Display has a TN panel
  
  Acer CB3 11.6inch
  
  
• Intel Celeron N2830 Dual Core 2.16 GHz Processor
  
• 2 GB DDR3L SDRAM
  
• 16 GB Internal Storage
  
• 11.6-Inch Screen 1366x768 Active Matrix TFT Color LCD, Intel HD Graphics
  
• Chrome, 8.5-hour battery life
  
  Those are the only three available at $200 or less. I'd personally go for the Windows computers for the better displays.

since it would just be for browsing and note taking, id strongly suggest this asus chromebook this laptop has a very nice built, very quiet keyboard, good speed and has an immaculate battery life. in fact this is the laptop i use for college purpose.

Are you just trying to take notes with Google Docs? If so, this Acer C720 is a tiny bit cheaper.

This ASUS Chromebook is $199, though. That may work out better for you?

This just went on sale on Amazon, good specs with 32GB HD and 4GBRAM. No SD expansion slot though:

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Chromebook-12-Inch-Gigabit-Storage/dp/B00KD5RUN2/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1418090973&sr=1-3&keywords=chromebook+sd+card

This Chromebook is an excellent option. This is perfect for exactly what you need it more. If you want a Windows PC you would need to spend more ($250 or so)

10+ Hour battery life under $350 CAD at 11" and under 1.4 kg new?

I think the only thing that fits that description (without even looking at the "SSH+web browing" and "linux support" bits) is a chromebook.

There even are ones with 1920x1080 screens at that price point.

.

If you want 10+ battery life and x86 (Bay Trail), the ASUS Chromebook C200 could work for $200.

The Dell Chromebook 11 has 10 hours and full Haswell, but it might be hard to get one (similar deal with the Lenovo N20)

The Acer C720 doesn't quite have the battery life you were looking for, but it is a fan favourite (and you can upgrade the storage I think) (although it is due for a refresh with Broadwell-M).

etc.

Not sure about the matte screen part.

.

Beyond that, you'll be hard pressed to find something good at $350 unless you find a really good sale.

This is a bit more expensive (which may be a problem if you've got a more limited budget of course) but is a fair bit newer. Every now and again some good deals come along for recent models, so you just need to keep your eyes open.

Thanks for the advice, guys! The advice and suggestions have definitely influenced my decisions.

I'm comparing these two:
http://www.amazon.com/15-6-Inch-Dual-Core-2-16GHz-Laptop-500GB/dp/B00L49X8E6/ref=psdc1_t1_B00KD5SEPK_B00L49X8E6

http://www.amazon.com/Asus-C200MA-DS01-ASUS-Chromebook-11-6-Inch/dp/B00KD5RUN2?SubscriptionId=AKIAIIU4RLP6VPFIYDGA&tag=wuggeecom-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00KD5RUN2

Any thoughts?

It seems like the power, windows familiarity, and program options make the not-chromebook the winner. The chromebook has an SSD and super long battery life, but in a given day I will probably not go 5 hours of continuous use without plugging in a device.

I'm probably going to wait a few days and see if any refurbished or deals appear on newegg to force my decision.