#love that chrome takes so much processor power

[poorvikasmartgadgets]

OnePlus Nord CE4 5G: Power, Style, and Innovation in Your Hands

The smartphone market has become more competitive than ever, and OnePlus continues to push boundaries with its latest release, the OnePlus Nord CE4 5G. Known for delivering premium features without breaking the bank, the Nord CE4 5G is a compelling choice for tech enthusiasts who want a high-performance device at an affordable price. Packed with the latest innovations and a sleek, durable design, this phone is poised to capture attention and redefine mid-range smartphones.

Overview of OnePlus Nord CE4 5G Features

OnePlus has pulled out all the stops with the OnePlus Nord CE4 5G by equipping it with impressive features that make it a must-have. Here's a quick rundown of the standout highlights:

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor: Blazing fast performance for seamless multitasking and gaming.

100W SUPERVOOC charging: Get fully charged in just 29 minutes.

5,500mAh battery: Ensures you stay powered all day.

120Hz AMOLED display: Smooth, vibrant visuals for everything from streaming to gaming.

Aqua Touch technology: Control your phone even in the rain.

50MP Sony camera with OIS: Capture stunning RAW HDR photos with incredible detail.

OxygenOS 14.0: The latest software for faster animations and more intuitive usage.

Design: Show Your True Colors

One of the most exciting aspects of the OnePlus Nord CE4 5G is its design. The phone comes in two stunning colors—Celadon Marble and Dark Chrome—both of which are crafted to stand out in a crowd. The Celadon Marble colorway is particularly eye-catching, featuring a smooth, artistic look that feels like a masterpiece in your hand. The 2.8D rear cover adds a touch of sophistication, making this one of the most aesthetically pleasing phones in the market.

But it's not all about looks. The Nord CE4 5G is built to last. Its bezel material is incredibly tough—so much so that it survived a 1.5-meter drop onto marble during testing. Whether you're clumsy or cautious, you can trust that this phone can take a beating and keep going.

Performance: Power to Play All Day

At the heart of the OnePlus Nord CE4 5G is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor, which ensures blazing-fast performance for all your needs. Whether you're a hardcore gamer, multitasker, or just someone who hates lag, this processor, paired with OnePlus's Trinity Engine, guarantees a smooth, fast, and efficient experience. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 also excels in power efficiency, allowing you to keep apps running in the background without draining the battery.

Speaking of battery, the 5,500mAh unit in this phone is a powerhouse in itself. You'll get over a full day of usage on a single charge, whether you're streaming, gaming, or snapping photos. Plus, with the 100W SUPERVOOC fast charging, your battery will go from 0 to 100% in just 29 minutes. You won’t have to worry about waiting around for a charge ever again!

OnePlus has also integrated a Battery Health Engine that helps prolong the life of your battery, supporting up to four years of daily charging without a noticeable drop in performance. This is a huge win for users who plan on keeping their phone for several years.

Display: Aqua-Touch and AMOLED Brilliance

The Nord CE4 5G doesn’t just impress with performance—it dazzles with its 17.02cm (6.7-inch) AMOLED display. With HDR10+ colors and a 120Hz refresh rate, this display delivers ultra-smooth visuals, making every tap, swipe, and scroll feel fluid. Whether you're binge-watching your favorite series or enjoying mobile games, the display's responsiveness and visual clarity are truly remarkable.

A unique feature of the Nord CE4’s display is its Aqua Touch technology. This innovation allows you to use your phone even when it's wet—whether you’re caught in a drizzle or using your phone with damp fingers. Say goodbye to the frustrating moment when your phone stops responding just because it's raining!

Camera: Capture Every Detail

Photography enthusiasts will love the 50MP Sony LYT-600 camera equipped with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) for enhanced clarity and stability. The phone also features an 8MP ultra-wide lens, ensuring that group shots and landscape photos come out looking stunning. Whether you're shooting in daylight or low light, the RAW HDR capability ensures that your images retain lifelike detail with natural color, lighting, and shadow.

Some exciting new modes include Portrait Mode 2.0, which adds professional-quality bokeh effects to your portrait shots, and ICE 2.0, which captures fast-moving objects, like pets or kids, with greater clarity. This makes the OnePlus Nord CE4 5G perfect for all types of photography, from selfies to action shots.

Software: OxygenOS 14.0 Brings the Future to You

One of the biggest advantages of the OnePlus Nord CE4 5G is that it comes with OxygenOS 14.0 right out of the box. This latest version of OxygenOS brings numerous improvements, such as faster animations, enhanced music playback, and better color management for a more personalized user experience.

The File Dock feature is particularly useful, allowing you to sort files and content seamlessly across apps. You can also take advantage of Smart Cutout, a tool that makes photo editing easier by recognizing people and objects more accurately. This feature is perfect for creating social media posts or quick edits before sharing photos with friends and family.

