Asus Chromebook CM14 Review: An Uber-Cheap Laptop

The bully quality is that the keyboard and trackpad are beauteous bully here. The Chromebook CM14 offers a comfy typing experience, and the trackpad is spacious, though the worldly Asus uses has a small much resistance than I’d like. They’re backed up by a coagulated basal to the laptop without immoderate flex during mean use.

You get a afloat 1,920 x 1,080-pixel solution connected the 14-inch screen, though Asus has show scaling acceptable retired of the container truthful it looks much similar a 1,536 x 864-pixel screen. You tin set the scaling backmost down to autochthonal solution and it looks suitably crisp. However, I can’t accidental the aforesaid astir the washed-out colors, dim max brightness, and mediocre viewing angles of the TN display.

If there’s 1 superpower the MediaTek level brings to the CM14, it’s efficiency. I was impressed with the artillery beingness I could eke retired of this laptop, clocking successful astir 10 to 11 hours of mixed usage passim a mean workday. Asus claims you tin get up to 15 hours of artillery life, truthful you whitethorn beryllium capable to compression retired adjacent much depending connected however you usage it.

The webcam isn’t thing special, giving you a 720p shooter that looks OK connected video calls. You get a carnal power to artifact it for other privacy, which is simply a bully touch. Ports are besides comparatively bully for the price. There are 2 USB-C ports, 1 USB-A port, a 3.5-mm headphone jack, and 1 microSD paper slot. The microSD slot is useful if you privation other storage, arsenic the 64 GB of built-in retention is definite to go restrictive.

Hunt for Sales

So should you bargain the Asus Chromebook CM14? Maybe. When you dip into the fund range, determination are ever trade-offs, and they’re evident successful the mediocre show and show struggles. However, agleam spots similar large artillery life, a coagulated build, and a bully keyboard marque the CM14 a Chromebook worthy considering if you tin get by with the astir basal of basics.

What makes this a pugnacious determination is the assertive pricing I’ve seen connected much susceptible Chromebook Plus laptops, which commencement astatine $399 but are often connected merchantability for overmuch less. At the Chromebook CM14’s afloat $299 price, it’s worthy considering whether you tin prime up a much almighty option, similar the Acer Chromebook Plus 514, by spending a small other erstwhile it’s connected sale. That said, I’ve seen the CM14 dip to $180 erstwhile it’s connected sale, and it’s perfectly a large bargain astatine that price.