HP Chromebook 11-inch Laptop – MediaTek – MT8183 – 4 GB RAM – 32 GB eMMC Storage – 11.6-inch HD IPS Touchscreen – with Chrome OS – (11a-na0040nr,…

I first want to say that mechanically this laptop worked great. The company that sent it also sent it very fast, arriving ahead of the projected date. Now that positivity is out of the way, why am i returning it?

Say what you want about me, but i didn’t realize that this device used a different OS. I originally wanted an affordable laptop for some word processing. Chrome OS does not allow you to do this. Functionally it could, but it designed to be an internet browser and little else. Do you have a phone? Well, your phone is capable of everything this device can do and more. Why would anyone need a laptop with less functionality than a phone?

Many software programs support a variety of operating systems. They do not currently work with Chrome OS. You cannot even attempt to download them. I have heard that you can download apps (not that i was able to experience this for myself), but that will be the only downloading of programs that you might have access to.This now leads to my final gripe, the device is basically online only.

A browser cannot function without internet, so it is with this device. It seems to be so dependent on this that it actually bugged out when i tried to delete the only wifi connection it had. (which reminds me, there is no way that you can factory reset this device. There is no option to do so, take that as you will.) When you first start up this device, it will force you to connect to the internet. You can skip putting in you Google account info, but it will not allow you to proceed without internet.

Tldr: Don’t get anything with Chrome OS. Your phone is capable of so much more than this ever will be.

It’s very important to note, this is a Chromebook NOT a full-sized laptop, so this may be much smaller than expected.
Personally, I love this Chromebook, size and all. It works great and has a pretty decent quality. No issues with so far with charging, battery life, crashing, etc. I would only hope for a better sound quality, as it doesn’t get very loud at all. Plenty of storage space for me as well, as I use it for crafting (Design Space app, emails, saving photos, etc.) I would also recommend this for those looking for something small with a keyboard for school use.

Gut

This is perfect for what I need. I am a writer and have been writing on a kindle tablet, and it was just too small.

This is a long review. To summarize, you get what you pay for and then some. This is a very usable package at a bargain price. Nothing is top-of-the-line, but you will get a nice, compact machine for web-based activity.

This is my first Chromebook. Previously I have used Macs and laptops from Toshiba and Lenovo. I decided to go with a Chromebook because I mostly email, browse pages, Zoom, and watch Youtube. Anything I need to do document-wise can be covered by Google. The compactness and long battery life is a big plus. I’m tired of big, heavy laptops wearing holes in my bags.

This Chromebook weighs 2-1/4 .lbs, which is excellent. It is about the size of a magazine, so I would not hestitate to take it anywhere. The body is plastic, which is durable and easy to keep clean. It’s not as nice as metal, but it is generally solid. The bottom panel is a teeny bit loose, but that is a nitpick.

Battery life is as advertised. Depending what you do you get around 10 hours or more, which is more than double any laptop I have used.

The screen opens to 135 degrees (or 45 degrees against the tabletop). I was disappointed it did not open to a full 180, but I can work with it. Screen brightness is listed at 220 nits (on the low end), but don’t let that deter you; it is as bright as my 8 year old Macbook and my Lenovo laptop assigned by work. For indoor use, it works just fine. If you work outside, you will have to find shade. The display quality is not the best, but perfectly useable. It is an IPS display, which provides better viewing angles and color rendition. The 11.6″ screen is enough real estate for watching videos and reading the news. I can type this review and read my email side by side. This is also a touch screen, which seems to work fine in my limited experience. When laying down with the Chromebook on my chest, it’s nice to just browse using the touchscreen. I have downloaded a few Android games, and they work great on the touchscreen. IMO spend more for the touch screen if you want to use Android apps.

The keyboard is a comfortable size. I am typing efficiently without making lots of mistakes. Most of the keys are where you expect them to be. The specialized Chrome keys don’t interfere. The keys themselves have a nice, positive response. Equally responsive is the trackpad, which comes with a full repertoire of gestures for scrolling, zooming, and viewing apps. One thing I noticed is you can only physically click on the botton half of the touchpad, but I usually tap to click.

The on-board speakers are a nice surprise. They are loud and clear. An audiophile might find them slightly tinny, but I can listen to music for hours using just these speakers. There is minimal distortion when I crank the volume up to max. Of course, there is a headphone jack and bluetooth capability.

32 gigs of memory may be challenged if you install a lot of apps. The Chrome System takes up about 13 GB on its own. I have inserted a 128 GB Micro SD card, which can be used as storage for Android apps that support it. For example, I can download music from Youtube Music to my SD card. Documents from the Text editor and Camera app can be directed to the SD card as well.

Regarding the processor, I don’t do anything that has taxed this system yet. I usually only have a couple of tabs and apps open, and I play a few games. Keep in mind this is the same processor on the almost universally lauded Lenovo Duet Chromebook, so it is no slouch.

The 720p webcam is adquate for web conferencing, taking snapshots or recording videos. It’s a little grainy with indoor lighting. People seem to hear me fine using the internal microphone, but works best if you are sitting right in front of the computer. The mic input can be adjusted if you expand the volume options in the wifi/battery/time options.

One last cool thing is you can charge this Chromebook with a phone charger (with the right cable). It is slow, and must be done while the Chromebook is not in use. I was able to get 15% per hour using a basic phone charger. It might be nice if you are traveling and don’t need to lug around the clunky power supply that comes with this Chromebook.

Overall, I am happy with my purchase. This is a nice value package that delivers.