The phone also comes with Auto Pixelate 2.0, which automatically blurs sensitive information, such as phone numbers and contact details, in screenshots, ensuring your privacy is protected when sharing images online.

Pricing, Availability, and Offers

Wondering how much the OnePlus Nord CE4 5G will set you back? With all its premium features, you might expect a hefty price tag, but OnePlus keeps things affordable. The OnePlus Nord CE4 5G price in India starts at a competitive price range, making it accessible for a wide audience. Additionally, OnePlus often runs exclusive offers, including EMI options and trade-in deals, allowing you to get the best value for your money. You can also explore OnePlus Nord CE4 offers that bundle accessories or extended warranties to sweeten the deal.

Conclusion: Why You Should Buy OnePlus Nord CE4 5G

The OnePlus Nord CE4 5G is a powerhouse mid-range smartphone that checks all the boxes—design, performance, battery life, and camera quality. Whether you're someone who values aesthetics, needs a phone that can keep up with intensive apps, or simply wants a reliable device with a long-lasting battery, the Nord CE4 5G delivers.

From the Aqua Touch display to the 100W SUPERVOOC charging and Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor, OnePlus has ensured that this phone will impress even the most demanding users. Add to that the latest OxygenOS 14.0 software, and you have a phone that feels as premium on the inside as it looks on the outside.

So, if you’re in the market for a feature-packed smartphone that won't break the bank, buy OnePlus Nord CE4 5G today and enjoy the best of what mobile technology has to offer!

[ofthcvoid]

y’all i think chrome chokes my laptop to the point i cant run stardew bc i have so many mods running... i have 190. i should probably trim that down but... no

[duckapus]

Calvin’s Cannery and Cerebral Cyberspace

Two ideas I had for Psychonauts mental worlds.

Calvin’s Cannery is inside the mind of Dr. Calvin Marlin, a marine biologist and powerful telekinetic who’s been stuck in a lab at the bottom of the ocean alone for five years because his bosses are shit and it’s hard to argue worker’s rights when you’re living underwater and relying on supply deliveries and metal domes to stay alive. He’s found by Milla and Raz when they sense a psychic distress signal coming from his subconscious while on a completely different mission.

When they find him he’s become so wrapped up in his work through a combination of hyperfixation and mental breakdown that he doesn’t even notice there’s finally other people in front of him, so they go in to get him un-stuck. As the name implies, the mental world combines his love of fish and hatred of his thankless, literally-dead-end job into a sardine canning factory run by the very sardines that get canned there, with Raz and Milla entering via cans small enough that Raz finds them cramped and Milla...well, let’s just say it’s a very good thing that she’s an astral projection. Calvin’s inner self has gotten stuck inside the factory’s mechanisms, and to get him out the agents have to reach the control room and switch everything from automatic to manual.

Obviously this isn’t as simple as just walking through the factory floor, since the entire place has been warped into a deadly obstacle course that violates every OSHA regulation you can think of as well as several laws of physics. There’s also the Floor Manager, a hulking whale of a sardine who considers Raz and Milla employees and will can them both figuratively and literally if he catches them “slacking off,” which applies to pretty much every action you can take, so just don’t get caught. At the end of the level he’s the one who gets caught in the machines, specifically a food processor used to make canned tuna, and merges with it to become a boss I’m currently calling the Daily Grinder.

Afterwards Calvin tags along with the agents so he can escape the lab, quit his job, get some fucking therapy, and take legal action against the godawful company that left him to rot down there.

Cerebral Cyberspace is inside an Artificial Intelligence that serves as the main computer of a Psychonauts base where all the agents have mysteriously disappeared. Looking into those disappearances is what Raz and Milla’s mission was in the first place, and in order to continue the investigation they need to find the security camera footage between when they were last heard from and now. Unfortunately the computer is infested with viruses that make it impossible for them to find anything, and it could take hours or even a full day for Sasha to talk Milla through fixing it(since the three people actually there aren’t tech savy enough to do it on their own).

Raz ends up doing his own thing in the meantime and realizes that the computer has a mind of its own, so he decides to see if it counts enough as a mind for him to project into it. Turns out it does, so now he can find the footage and clear out the viruses from the inside. It has that futuristic white blue and chrome look that a lot of sci fi stuff has, and the AI(initially called Unit KL-C41905, then renamed to Kelsie), creates a little floating robot avatar so she can follow Raz around and help out. The boss of the area is the original virus, which has merged into Kelsie’s central processor and is holding the security camera files hostage.

