HP Chromebook 11

Hi,

Okay. Chromebooks, they look like laptops, smell like laptops, even act like laptops, but really they're not really laptops. What are they then. Well they're a glorified web browser and that's it. They are googles web browser. So that being said, you can only do what you can do on a web browser. Don't let that put you off though, the webs come a long way.

I'll try and explain it as simple as I can.

This runs nothing but a browser and what they call web apps. They look like programmes but the truth is they just run on the web, which isnt a pain, except you HAVE to be connected to the net for 95% of them to work. In this day and age of wireless and hotspots it really isn't that much of an issue for most people.

Let's get the nagatives out of the way. Along with this I'll give you the alternatives.

No Itunes - Yep, no itunes, none, nada, you can't install it, it won't work, if you plug in your ipod and iphone nothing will happen (It will charge though) So you can still use spotify (which is amazing) and google own play music store which is a superb alternative.

No Microsoft office - Google docs is the answer here, you can save in office format if you want. Sure it's nowhere near as powerful as office but it does the job quite nicely. Also it syncs across whatever computers you're using which is great. It;s also free.

Moving on

The Hardware.

It's lovely, it really really is. It's beautifully designed, minimilist, clean lines, no screws or fans, it's lovely. The screen is a complete joy, its bright, clear, fantastic viewing angles. Video looks great on it. It's light, portable, a lovely lovely looking machine.

The keyboard is stunning, a joy to use. I own a macbook air 11" and I prefer the keyboard on the chromebook over the macbook air, and by a fair bit as well.

The track pad is ok, it's not amazing like a mac trackpad, but it's also not awful like a cheap netbook one.

The speakers. Er, yeah, seriously, mental. They are placed directly under the keyboard and they are ridiculous. The clarity and volume is incredible considering where they are, you are NEVER going to struggle to not hear these.

Yes you only get 16gb onboard storage but everything is cloud based these days. It does have two usb ports if you need them though.

Last but not least a mention to the charger. It's micro usb which is brilliant as if you own a modern smartfone that isnt made by apple it means you can charge it using that.

Oh and battery life is apparent 6 hours, so far its looking more like 5, which is a shame but not a killer cos I always have a micro usb charger to hand.

Software :

Okay, this is where you have to be a bit careful. It's not the quickest machine, and at times (especially when you first get it and it's ploughing through your extns, its is VERY laggy. Thankfully since i run the update and my extns are all up and working it is running really well. Providing you dont hammer it by opening hundreds of tabs you really won't have to much of a problem. Just treat it with a bit of respect, like don't expect it to do the 100m in 10 seconds.

Who is it for :

This is the bit I really want to stress.

For me this is perfect for the following

Older parents and grandparents who grew up in the non internet era. Basically this is foolproof. They can create an email address and thats it they're away, they have email, a web browser, google hangouts for video chat, a word processor, everything they could possible need. The beauty of it, they cant muck it up, it's brilliant, no more late night IT calls to your dad telling him to find the control panel.

Kids, young kids, a first computer. I think this is great my daughters getting great use out of this, it has flash (she needs this for her school sites) which is brilliant for her, and it's helping with her typing.

People who want a second computer / laptop without the hassle. This is a great sofa surfer, if you just wanna surf, do emails, the odd bit of blogging, seriously there is nothing better, why bother with a windows laptop or a macbook, you'll pay over the odds and just complicate the experience, chromebooks are a much simpler way of achieving your goals where this is concerned.

Wrap Up :

Again, if you know what you're getting into you will love it, the design is lovely, the keyboard is stunning for the money, the screen a joy. The experience as a whole is great. As long as you can get your head round that you cant install itunes, msword, photoshop etc you will be fine. remember for all of these there are alternatives. They won't be quite as good (actually the itunes one is a lie i prefer spotify) but they will be able to get you through without a problem.

Final thought

Amazon were great, i pre ordered and it was 230 quid, the day it got delivered, today, the price was reduced to 199. I got onto them via the chat function and within 5 mins a lovely chap refunded me the 30 quid. Happy days.

UPDATE

I still love this as it goes, usually I get bored of things and replace them, but, a couple of months on and the love is still there and we're going steady now, I might even take it to the next stage and ask her to move in.

Seriously though, it's a cracking little machine, sure I wish it was it was a wee bit quicker, but it's actually gotten a bit quicker with various updates.

One thing I will add as well, google get on my tits. Like I say its not the fastest machine, but it doesnt help when gmail is by far the slowest webpage to load, it takes an age and there's no real quick way around it..... very annoying... other than that, fill your boots people. It's not perfect by anymeans but I still love it.

Update 2 :
I've had a couple of problems with my machine. A dead pixel, wifi dropping but also a problem with charging (it struggles below 20% for some reason) amazon have been brilliant and sent me out a new machine, so i'm sending this one back.

Apart from that 3 months on, has my love for this machine wained, is the honeymoon period over. NOT ON YOUR NELLY !!!! If anything it's got even stronger, we've renewed our vowels, bought our first house, considering kids.

