10 Chromebooks that Drop the Mic on Microsoft's New Surface Laptop.

Yesterday Microsoft announced the new Surface Laptop, a supposed "Chromebook killer".    From price point to Cloud deployment and remote management at scale, Microsoft missed the mark on what makes Chromebooks so appealing to education and enteprise IT departments. 

Chromebooks are red hot for education and work.  The modern, Cloud based Operating System provides a "it just works" experience for users.   Now, with a majority of Chromebooks running Android Apps, they're becoming the go to devices for IT systems to deploy en masse.  Here we look at the best sellers in Chromebooks with touchscreens as of May, 2017.  This is a good indication of which Chromebooks will be most popular for the busy summer season.

We queried our distributors to look at US National sales of Chromebooks.  Today, in part one of this series, we're going to look at Chromebooks with Touchscreens.

Touchscreens are an essential feature of any new laptop purchase.  It befuddles me that Apple has yet to introduce a touchscreen Macbook.  We live in a touchscreen world.   With the onslaught of Android Apps on Chromebooks, touchscreens become all the more important.  

1.  LENOVO N23 YOGA

This is the 2017 classroom standard for Chromebooks.  Portable yet rugged, the 11.6" Lenovo N23 Chromebook is the perfect resource for teachers and students. Built to withstand the daily wear and tear of classroom life, it also has the speed, simplicity, and security of the modern operating system.   Lenovo's durable 360 degree hinge and touchscreen put Microsoft's Surface Laptop in the corner for a timeout.   With Google's Chrome Management license you get three times the laptop for one third the cost of the Surface laptop.   A heck of a lot more durable to boot.   

2.   Acer C738T-C5R6

You can open this stylish touchscreen Chromebook all the way, until it becomes a tablet. On the way to 360 degrees of tablet fun, you can also stop to configure it as a stand-up display, or a tent-shaped display that lets you place it on a window sill so you can watch videos on the wide-viewing-angle screen while doing the dishes.

3. Samsung Chromebook Plus

The Samsung Chromebook Plus adapts to whatever you’re doing. Use it like a laptop to reply to emails or to work on a paper. When you need a break, flip the screen so you can play games or catch up on your latest book. Make your ideas personal and your notes clear with the built-in pen. Whether you’re doodling, sketching or personalizing a photo - the built-in pen will help you get every detail just right. You can even use the pen to take a screenshot, magnify or unlock the screen.

4.  Dell Chromebook 11

The Dell Chromebook 11 delivers the essential functionality students need to access information, create and collaborate, whether they are online or off. With a compact and durable design, the Dell Chromebook delivers outstanding performance with the latest 4th Gen Intel® Core™ processor, a 10 hour battery life, and 11.6” high-resolution (1366x768) display. 

5.  HP Chromebook 11 G5

The HP Chromebook 11 (G5) provides outstanding value in a thin and lightweight notebook form factor. Elevate productivity to the next level with HP Chromebook 11.   Affordable collaboration at school and work has never been so easy with Intel processor, long battery life and Chrome OS reliability.  The HP Chromebook 11 is well suited for shared desk space.   At 18.4 mm thin and 2.51 lbs, the HP Chromebook 11 is now 10% thinner and 11% lighter than the previous version.

6.   Dell Chromebook 3189

An 11-inch 2-in-1 built with the best-in-class durability to withstand every school day and multiple modes that adjust to every learning need. View and write from any angle or mode-flat, tent, tablet or laptop. Two-in-ones make it easy for students to create, collaborate and share ideas. The Chromebook 3189 Education 2-in-1 comes with a sealed, spill-resistant keyboard, rubberized edges and Drop Protection, so it can withstand daily routines.

7.  Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA-DHM4

The slim, light and incredibly stylish ASUS Chromebook Flip C302 combines the simplicity of Chromebook with powerful components and an amazing 360° hinge that lets you flip instantly between a high-performance Chromebook, tablet, or anything in between. This versatile touchscreen device frees you to work or play anywhere, anytime with its 10-hour battery life, backlit keyboard with super-large touchpad, and future-proof USB-C port.

8.  Lenovo Thinkpad 11e (Yoga)

The rugged ThinkPad 11e PCs are part of the uniquely inspired Lenovo Education Series of products purpose-built for the classroom. Features like rubber bumpers, reinforced ports, stronger hinges, and impact/scratch-resistant glass add the durability needed to withstand the education environment and minimize IT support needs.

9.  LENOVO N42-20

Portable, Powerful, Durable and affordable, the Lenovo N42-20 Chromebook is a perfect fit for the classroom or factory floor as well as IT Budgets.  This versatile chromebook meets the day-to-day needs with its 14" antiglare HD screen, powerful Intel processor and up to 11 hours of battery time.   With its semi-rugged design the N42-20 Chromebook can stand up to daily wear and tear. 

10.   CTL J5 Chromebook

The J5 Chromebook is ideal for schools or mobile professionals who want the versatility of a Chromebook and tablet in one. With a 360-degree hinge, users can choose to type on the keyboard in laptop mode or fold the keyboard under and angle screen back for presentations. By rotating the screen all the way around, this Chromebook can be converted into a tablet.

Final Thoughts on Chromebooks With Touch:  Touchscreens should be a given - NOW Consider two-in-One "Flip" Devices and Ruggedization.

I've used a lot of Chromebooks since my first CR-48 (The original thin-client beta design.)   It's certainly become my grab and go device around the house, office and world.    First, Touchscreens should be a given.  While a follow up article to this post will include the top non-touch screen chromebooks, I would not recommend any personal computing device without a touchscreen.  The cost is low and touch screens are the intuitive modern way to use mobile devices like phones, tablets and laptops.

Two-in-one, Flip, multi-mode, Yoga  -- These are all terms for laptops with 360 degree hinges.  While most of your time may be spent in traditional laptop mode the multiple modes make the device all the more purposeful.   

Ruggedization helps, especially with a multi-mode device.  From accidental spills to being able to toss the device in bags (and then toss the bag) - a ruggedized Chromebook adds to productivity through peace of mind.   My own ruggedized Chromebook has been through the ringer - I feel confident working with it anywhere and even used it once to fend off a rogue sprinkler in our office courtyard.

Chromebooks already represent a modern computing design that fits the way most people work and live today.  Take advantage of touchscreens, 360 degree hinges and ruggedization to really experience the advantages of today's Chromebook.