Afterwards it’s revealed that the Psychonauts in the base were abducted by some notorious group of psychic villains that I haven’t come up with a name for yet, and it’s also revealed that while Raz was in there, his body, Milla and Calvin were also taken, stranding his astral projection in Kelsie’s mind. At least until she manages to rig up a temporary robot body for him to use while the two of them work together to fix this.

[anon-e-miss]

I kinda didn't realize this was an ask meme ^^' But if it is still welcome - I'd like: “Sorry - did I scare you?”

The habsuite was dark when Prowl returned home from too long a work-cycle. He should have called it work-cycles because Prowl had not been home in three mega-cycles.  Worse still, it felt as if he had accomplished nothing. Prowl did not bear frustration well, and he did not suffer fools. Corruption within Command hampered him each turn he took. Perhaps they had come to  realize his ultimate mission. Perhaps they had come to realize that they were his prey. Ultimately it mattered little because Prowl would continue as he always he had.

He knew someone kept rooting through his office, he had suspicions it was more than one someone, but that was still no matter. There was nothing to find, nothing save for some encrypted datapad that led to wild goose chases. Prowl never put a signal glyph of his investigations down onto a datapad until he was submitting it to the Lord of Law. The fact that he even had a work station was something of a rouse. He did not use it for work, of course he did not. Prowl used the best equipment on Cybertron to perform his investigations, his own processor. While this meant the greatest possible security surrounding his investigations, it meant considerable strain on his frame. After running his ATS at full power for three mega-cycle straight, Prowl was exhausted. He flicked on the light and turned to the small kitchen intend on downing a cube before he collapsed on his berth. As he turned the corner, Prowl cursed in start and horror as a mech dripping with mechfluid stared back at him.

“Sorry - did I scare ya?”

“Damn it, Jazz, what are you doing in my kitchen, and covered in mechfluid?”

“It ain’t mine,” Jazz declared, giving himself a quick once over.

“That is not my concern,” Prowl replied. His helm was throbbing.

“Ya wound me, Prowler.”

“My designation is Prowl. Has your logic processor been corrupted? What possessed you to hide out in my apartment? Are you trying to get me arrested.”

“I didn’t leave a trail,” Jazz replied. “‘M a professional.”

“Primus save me from fools. Why my kitchen? Why not my washracks, you need a shower.”

“Needed a cube. So do you. When was the last time ya had any energon.”

“This is not about me,” Prowl ground back. “What are you doing here? Wait... you took out Garboil... I told you to wait.”

“He made his move, there was no more waitin’.”

“Did you bathe in his energon?”

“No, but he was a squirter.”

“I am trying to remember why I associate with you, Jazz. Go take a shower. I will take care of your mess.”

“Much obliged,” Jazz replied. He paused at Prowl side, and quickly kissed Prowl’s cheek. “Love ya, Prowler. Don’t forget yer energon.”

Prowl stood stock still for a klik before he trudged over to the energon dispenser and quickly filled a cube. He saw his reflection in the polished chrome and saw the smudge of pink on his cheek. With a curse Prowl wiped it away. There was no question he had lost his processor when he had taken up this arrangement with Jazz.

[laptophubonline]

Best Rose Gold Laptops 2020

A computer is an digital tool that has a full-size impact on our lives. In this era, laptops are an important need for our existence. Laptops make our lifestyles less complicated and greater prepared than earlier than. Everybody wishes laptops, whether or not we're in school, office, or on the workplace. Advanced generation is added, and lots of revolutionary inputs are offered.

Laptops delivered a modern trade in our society and came with higher processors and pace. Apple and plenty of other groups manufacture rose gold laptops. Rose gold laptops are famous in recent times because of its beauty and attraction. Pink laptops had been on a popular list of ladies because of its purple coloration but rose gold laptops have emerged as a uni-intercourse shade. Many clients pick those laptops.

Rose gold laptops, no doubt, provide elegance a smart and Classy appearance. These laptops have remarkable talents. They will do anything from internet browsing to video calls, audio calls, song, and lots of greater. The colour specification is so elegant that you can effortlessly carry with you everywhere. You will by no means become bored with the aid of its shade.

You will not regret when you purchase a rose gold computer. But wait, I would love to inform you, why rose gold laptops are worth shopping for?? Or why rose gold laptops are higher than different laptops? Here are the statistics which you could’t ignore.

Those statistics are:

Many groups make rose gold laptops like Apple, Dell, Microsoft floor, and lots of extra.

These are very amazing laptops.

These are very lightweight. These are much less probably to harm because of weight.

The vital feature is that it has the eighth technology of CPUs. That guarantees you the pleasant

It’s an excellent destiny computer that ensures the first-class overall performance.