I'm not even kidding here, im even more in love with this machine now than when I first got it. It's got quicker with updates, i've discovered some amazing extns that have really added to the appeal (Checker plus for gmail, checker plus for calender, pushbullett, just a clock etc)

The keyboard is an absolute joy to use, I know i've said it above, but it really is amazing. The trackpad has actually improved with age and use, i've been using this for blogging and also updating websites using joomla, it's works really well. I find some of the image editing apps actually a bit quicker to use because of the prestocked filters. Less distractions, i dont spend some long trying to perfect something in photoshop, and if the truth be told the results usually tend to come out a bit better.

Hoping these little updates help. Read more ›

After I had the Samsung chromebook Arm for almost a year I decided to buy this HP chromebook for one main reason: the IPS screen. Well now after two days usage I can easy say that was a really good choice. The screen is really bright, the colours and the blacks are fantastic, and if you're sitting aside the angle view are perfect, really great.
The second big advantage compared to the Samsung is the sound, I never heard such loud but at the same time clean sound from a small computer like this. To see a video or a film on this small computer is really a pleasure.
Performance are more or less like the Samsung even if sometimes the video in Hd suffers from some lags but in general they are played quite well.
The battery is about 5 hours and half with 50 % of brightness but the screen remains always incredibly defined and vivid.
I won't talk about ChromeOs, who uses knows very well which are its advantages and disadvantages even if the former right now are much more numerous compared to the latter. Only one clarification it's not true that without internet chromebook doesn't work. Many applications or programs work offline without any problem: Gmail, Gdocs, Angry Birds etc.
In short: I really advise everybody who needs a simple intuitive reliable small laptop with an incredible screen for surfing the web, writing, watching a video or listening to music.
It's a pity that Amazon only offers the version white/blue.
UPDATE:
After full 5 days of using this machine turned on almost 24 hours a day, I can tell you only one thing, that for this price this is the best chromebook ever for quality, design, sound and screen. I can only confirm that these things are not only impressive but really astonishing in such a cheap laptop. I really advise everybody to buy one.

I'm a Google fan(atic) and at the same time I'm not in a position to afford Pixel. Only so did I choose to purchase HP Chromebook 11 (which again is designed by Pixel team; HP Chromebook 14 isn't). This Chromebook is meant for 'light-surfing'. If you are someone (like me) who tends to have a lot of tabs open while working, this isn't for you. The specs don't allow that. Also it lags when in Google Hangouts (at least when you try to use their Effects feature). HD Videos on YouTube lags too.

But if you're looking for a Tablet with Keyboard instead of Touchscreen - this is a great device! The build is exquisite (no screws/vents visible). Charges even with your smartphone charger (takes longer obviously). The IPS Screen is definitely worth 3/4th of what you pay for this - it's brilliant. The speakers are pretty decent and are fit under the keyboard - so no more muffled audio.

I wish they could've offered better specs for a little more price. Won't say I'm disappointed. Nor am I happy with this. At your risk.

Despite owing a MacBook (which does covers almost all of my computing needs), I have been enticed by the Cromebooks since I laid my eyes on the Chromebook Pixel, earlier this year. Unfortunately, the high price tag was a turn off, despite the gorgeous screen and industrial build. I briefly looked at the other cheaper Chromebooks, but the aestethics did not appeal to me.

Fast forward to October 2013, and HP launched the Chromebook 11. What an amazing, gorgeous looking piece of kit and at an affordable price. Reminding me of the original white MacBook, this really is a sexy piece of kit. Included in the box is the Chromebook 11, brief instructions and a charger. What I really liked about the charging cable is that it is simply a usb to mini usb cable, meaning you will never be lost for charging options.

On first boot-up, the first thing I noted was the screen. It is absolutely amazing for this price range, and very comparable to the MacBook Air screens. Viewing from all angles provides no distortion, the keyboard is solid and the trackpad smooth. I have to confess that the overall "feel" is a little light and does give off occasional creaks.

Set-up was simple. I simply entered my Google account details and my Google drive documents and Google play music was all available. This computer runs on Google Chrome operating software. This is essentially a fantastic web browser with an integrated desktop. Anything you open, be it from maps to documents, will all be open in a separate web browser tab. This means that one is heavily dependent on Google Docs (Google's version of Office) and other web based applications.

The Chromebook concept by Google is unique. They envision that with a shift to cloud computing and online resources, an increasing amount of people will store more and more data online, meaning their hard drive requirements will be greatly slashed. Owing to this, the Chromebook 11 only has a 16GB hard drive. Plenty of space to store a few documents and some music (for when you don't have an internet connection). But the main point is, that with this computer, you definitely need a sound internet connection.

I do a lot of scientific research in my career, meaning I am heavily dependent on programs such as EndNote, Powerpoint and Excel. For this reason, I can probably never leave behind my trusty MacBook, and simply use the Chromebook for leisure browsing, when I want to get away from work. In my opinion, the target audience for the Chromebook are those who have minimal computing needs or can do all their productivity online.

All-in-all, I still really like my new Chromebook pixel. At time of writing, Amazon are selling this for just under �200, which is a fantastic price (considering I paid �230 from Currys-PC World a week ago). If you can live in the cloud or simply want a second computer in the house for web-related activities, this nifty gadget fits the bill perfectly. 5/5 Read more ›