Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
It’s a time of year when we’re seeing a some great prices on laptops, even the most affordable ones. But it’s rare to see a laptop from a brand as reputable as HP go on sale for less than $200. Yet here we are, as Best Buy is offering $50 off the HP Chromebook 14, selling it for $199, down from $249.
If what you’re looking for is something a little more bare-bones, without a ton of bells and whistles or unnecessary add-ons, the HP Chromebook 14 could be the laptop for you. It’s a great traveler, light and fast, and doesn’t require huge amounts of processing power or memory. Thanks to the cloud-based Chrome OS, the HP Chromebook 14 which allows these features, and hence the price to be pared down, the Chromebook is an ideal affordable work companion.
Something that’s key for any portable computer is durability. The thing about a traveler is that, no matter how careful you are, it’s going to get tossed around, even just in your bag or briefcase. That’s why we love the HP Chromebook 14’s durable build quality. The Chromebook is plastic, which we don’t always love, but which hurts not at all when it comes to durability. It’s a little thicker than other, more expensive laptops, but this ends up helping the durability instead of hurting it. While the plastic and thickness might not make it as sightly as a new MacBook, it actually looks decent and the design is fun without being over-the-top.
There’s some more bang for your buck in the processor, which is a Stoney Ridge A4-9210C. This is a dual-core chip that measures up Intel’s Pentium CPUs, which is great news. And it’s backed up by 4GB system memory for multitasking and 32GB eMMC flash memory. The Chromebook 14 is one of the first Chrome OS machines to be powered by AMD. In our testing, this measured up comparably well to Intel’s chips, which is saying a lot given the price. So, it’s not a howitzer, but this machine has more than enough power to take on everyday tasks (and it stays quiet and cool for the most part, as well) and is excellent with Android gaming.
Another feature we really like is the touchpad. It uses HP’s usual wide format to fit the display, which gave us a good deal of tactile feedback as well as precision for scrolling and swiping. We appreciated the accuracy and response in the normal Chrome OS multitouch gestures and we really appreciated the supported touch display, which is rare to see on inexpensive laptops.
If you are looking for a laptop that won’t put a dent in your wallet, browse our Chromebook deals. If you think you’re perhaps ready for a little more machine, there’s always our laptop deals, which offer discounts on some of the best brands in the business. If you need something affordable that will take care of your basic work, viewing, and Android gaming needs — the HP Chromebook 14 could be the laptop for you. Especially at $50 off, for $199 ,down from $249.
We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and we choose what we cover carefully and independently. The prices, details, and availability of the products and deals in this post may be subject to change at anytime. Be sure to check that they are still in effect before making a purchase.Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.