This article has mixed pinnacle rose gold/crimson laptops that will help you pick out effectively and wisely. We try and cowl each vital detail that grants on each function and fashion fronts.  If you're seeking out a specific pc that’s portable, skinny light with a positive quantity of energy together with your paintings or some thing, we're simply main you inside the proper route.

List of rose gold laptops

MSI Prestige 14 – Pink laptop

Google pixel Go – Pink computer

Dell xps 9370 laptop – Rose gold pc

Apple Macbook Air – Rose gold laptop

Razer Blade 15 gaming laptop – Pink pc

Microsoft floor computer 3 -Rose gold computer

MSI Prestige 14 A10SC-091 – Pink pc

New Dell xps thirteen 9380 – Rose computer

Razer blade stealth13- Pink Edition laptop

Hp spectre X360 13t Rose gold computer.

Apple MacBook Air – Rose gold computer

Design

Apple’s slimmest and lightest MacBook ever. 13.Three inches show with more new features, extra effective specifications underneath the hood with better integrated exceptional. The Macbook is more less costly and of a lot price than its predecessor. It’s an exceptional desire if you need a computer with speedy speed and overall performance, then this computer is best for you. It comes with a unique entry with a beautiful show and a dual-core processor. It is a bit high priced if we have a look at their beginning specification.

Apple MacBook Air adorable design with tremendous battery life. The maximum popular MacBook of Apple. Made up of one hundred percent aluminum. The coloration specification is quite selective. Great processor with extraordinary performance. You can work on it with none computer virus or blunders.

Display

Apple did now not change the external layout of the MacBook air from its predecessor. This MacBook is slim and clever, with a dimension of eleven.97 x eight.36 x 0.Sixty one inches. Its weight is two.Seventy five kilos, and it remains an exceptionally lightweight laptop. The new Apple MacBook air rose gold pc has 13.30 inch (diagonal) with LED IPS technology.

The resolution is about 227pixel in step with inch. Support millions of colours. Truetone Technology. It’s the eighth era laptop of intel center i5 processor with faster boot up to three.6GHZ. Mac operating gadget. The memory of RAM is 8GB, with a storage of 128GB. The pix used in it is intel UHD images 617.

Keyboard & Touchpad

Apple made a magic keyboard within the MacBook Air. It has 1-millimeter key tour, the air key is springy and a secure click on that makes you preserve typing. The trackpad is large, easy, and cool to the touch with a quick and correct reaction. The bottom corner of the pad is great and clicky.

Performance

This is the first MacBook air, which has a quad-center processor. You can open many pages in chrome, and you did now not see any sign of a slowdown. MacBook air had a rocky begin on our benchmark. It scores 2738 on geek bench five.0 within the overall performance take a look at. Overall, architecture and build inside the technique make it extra perfect. Convenient to use and use without problems with any slowdown signal.

Battery

The battery life of Macbook air can closing a full day. The laptop lasts as much as 9 hours and 31 minutes.

Ports and Connectivity

Slim MacBook does not allow many ports.On the left aspect, a couple of Thunderbolt 3 is gift. And at the proper aspect, you get best a headset jack, and that’s it. If you intend to use a mouse or SD card, you'll want a dongle or USB kind-c port.

Google pixel Go – Pink laptop  

Design

Google pixel Go is the most elegantly designed laptop ever and springs in, not pink coloration and magnesium shell. Google tells us that magnesium has a higher power to weight ratio; it approach that it is able to use less fabric. It comes with an extraordinary battery and additionally much less costly, so you effortlessly buy this clever computer.

The most important characteristic is on the bottom, that is ribbed for a relaxed grip. The purple model is a deep orange color that clearly looks desirable—the maximum in your price range and reachable laptop for the user. Full HD comes with a thirteen.3 LCD contact screen show. Due to its Magnesium case, it feels very strong but, no doubt, a completely light-weight and slender laptop, you ever had.

Display

The Google Pixel Go is a softly rounded corner with a thirteen.3-inch 1080p display surrounded by way of bezels. There is a 4k Molecular display. Its design is easy and simple, and the rims curve into each different gently. Its weight is two.3 pounds and half inches thick—great keyboard with a large amount of springy resistance.

Two loudspeakers flank the keyboard, and when you open it, it offers you MacBook vibes. The most comfy pc you ever kind. You can also turn the display screen by using just the use of your finger.

There are  USB -C ports on each aspects, and it supports fast charging. There is a headphone jack too and a module for Bluetooth. There are not any garage growth slots, that's a chunk disappointing. There is also no fingerprint sensor nor face detector.

Google Pixel Go utilizes a 1080 touchscreen that shows shades with vibrancy and accuracy. Plus, a 1080p the front-facing digicam that records video at 60 frames in step with 2d.

