New $200 Windows 10 laptop released: ASUS E200HA-UB02-GD

If you are looking for a budget SSD-based Windows 10 laptop, yet another option has been unleashed to the shopping world. It is the 11.6″ ASUS E200HA-UB02-GD (such a memorable name!) in a gold color scheme as the “GD” in its name semi-hints at. It has a 11.6″ non-touchscreen display with the same old resolution of most budget laptops of 1366 x 768. It has 4GB RAM which is a plus if you plan to do more than one thing at a time. It is an Atom Ant 🙂 And by that I mean it is running on the Atom Z8350 quad-core processor.

Other specs include 32GB on-board storage, 802.11acM MiMo WiFi, two full size USB ports (one of each, and by that I mean 3.0 and 2.0), card reader, HDMI, Bluetooth 4.0, and such. The description says it has a full size keyboard and “large” trackpad and promises an “all day” battery on a 2-cell lithium polymer. It has eight reviews so far, all 5s and 4s except for one short 1-star.

You can scoop it as of the time of writing for $199 at Amazon.com.

PS: it also comes with a 1-year subscription to Office 365, which on its own right costs about half as much as the laptop 🙂

PS2: the processor is so new it’s not even listed in the rankings at cpubenchmark.net. There are two other Z83xx Atoms there that rank between 1600 and 1800. Keep in mind, more and more processors come out over time, so a #500 rank five years ago is not the equivalent of a #500 rank today.

11.6″ Samsung Chromebook 3 (4GB RAM) for $180 [limit 3]

If you are not interesting in having a touchscreen on your Chromebook (eg when the Android apps arrive), the 11.6-inch Samsung Chromebook 3, with 4GB RAM [a must have these days with Chromebooks because the web is more bloated than ever] is on sale for $180 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual. Limit three of these per customer during this sale. It is powered by the Celeron N3050 1.6 GHz processor, which currently ranks #1663 at cpubenchmark.net.

The usual assortment of features for this price-range come with it, 16GB on-board storage, integrated graphics, SD and USB and HDMI ports, etc.

All the options together average 4.2 out of 5 based on 152 customer reviews and has about the same number of questions answered over there.

Pre-order new convertible Acer Chromebook R11 for $300

Chromebooks continue to grow in the market, and with the upcoming Google Play app support on ChromeOS, this is a good time to consider getting a new model or your first model. The feature is just launching, so it’s a good idea to buy a model with 4GB RAM and a touch-screen since Google Play apps are touch-optimized. There are a handful of compatible models already, but if you prefer a “latest model”, there will be a few coming out in the run-up to the 2016 holiday shopping season.

Which brings us to the brand new Acer Chromebook R11 with a pre-order price of $300 at amazon.com. The release date is not yet known. It has 4GB RAM, an 11.6-inch touch-screen but unfortunately with a 1366×768 resolution, and it is powered by Celery 🙂 Okay, the Celeron N3150 quad-core processor which currently ranks #1249 at cpubenchmark.net.

Acer wisely resisted the temptation to just stick a USB-C port. Instead you get one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 full size ports, along with HDMI output. Storage is 32GB on-board, along with an SD card reader (and of course the two USB ports and anything else you can connect via Wifi or Bluetooth or Ethernet-over-USB).

But that’s not all, part of the reason for the $300 starting price is that this is a convertible. The screen has a 360-degree rotation, so you can do the classic “tent” and “netflix and chill” angles, or fold the keyboard under the screen and turn it into a big tablet. Which would be even more handy when the Google Play apps come in!

Another Chromedroid option now: Acer R11 Chromebook

If you want to test Google Play apps on a Chromebook RIGHT NOW, and you can’t wait for new models coming in the fall, and you are cool with playing with the development channel builds, a second existing Chromebook has joined the ASUS Flip. It is the 11.6-inch Acer R11, also a convertible with a touchscreen, but unlike the 10-inch ASUS, this one has a larger screen.

The prices are close enough at the moment, the Acer R11 is on sale for $259 with free shipping, with a limit of three units per customer at Amazon.com.

Unfortunately this is only available with 2GB RAM, so that’s something to consider depending on how much you multi-task and what type of websites you visit (or if you use Chrome extensions that kill off most of the CPU waste (Flash, Annoying Ads, pointless widgets, etc)).

