Chromebook Review
posted March 9, 2021, by Jonah Cohen
At Needham High School, all students are supplied a Chromebook to use, so I have decided to review the C202. As laptops become a more important part of student daily lives, they have to evaluate for themselves which type of laptop works best for them. For example, I would prefer to have a decent windows machine, since I like faster computers and windows is my preferred operating system. There are many computers on the market with many different intended uses.
So I am going to explain the few advantages of the C202. Let’s start with the keyboard. The keyboard is really good. It has good key travel (the distance the keys can be pushed) and I like the feel when typing. It does require a decent bit of actuation force to register a key press, but for typing, I like having that amount of resistance because then if I hesitate in what I am saying, the keyboard will definitely not register any key presses. I also like the battery life. If I don’t use it for more than half of the school day, I tend to not need to charge it overnight. That is why it is great for people who need a good typing experience along with a battery to last over a full day of work.
However, there are always trade offs when it comes to less expensive computers. If I were able to spend $500, then I could purchase something that will perform better and last longer. This is because there are more up to date processors that perform better in all tasks and will be relevant to performance needs for many years to come. Processors, or the central processing unit, acts like the brain of a computer. Just like some brains have a higher IQ and are better at solving problems, better processors complete tasks faster. Another important part of the processor is the number of cores and threads. The more threads in a laptop means the more tasks you can perform at once. Most $500 laptops will have at least double the cores and quadruple the threads compared to the C202 with 2 cores and 2 threads. $500 dollar laptops tend to have double the RAM than the C202 Chromebook which allows more tasks to happen at once, ultimately leading to a better user experience. When I am looking at options in the $500 to $600 price range, I am looking for a computer capable of all the light gaming, video editing, and other tasks I might need to do when I am not at my more powerful desktop computer.
Overall, I think that the Asus C202 has a lot of good features for basic productivity and student tasks. The keyboard feel and battery life is ideal for my needs as a student. In general, as a computer I wouldn’t buy the C202 for myself because I like to do more intensive tasks. It is important for you to figure out what you are going to be using your laptop for before you figure out which model will work best for you. The tasks you do on a regular basis and what you think you might want to do is a good place to start. Once you do that, you are prepared to make your choice.