![]() ![]() You could do worse, but you could also do a lot better. I won't call the Chromebook Duet's general performance outright bad, but it is mediocre. You only get 4GB of RAM, meaning this bad boy isn't going to like it if you try to do too many demanding things at once. It bears repeating that the Chromebook Duet is just $289.99 with 64GB of storage. The Bad: Mediocre performance with a flimsy build and a lack of ports While its tablet mode isn't terrible by any means, it does pale in comparison to the iPad, highlighting the Duet's biggest problem: performance. The screen is plenty responsive, but since this is ChromeOS, you're locked to using the Chrome browser and Android versions of apps. Take the keyboard off and it works fine, but somewhat unremarkably, as a touch device. Oh yeah, you can use it as a tablet, too. It's probably a safe assumption that some of you will be doing remote learning this fall, and as far as I can tell, the Chromebook Duet's battery should be more than up to the task. However, even with a decent amount of video chatting during one of those work days, the Chromebook Duet's battery didn't take a major hit. Obviously, more intensive activities will drain it much more quickly. This is a pretty solid keyboard, once you get used to the small size. I used it as a primary work machine for a couple of days in the process of writing this review, and I didn't need to plug it in until about lunchtime on the second day. You won't need to panic trying to find a power outlet between classes thanks to a 7,000mAh battery packed into the Duet. One of the nicest things about the Chromebook Duet is the battery. It's just noisy enough that incessant typing might bother the people sitting next to you, though. That said, key presses feel satisfying and the keys are adequately spaced out so you're not jamming your finger onto seven of them at once in the middle of class. My hands are on the bigger side, so occasionally it feels like they're being squished together while I type. Speaking of the keyboard, its small size is just about the only problem I have with it. Whether you're hauling it from classroom to classroom, or from bedroom to living room, there's practically no labor involved. More than anything else, the Chromebook Duet is portable. It might as well not exist at that point. Using it as just a tablet brings that number down to a single, solitary pound in weight. The Chromebook Duet also weighs only about two pounds with the keyboard attached, so you won't be lugging around something unbearably heavy all day. The keyboard easily snaps on and off thanks to magnets. It'll fit on those crummy little desks that are attached to lecture hall seats with no hassle. And when you attach the included keyboard via magnetic connectors on the bottom side, that will only take up about 9.6-inches by 6.6-inches of desk real estate. The 10.1-inch display is more befitting of a mid-sized tablet than a true laptop screen. If that's the case, I have great news: The Chromebook Duet is basically unimpeachable by this metric. So, you may not want your note-taking and homework machine to turn that process into a workout by being too big and heavy. In other words, you're moving around a lot. Under normal, non-pandemic circumstances, going to school means shuffling between a series of dreary classrooms where you sit for 45 to 90 minutes while, ideally, learning something. ![]() ![]() The Good: Truly portable with a lasting battery Is the Chromebook Duet the perfect back-to-school companion or will it leave you jealous of your classmates' laptops? Keep on reading to find out. Of course, its low price point means that corners had to be cut along the way. Snap that sucker on and it turns into a laptop without any hassle. Priced at $289.99, the Chromebook Duet is essentially a basic ChromeOS (Google's simple operating system for Chromebooks) tablet that comes with a detachable keyboard and trackpad. The new Lenovo Chromebook Duet is, if nothing else, an eye-catching option for students operating on a tight budget. Everyone wishes they could have a MacBook for school, but not everyone has that kind of money lying around.
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