Other than that, it is powered by the Celeron N3150 (ranks in the 1200s at cpubenchmark.net), unlike the Rockchip of the ASUS. However, the ASUS has 4GB RAM. Other specs include a couple of USB ports (one is 3.0), HDMI, SD card, Bluetooth, etc. The screen is an IPS 1366 x 768 touchscreen. Touchscreen being the critical part since most Android apps are optimized for the touch user interface.

Having said all that, if you are not in a hurry to try ChromeDroid apps right NOW, you are better off waiting to see what the Fall Laptop Season brings. Then you can either get newer/better models or you can find bigger discounts on the existing models.

11.6-inch HP Chromebook 11 G4 (4GB RAM) for $150

The Chrome OS is resisting temptations to bloat like a Windows balloon but unfortunately more and more websites continue to bloat as they add all kinds of direct and indirect advertising and advertorial and clickbait content (“You May Like This, If Your Cat Likes That!”). So that may be one of the reasons why your older Chromebook is starting to feel more and more sluggish. Regardless…

… this brings us a new sale at MacMall, they are offering the new condition HP Chromebook 11 G4 for $150 with free shipping. Despite the low price, this has 4GB of RAM, which it is starting to become almost a must-have if you are planning to use a Chromebook for more than unitasking and visit many commercial websites.

Other specs include the customary 16GB of on-board storage, the dual-core Intel Celery N2840 (which ranks #1526 at cpubenchmark.net), an
11.6-inch TN non-touchscreen with 1366 x 768 resolution, card reader, HDMI, USB ports (one 3.0, one 2.0), Bluetooth 4.0 (remembers way back when ChromeOS did not support Bluetooth Audio???), 802.11ac, and such.

11.6-inch Samsung Chromebook 3 (with 4GB RAM) for $200

The ChromeOS is a fairly lightweight operating system, but the same cannot be said for today’s web as websites get bigger and bloat-ier, especially the bigger page-view driven websites. So a Chromebook with better specs may be needed to keep up with the website growth (more than the ChromeOS bloat).

Which brings us to the 4GB version of the third generation Samsung Chromebook, model XE500C13-K02US, currently on sale for $200 with free shipping at Amazon.com. This is only $20 more than the 2GB model, and that $20 is definitely worth it if you are browsing more than one website at a time.

Other specs include 16GB of on-board storage (but cloud and USB ports can give you a lot more storage), the budget 11.6-inch 1366×768 screen resolution. It is eating celery, which is a roundabout way of saying it is powered by a Celeron processor, the N3050 which currently ranks #1595 at cpubenchmark.net.

Refurbished 11.6″ Acer One Cloudbook for $100 [W10]

If you are going to get a really entry-level Windows 10 laptop, you might as well pay a really entry-level price, $100 with free shipping and free returns. That gets you the manufacturer refurbished 11.6-inch Acer Aspire ONE Cloudbook from Groupon Goods.

This has basic specs obviously, the Celery N3050 CPU (ranks #1592 at cpubenchmark), along with 2GB RAM, 32GB of on-board storage, 1366×768 screen, 02.11ac WiFi, two USB ports (one is 3.0), HDMI out, Bluetooth, SD slot, etc. It comes with a 90 day warranty from Acer. Its full name is AO1-131-C9RK.

11.6-inch HP Stream 11-p010nr x360 Convertible for $200

Once upon a time people needed four figures to get a laptop. Not so anymore. You can find laptops for $200 these days, and in new condition. You can even get convertibles at this price range. Case in point, the convertible 11.6-inch HP Stream, with 1366×768 non-touchscreen, 2GB RAM, 32GB on-board, one year of Office 365, and free upgrade to Windows 10 (comes with Windows 8.1) is on sale for $200 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual with a limit of three per customer.

The processor is a Intel Celeron N2840 which as of writing time ranks #1420 (a magic number!) at cpubenchmark.net, and combine that with 2GB RAM, this is for email and lightweight web browsing and video. There’s only so much multi-tasking you can do on 2GB of RAM and a slower “Celery” processor. But it has a 360-degree rotating screen, so it can fold all the way under the keyboard, making it a thick tablet.