Keyboard & Touchpad

A backlit keypad and Hush keys are making the pixel ebook extra cozy. There is a google assistant key on the lower left of the keyboard that quickly pops up interference. The keys have longer tour and are made of gentle fabric so that you can kind simply. The touchpad is spacious and accurate. Full-length keyboard with trackpad and stereo audio system are present. The useful key can without problems pick the alternatives like brightness, extent, song playback, lower back, and multitasking display.

Performance

Google pixels Go a groundbreaking overall performance with Intel CPUs internal. High great with exceptional speed. It has an 8th gen intel center processor that is built for pace and powering everything. Chrome Os updates mechanically, giving you exceptional features and protection. 8.3 million pixels and twin audio system provide you with first-rate pix and sound and lots of greater. In short, any undertaking can be executed in this pixel cross computer with none issues.

Battery

Google claimed 12 hours on a charge, which is rare for each pc. The most effective different computer that comes near their marketed battery life determine is Apple. Google pixel can rise up to 2 hours of battery charge in only two mins.

Ports and Connectivity

It handiest supports  USB-C ports (charging and display out) and three.5mm headphone jack. The USB port can take care of both charging and display output. Laptop’s mid-range and high-stop configuration are easily outmatched by means of thunderbolt 3 ports when we look at their charge equivalent opposition.

Dell xp 9370 computer- Rose gold Laptop

Design

This pc is one of the most famous and suitable laptops ever. Excellent, built fine, Smooth revel in, and Hefty Price tag. Light in weight, powerful, and MacBook of Windows. One of the most sold laptops of 2019. The XPS thirteen 9370 in 13.30 inches has infinity show bezels which are 23 percent thinner. Images seem to pop more.

Impressive brightness, super color satisfactory with incredible sharpness is rather attractive. The noticeably regarded Dell XPS 13which spearhead the now so narrow bezel design. The XPS Intel Core i5 8850U processor and 4k UHD panel. The display of XPS 13 is so selective, and for the i5 center version, it's miles constrained to a 1080 non-touchscreen display. The Dell panel is quite extraordinary. The i5 version is likewise available with an FHD show.

Display

Dell XPS 9370 pc comes in rose gold shade. It is a slightly thinner, lighter, a excellent, high-quality, and faster laptop of Dell. Window hello digital camera, costly Alpine white keyboard with awesome battery life. Great keypad and trackpad. Biometric popularity is preferred with exceptional design. It has an infinity-side touch show with a fingerprint reader.

Keyboard & Touchpad

The keyboard of XPS thirteen offers you a solid typing revel in, even though the keys are a bit on the shallow facet. The computer is so thin in size that it affects the keys, and every key has 1.2millionmeters of journey. Buttonless touchpad furnished extraordinarily correct navigation. The pad response right now and correctly. It also has a multi-contact gesture including pinch to zoom or fingerprint swipe action.

Performance

Dell XPS thirteen handles the entirety without a hiccup. It has dual enthusiasts, dual heat pipes, and special thermal insulation. Due to its specific thermal setup, it prevents its processor from heating. Due to its Dell new cooling system, it sustained higher performance in lengthy obligations. It configures extremely-overall performance with hotter temperatures.

Battery

Xps 9360 offers you above common battery lifestyles, and non touchscreen lasts several hours longer. Its battery lifestyles is ready 12 hours and 37 mins.

Ports and Connectivity

Xps 13 when slimming all the way down to 0.Forty six inches, unfortunately, there is no USB Type-A port. On the left side of XPS 13, you'll find thunderbolt three ports. This thunderbolt can fee the pc or join it to high-pace peripherals. Noble lock slot and a battery gauge are gift, which show the extent of prices. There is a 3.5mm audio jack, a microSD card slot, and a USB type C port on the proper aspect. In this 9370, thunderbolt three ports, the huge development is four-lane PCI connections.

MSI Prestige 14 – Pink gold pc

The status 14 comes in a brand new coat of pink color with an extremely good appearance. On the first appearance, you may realize the computer looks very classy. The MSI status is a 14-inch laptop with an IO to connect all of the devices you want in a small and transportable shape. Its design is very attractive and really comfy as well. It comes with middle i7 10 era processors.

It performs a couple of duties in it. The MSI status is a completely smart, on hand, and modest model. It has a percent of discrete photographs card inside the shape of an Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650 Max-Q. The show is blanketed with crimson bezels, and the MSI brand is gift on the lowest.

Design

The MSI status 14 is in crimson rose coloration with an aluminum chassis. Quit formidable coloration that can be carried through both the genders. Opening the pc exhibits more pinks chassis due to the fact the whole lot is built so well and beautifully that you could’t ignore its information. Bit formidable and sleek, however you can't take the pc by using simply watching its coloration. When we open the pc, you have an additional touchpad that occupies a truthful amount of area. But the most substantial characteristic of prestige 14 is the hinges. Similar to Asus Erogo’s layout, status raises the computer that offers you a greater cozy experience. Plus, the show absolutely lay flat so you can do your collaborative sports.

