Waiting for the New Macbooks? In the Meanwhile Buy One of these Chromebooks
We know, it happens year after year: You keep waiting on those shiny new MacBooks with all their long-promised features and then…you don’t buy one. Maybe you’re put off by the high prices, or maybe the upgrades weren’t exactly what you were looking for – or perhaps you’re just not quite ready to switch to the MacOS platform.
It’s okay: Give it time and keep thinking about it. But in the meantime, no matter what super-resolution or new syncing Apple is getting ready to announce this year, you still need a laptop for school or work. May we suggest that you start looking at Chromebooks as an appropriate solution while you are waiting/saving up for a MacBook?
Chromebooks are in many ways the opposite of MacBooks. They focus on ultra-basic specs that keep prices as low as possible, along with a healthy dose of cloud technology to make sure these laptops are as portable as possible. But when it comes to a dependable machine that you can use for a variety of projects in any given location, Chromebooks serve up exactly what you need. Just…make sure that you are okay with Chrome OS first – and then check out some of the best Chromebooks of 2016 to see just what’s out there.
Toshiba Chromebook 2 – $375
Doesn’t that price look good when compared to buying the latest MacBook? But don’t worry, you still get a good laptop: This Toshiba model sports an Intel Core i3 2.1GHz processor, a 13.3-inch HD screen, 4GB of RAM, and a 16GB SSD. There’s also a backlit keyboard for working in darker conditions.
If that SSD drive sounds a little low to you, keep in mind that Chromebooks are slim machines designed to depend on things like Google Drive and other cloud solutions rather than physical storage. If that worries you, you can always buy an external hard drive to go along with your computer…especially at such low prices. It’s also important to buy womens laptop bag to secure your laptop against damages or theft.
Dell Chromebook 13 – $425
That Toshiba model is affordable, but if you feel like you need a little more versatility in your laptop, this Dell entry may be more the model you are looking for. Many specs are similar: There’s a 13.3-inch display, 4GB of RAM, 16GB of SSD storage, and a 5th-gen Intel dual-core processor. So far, so routine. But Dell’s 12-hour battery and connection options make this laptop stand out. You get USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI 1.4, MicroSD and Noble Lock all on one laptop. That’s quite impressive, especially when compared to the all-too-few ports on most MacBook models.
Acer Chromebook 15 – $345
Chromebooks are typically designed to be as portable as possible, but sometimes you really need (or prefer) a larger laptop that gives you more screen real estate and a bigger keyboard to work with. If that’s the case, then this Acer model may sound much better to you. It has a 16-inch HD screen, an Intel Celeron dual-core processor, 4GB of SDRAM, and a 32GB SSD. In other words, you get a bit more laptop to work with for those larger projects – or for watching movies, depending on your preference. The downside is that this puts a lot on the battery, which only has a max of 9 hours, so you’ll need to keep outlets close by.