Not only that, but this laptop is a portaholic’s paradise considering the price. You get three USB ports, an Ethernet port, an HDMI port, and a memory card reader. Not bad, and the three USB ports come a long way towards making up for the 32GB on-board storage. You can always get some of those tiny USB flash drives.

The full name of this is “HP Stream 11-p010nr x360 Convertible”. It averages 4.3 out of 5 based on 77 customer reviews and has 46 questions peer-answered.

11.6-inch Lenovo S21e for $150 (Windows)

The Windows Industrial Complex took the Chromebook challenge very seriously, because now Windows laptops are even beating Chromebook prices regularly. Case in point, the 11.6-inch Lenovo S21e, model 80M4002DUS, is currently going for $150 with free shipping at amazon.com. Needless to say, you are not going to be running Photoshop or scientific simulations on this one, but it should be fine as a casual email and web checker. It has 2GB RAM, 32GB on-board solid state, Celeron N2840 2.1 GHz processor, the screen resolution that will be posted on Windows’s tombstone in the next century (1366×768), and things like that.

Makes one wonder how much ground Microsoft lost with Windows RT on mobile and with Windows 8 on desktop. On the plus side, it is day #2 for me with Windows 10 and I am actually liking what I see (despite some hopefully-fixable knucklehead decisions (Wifi Sense, data hoarding, etc)).

Refurbished 11.6″ Acer CB3-111-C8UB for $150 [ChromeOS]

But Chromebooks are not standing still, they are “countering” that at the eBay deals, with Acer’s Outlet Store on eBay offering the manufacturer refurbished 11.6″ Chromebook CB3-111-C8UB for $150 with free shipping, with a limit of five per buyer, and a 90 day warranty from Acer.

It has 2GB RAM, 16GB on-board, and it is powered by a dual-core Celeron processor, with the usual 1366 x 768 resolution, and 2.7 lbs weight.

Refurbished 11.6″ ASUS X205TA for $160 [W8]

On the budget laptops front, among the anti-Chromebook SSD-Windows 8.1 options, eBay seller “voodublu” (99.4%) is offering the manufacturer refurbished 11.6″ ASUS X205TA for $160 with free shipping, with 90 day warranty from ASUS. There are over 700 units available as of the time of writing.

It has 2GB RAM, 32GB on-board storage, microSD storage (up to 64GB), quad-core Atom processor, battery life estimate of up to 12 hours, 2.2 lbs, etc.

11.6″ Acer Chromebook 11 (CB3-111-C670) for $174 [limit 3]

Choices aplenty today if you are interested in an 11-inch Chromebook. Among them, the 11.6″ Acer Chromebook 11, model CB3-111-C670, with 2GB RAM and 16GB on-board storage is on sale for $174 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual with a limit of three per customer. This has a non-touchscreen 1366×768 display with the Celeron N2830 processor, and two USB ports (one of each).

It averages 4.4 out of 5 based on 347 customer reviews and has over 220 questions answered.

11.6″ Acer Chromebook for $130

The Best Buy has a two-day sale ending Saturday night (April 5) that includes the 11.6″ Acer Chromebook for $130 with free shipping. This is available in the Moonstone white color scheme. Its official name is CB3-111-C8UB.

It has the basic budget specs of Chromies, 1366 x 768 resolution, no touchscreen, 2GB RAM, 16GB on-board storage, 2.4 lbs, one USB 3.0 port and one 2.0, HDMI output, card reader, and such.

New $150 Chromebook from Haier with 11.6″ screen

Chromebooks are striking back in the laptop price wars! Available right now for pre-order at Amazon.com for $150 is a new 11.6-inch Chromebook from Haier, model HR-116R.

The specs are familiar, 2GB RAM, 16GB on-board, microSD slot, two USB ports, HDMI, headphone jack, 2.4 lbs weight, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 2×2 (MIMO) a/b/g/n/ac, etc. The battery life estimate is up to ten hours. The processor is the Rockchip RK3288 1.8 GHz (Cortex A17).

It looks like this does not have a touch-screen, which is not a surprise considering the price. I could not find the actual screen resolution other than “HD” mentioned in the description. As usual, it comes with two years of 100GB Google Drive cloud storage.

[SOLD OUT] 11.6″ Samsung Chromebook XE303C12-A01US for $160

These sold out very fast, 1000 of them in just a matter of a couple of hours…

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