Keyboard & Touchpad  

When you start typing on this, you recognize that it's miles a quite exact keypad you install your hand. Keyboard has white lighting inside the background. Comfortable keyboard present in it. The keys are big and provide precise space. Whenever you open the computer, bring the keyboard to a moderate perspective. The embedded fingerprint scanner inside the touchpad provides an additional layer of privateness.

Performance

Prestige 14 is as powerful as it's far pretty. It offers you strong performance via manner of an intel core i7 processor and Nvidia discrete pix. MSI placed some security features in the status to guard your documents.

Battery

MSI lasts 9 hours and 49 minutes above the common restriction and some other plus factor to the laptop.

Ports and Connectivity

You will locate an Ethernet port with two USB ports and two card reader slots on the USB hub. One for SD and other for micro SD. Two ports of thunderbolt 3 and three.5 mm headphone jack gift.

Razer Blade 15 gaming pc – Pink pc

Design

Pink laptop with excessive-decision strength. Best laptop for gaming. Thin, colorful, rapid with 15.6

complete HD show for an immersive enjoy. Pink shade, steel, reliable, and mild laptop.

One of the thinnest laptops ever. You can also customise the backlight coloration of the

Keyboard. Perfect display for wok or gaming. Razer Blade 15 is an part to side 100 percentage sRGB, factory calibrated matte display. Intense gaming periods with lovely visible contents.

Razer blade 15 gaming pc processor has six-center i7-9750H. It runs on Windows 10.

The image adapter used is NVIDIA Geforce RTX 2060 Max-Q with a 4k UHD OLED show.

16GB RAM. And 512GB of SSD garage. Its show is ready 15.6inch. And additionally contain biometric protection.

Display

Razer Blade 15 is the thinnest in its class and has the smallest footprints of a gaming computer. This computer has double extent and is an inch larger in both width and depth. Razer Blade is not any bloatware, so you can easily get a easy set up with any crucial software program. Storage space is absolutely out of the box.

The Razer brand brought a brand new and inventory pc, the Blade 15 gaming computer. It provides you with a fast visual experience for gaming in a brilliant aluminum device.

Keyboard & Touchpad

Razer claims that you handiest have the optical keyboard in collection 15. Most accurate and powerful keyboard. The key switches are optical, bit faster, and in simple terms mechanical.

Performance

Razer blade 15 indicates terrific performance within the maximum compact footprint possible. And also remarkably durable. It has biometric security with home windows good day immediately facial liberate and authentication with an included web digital camera or even an IR sensor. Zero compromise powerhouse with destiny proof design included into it.

Battery

The laptop offers 5hour, and 48min of battery life, which you observe is under average. It is due to the electricity-consuming hardware and show that leaves you low on battery in a be counted of some hours.

Ports and Connectivity

The computer best helps a Thunderbolt three port, mini show port, and HDMI expands the view. It has a plugin for multiple USB three.1 gadgets and Gigabit Ethernet.

Microsoft floor laptop three -Rose gold laptop

Design

Microsoft floor computer three is elegant and clean to hold. Available in thirteen.5 and 15 new touchscreen. The progressed pace with  elegant keyboard finishes. Touch display with pen enter. High-overall performance portable device. Fast computing and tremendous portraits performance. The third technology of Microsoft laptops is an ultraportable laptop.

Microsoft surface era three computer has intel center i5 and i7 processor with 10th technology. Os runs on Window 10. RAM 16GB with 256Gb storage. The pix are Intel Iris plus snap shots. It comes after Apple Macbook and MacBook seasoned and has many identical capabilities, however this computer gives you window mobile experience. Premium design with extremely good overall performance.

Display

Microsoft Surface three laptop has 13.5 inches touch show and springs with an awesome upgrading service. Microsoft did some of it to make it extra at ease and at ease to use. It has an aluminum clamshell computer with a barely wedged form. It isn't always the lightest 13-inch laptop you get, however it actually is not cumbersome.

Keyboard & Touchpad

The keyboard has a tender-contact surface that gives a at ease and pleasant click with exceptional spacing. The keypad is ready 20 percent larger than one the pc 2. Very easy and smooth to apply with high-quality tracking and palm rejection. This is the fine keyboard and trackpad mixture you could get within the window world.

Performance

It has super performance for productiveness duties. It is also in a position enough to handle lightroom and photoshop. If you figure below numerous tabs and playing returned 4k video as well, you don’t get slow down updates. In reality, the 13.5-inch version is the fastest and relaxed computer within the Windows international.

Battery

It offers an above-common battery lifestyles mark with a electricity backup of up to nine hours and 17 minutes. It without difficulty lasts an afternoon of labor with none slowing down or problems.

Ports and Connectivity

Microsoft Surface 3 has 3 ports. On the computer’s left side, there may be a USB three.1 type A port, a USB Type-C enter, and a headphone/mic jack. It will provide you with powerful window functions with extra safety equipment and Additional agency Management. But sadly, it does no longer help Thunderbolt three pace, so you are restrained to USB-C devices.

MSI Prestige 14 – Pink laptop

Design

MSI Prestige 14 is an elegant, narrow, and a modest computer, no question. If you're searching out a crimson shade laptop, then this pc is best for you due to the fact the ambitious coloration makes it extra attractive. It is red in colour from top to bottom. It has an aluminum lid with MSI’s Dragon protect emblem.

Display

MSI Prestige 14 is a purple laptop with superb overall performance and extraordinary capabilities. Discrete images with wonderful battery existence. And yes, it's far an ultraportable pc. The fingerprint reader is present on the keypad.

MSI is a good gaming computer with a powerful processor, GPU, and cooling mechanism. It is an brilliant and accurate device you operate for work or any other reason.

Keyboard & Touchpad

Its keypad is unique, elegant, and backlit. There is a characteristic key at the far proper side of the keyboard like delete, insert, web page up, and web page down. Another give up of the keypad, exactly at the left facet, is a caps lock key and traditional tabs. The universal keyboard is right and easy to use.

These are obnoxiously big and offer proper spacing as nicely. The white backlight is shiny sufficient that you can effortlessly paintings in a darkened room.

Performance

MSI prestige is lovely and quite powerful. It offers you strong overall performance with nine hours of battery lifestyles. MSI put several safety features in it. Touchpad fingerprint reader provides a further layer of protection via home windows howdy. If you want a multi-tasking laptop, then this pc is correct and ideal for you to use. This computer will not show symptoms of lag.

Battery

MSI status lasts nine hours and forty nine minutes on medium settings and while lighter duties make it remaining a piece longer.

Ports and Connectivity

MSI status has a pair of USB three.1 Type-A port on the proper aspect of laptops. The headset jack is also present alongside this side. On the opposite aspect, you get  Thunderbolt three ports and a microSD card reader.

Razer blade stealth13- Pink Edition pc

Design

Razer blade stealth 13 comes in a red edition. The very brilliant crimson color that attracts not most effective women however additionally men makes it quite appealing. Razer put a Label brand for game enthusiasts and by gamer on the box. The emblem of the razor makes it more fascinating. Solid battery, fantastic battery life, and discrete GPU are the tremendous capabilities. It also has a huge click on pad with HD window hello cam with stereo speakers.

Display

Razer blade stealth laptops are portable and lightweight machines. Great overall performance with suitable battery existence and a incredible display, I ought to say. This isn't a rose purple coloration; as an alternative, it is available in authentic and brilliant purple.

It is a block design with a tough part and a sharp corner. Razer Stealth is to be had with 1080p or a 4k touchscreen. Its 60Hz refresh price isn’t speedy, but it’s pretty general for a 13inch computer.

Keyboard & Touchpad

Blade stealth has true journey and feedback, but it has a irritating format quirk. The proper shift secret's sized like a ordinary letter keycap and is located immediately above the proper directional key. The keyboard is quite first rate. Keys format is everyday and has backlit, that's pretty astonishing.

Performance

Razer blade stealth has a new design, advanced gaming performance, and higher protection functions. It is a higher overall performance mode with a 50 percentage brightness keyboard. If you are making plans to paintings with a stealth pc to your lap, then I suggest you to use it handiest for a quick length. Everything from typing this in Doc doctors with multiple tabs open in the history to watching the video will elicit a reaction from system lovers. You can manually manipulate the Razer fan’s pace, however it does no longer assist a great deal with mitigating warmth from the lowest panel.

Battery

Razer blade stealth battery lifestyles is up to ten hours and 18 mins and competes in opposition to top class laptops. With this big energy backup, you can easily work all day out of doors.

Ports and Connectivity

Razer stealth has thunderbolt 3 port, which offers you higher overall performance with an outside

GPU. Moreover, it has USB-C, USB-A and a headphone jack.

New Dell xps thirteen 9380 – Rose pc

Design

Dell XPS rose gold computer is stunning and well worth buying. Colour mixture of the brand new rose gold and white shade scheme makes the Dell XPS stunning fashion assertion. And it’s backed with the aid of sturdy overall performance. Elegant and compact design. The international’s smallest 13inches pc. Easy to use and do greater paintings with out demanding about the device strain level. With minimum effort, we are able to do your undertaking. The Windows 10 operating system gives ease of multitasking as many roles may be achieved.

