Do you have children who are still going home from school, full-time or part-time, who are struggling with distance learning on a school-issued Chromebook? If you can afford it, you may want to invest in a bigger, more powerful laptop than the one the school district offers.
The most economical way to learn at home is with a Chromebook laptop. Not only do they cost hundreds less than a traditional laptop, like a Windows or MacBook laptop, but they are also easier to use, thanks to simplified Chrome OS software. And you can find Chromebook models with larger screens than the 11.6-inch undersized Chromebooks that school districts typically emit. If you’re not carrying your laptop to school every day, you can opt for a more spacious screen that means less scrolling across web pages and more space to work on Google Classroom and other online learning tools. All options here have larger screens from 13.3 to 15.6 inches.
Chromebook prices range from less than $ 100 to more than $ 1,000, but you don’t have to spend a lot to start using distance learning. Our Favorite Chromebooks mostly fall in the $ 400- $ 700 range. If they don’t suit you, here are five Chromebook models with an additional budget that currently cost less than $ 500. We take into account factors and features like cloud storage, quality keyboard, battery life, ease of web browsing and even the inclusion of a headset. If you’re looking for the best Chromebook for students, this list, which we update periodically, should help.
Read More: Online education classes for all ages and grades
Samsung
This refurbished model of the Samsung Chromebook 4 costs just $ 234 and features a 15.6-inch screen with an Intel Celeron processor and 4 GB of RAM. The downside? It provides only 32 GB of solid state storage. The top side? It has a full HD display with a resolution of 1,920×1,080 pixels for a sharper image and more workspace than you would get with the 1,366×768 pixel resolution found on other low-cost Chromebooks.
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This Samsung Chromebook has a smaller screen than the model above, at 12.2 inches, but the touchscreen can rotate 360 degrees in tablet mode so you can play on Android – as soon as the homework is over, of course . The screen has a sharp resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels and pen support for the included pen. Inside, the system has an Intel Celeron processor, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage.
Read our review of the Samsung Chromebook Plus V2.
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The highlight of this Lenovo Chromebook two in one is its 10th generation Intel Core i3 CPU, which is common to many low-cost Windows laptops and has more than enough power to power the lightweight Chrome OS. The Flex 5 has a 13.3-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. It offers pen support, but you will need to purchase it separately.
Read our review of the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5.
Asus
This 14-inch two-in-one from Asus currently has a $ 100 discount on Best Buy. It does not include a pen like the previous Samsung two in one, but it does have a better processor on the Intel Core m3. With 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, the other basic specifications are the same as those of Samsung.
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This refurbished HP Chromebook 15 has a touch screen, but cannot fully rotate in tablet mode. If you care more about power than your Chromebook doubling as a tablet, then you need to know that this model has an Intel Core i3 CPU, which is more powerful than the Intel Pentium and Celeron chips commonly found on Chromebooks. It also provides a generous 128 GB SSD, which is double or quadruple the capacity of low-cost models. In addition to touch support, the 15.6-inch screen offers a full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels.