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I've done a few Chromebook videos in the past and talked a little bit about how this Apple fan boy went to the dark side and switched from a Macbook Laptop to a Chromebook. In a nutshell I do most of my "work" on my desktop (which is still an iMac) and use a laptop mainly for keeping on top of things without having to go into my office, I can open up my Chromebook wherevere I am and quickly catch up and deal with any fires I need to put out...
So I don't really need that full Mac experience on my Laptop but I do have specific needs and I have found a Chromebook fills those needs just fine for me at a fraction of the price of a Macbook.
;)
The Chromebook experience if you're not familiar with it is what you would expect if all you could do was use a web browser on your computer and for most of what we do, it all happens in a browser, email, calendars, social media, online storage, online word processing, music, movies and even some gaming.
What I did find with my initial Chromebook experience is that most of the hardware was pretty basic, lots of plastic and not that impressive screen resolutions and displays. This for sure keeps the Chromebook price down which is a big draw for buying a Chromebook but sometimes I want a little more of a deluxe computer. Something I can pull out at my local coffee shop and feel proud of... I also felt a little bit restricted with only being able to use a web browser as my main productivity tool.
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So here we are a couple of years later after being for the most part happy with using a Chromebook as my main portable and in that time a lot has changed in the Chromebook world. First of all there are several higher end offerings that now give Chromebook users much higher quality and higher resolutions glass screens, faster processing, designer looks and build quality that rivals that of the Apple Macbook. The other super huge Chromebook enouncement is that the Android Play store is now available on Chromebooks so this means if you have a compatible Chromebook than you can run almost all of the Android Play Store Apps, the same ones that run on Android Phones and Tablets! This opens up the Chromebook interface to a whole world of possibilities. What use to be a very restricted user experience is now virtually unlimited!
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All that and I have not even talked about the ASUS Flip C302 12.5 Inch Android Chromebook. The ASUS Flip C302 12.5 Inch Android Chromebook is one of these new deluxe Chromebooks with a premium design. It has a touch screen with true HD 1920x1080 12.5 inch gorilla glass display, an aluminum body, back lit keyboard and only weighs in at about 2.5 pounds. As the "Flip" in the name indicates, the ASUS Flip C302 12.5 Inch Android Chromebook can be used in multiple modes: Standard laptop mode, tablet mode, tent mode and stand mode.
I am sure you want to know all the specs, keep in mind that a Chromebook does not require nearly as much power as a Windows or even Apple system since the operating system and Apps run compact and efficiently.
- Operating System: Chrome OS
- Chipset: Intel Core Dual-core M3-6Y30 0.9 GHz (Turbo Frequency Up to 2.2 GHz)
- Memory: 4 GB Onboard Memory
- Display: Touch 12.5" (16:9 1920x1080) LED backlit FHD Corning Gorilla Glass
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 515
- Storage: eMMC 64GB LPDDR3
- Keyboard: Illuminated Chiclet Keyboard
- Card Reader: Multi-format card reader (SD/SDHC/SDXC)
- WebCam: HD Web Camera
- Networking: Wi-Fi Integrated 802.11 AC - Built-in Bluetooth V4.0
- Interface; 2 x Type A USB3.0 (USB3.1 GEN1) support display & support power delivery
1 x micro SD card
1 x audio jack COMBO - Battery: 2 Cells 39 Whrs Battery
- Power Adapter: Plug Type :USB TYPE C
Output : 20 V DC, 2.25 A, 45 W
Input : 100 -240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal - Dimensions: 13.00" x 9.10" x 0.80"- 0.90" (WxDxH)
- Weight: 2.65 lbs. with Battery
- Security: TPM (Trusted Platform Module)
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What I personally like about the ASUS Flip C302 12.5 Inch Android Chromebook:
- I love the design, it looks great with it's thin aluminum body and quality glass screen.
- The backlight keyboard is awesome, one of the best I have used, very responsive!
- I enjoy the versatility of being able to use the ASUS Flip C302 12.5 Inch Android Chromebook as a laptop or tablet.
- Having 10 hours of true battery life means I can use it all day and not need to drag around my charger.
- The side mounted stereo speakers are small but have a big sound.
- Having two new USB-C type connections means I can power, connect to drives and add an external HDMI monitor all using the one interface. Sure a USB-C break out adaptor is required but when I get home I only need to plug one cable into my ASUS Flip C302 12.5 Inch Android Chromebook and I'm ready to go.
- Having the new Android Play Store means I can now truly photo and video edit, word process, play games and run virtually any Android App I want to on my Chromebook. This is actually an advantage over Windows and Apple based laptops.
- Since I have multiple Social Media accounts and websites connected to multiple emails, the Chromebook allows me to setup multiple users for each one. Switching between them is instantaneous! There is no faster way to switch back and forth between my social media accounts.
Now for about one third the price of an entry level Macbook that has surprisingly similar specifications, I can pickup a Chromebook like the ASUS Flip C302 12.5 Inch Android Chromebook without having to compromise anything! I get a classy quality looking piece of kit that is fast and can fill all my needs, even some I didn't know I had.