Display

New Dell XPS comes in rose gold color with woven glass fiber or platinum silver with black carbon fiber indoors. 13.Three inches screen with infinity edge display and also 4k decision that packs in eight million pixels. Dell smart 13 inches pc. Dell XPS 13 gives you an HD display with HD webcam at the pinnacle bezel. This is best one 4k excessive touch display model. There is a fingerprint integrated in the power button, and it additionally has a brand new processor and devoted snap shots chips.

Keyboard & Touchpad

The keyboard is quite punchy and responsive. Glass covered keypad is very convenient and easy to use.

Performance

Dell XPS 13 is a classy instance of functional excellence to let you paintings all day. You get to experience clean pix with 4k ultra HD decision. The dual support of nineteen-hour battery life and final cooling system make this PC a massive beast. Thermal insulation allows the tool to hold it cool even if harassed to exceed the restriction. This pc is an eco-friendly rose gold computer. Ninety % of the components can be recycled. It is one of the mightest for its form thing and but clean at the pocket.

Battery

According to Dell’s claim, battery lifestyles is as much as 19 hours, but it varies on the utilization but nevertheless the exceptional choice in premium laptops.

Ports and Connectivity

Dell XPS has two Thunderbolt three with power delivery and display port(four LAN of PCI Express Gen 3). A USB Type-C with electricity delivery and display port. It also includes a microSD card, speaker, headset jack, and battery gauge indicator.

Hp spectre x360 13t Rose gold computer

Design

As for Hp spectre x360 is a rose gold laptop, so it obviously has in rose gold shade, but there may be a slight trade. As it comes in pale rose gold color. Compatible, completely practical, lightweight, and offers a smart appearance. Extraordinary skinny. Due to its light-weight, it minimizes the chances of scratches.

It is an 8th generation Laptop with intel core i7 processor. An running gadget runs on Windows 10. 16GB RAM with 513GB garage. Intel UHD Graphics 620 snap shots used in it. The overall USB port is 1 simplest, however it has outside ports USB 3.1 with headphone/Mic combination jack with USB-C port. It has an IR camera for at ease login. Thorough fingerprint reader, you could effortlessly and adequately transfer bills. Strong, long lasting, and defensive. This the fine computer HP has ever been made.

Display

Hp spectre x360 is a rose gold computer. Hp ultimately uses Microsoft precision drivers. Smooth massive surface, huge length, and with an extraordinary keypad. Hp laptops are surely an excellent performance pc with integrated integration that has been allow down with the aid of a horrible keypad. But in this HP Spectre x360 pc, HP constructed a new and improved keyboard. Modern in look and smallest bezel all around the display screen. HP boots that is the world’s smallest convertible with 30 percent display screen to frame ratio.

Keyboard & Touchpad

Hp Spectre x 360 has a outstanding cozy keyboard. Keys are massive, well-spaced, and offer  backlight brightness levels and feel punchy and offer brilliant tactile comments. The design is so sophisticated with Soft backlit in white and convenient to use.

Performance

The Spectre x 360 plays nicely with an intel middle i7-8565 CPU and 8GB of RAM. Spectre x 360 incorporates your needs without breaking a sweat. It excels in almost every region as x360 offers you strong overall performance with sharp shades.

Battery

Spectre x 360 is a champion marathon runner when it comes to battery life. It can final for the second day of use, depending on your operating load. It is an awesome battering life of 12 hours and seven mins.

Ports and Connectivity

It does not have many ports, but it's miles purposeful and destiny evidence. On the proper side, there is a Thunderbolt three port that gives speedy switch blazing pace and the potential to hook up with more than one 4k video display units or outside GPUs. Also, at the right aspect, there's a headphone jack and microSD card. USB kind-A resides on the left aspect.

Conclusion

Rose gold/crimson laptops are really worth buying. We have mentioned the top 10 laptops which you can purchase in keeping with your necessities. Design, specification, keyboard, overall performance are mentioned right here. We try to cowl every single element extra as it should be and more exactly. You can pick a laptop with this overview without problems.

[bosstaeil-blog]

Miallegro 9090 Hand Blender Review

Miallegro 9090 MiTutto hand blender is perhaps not as awesome looking as some of it's polished chrome sisters, but it is made in a professional style. And we all know what that means when it comes to succeeding or failing a mayonnaise!

If you need a blender that can crush ice to smoothies, then you should go after one with a professional style, and this hand blender comes at a very reasonable price.

Miallegro's hand blender is very powerful. It's one of a few to offer 550-Watt, so this is truly a tool you can count on for getting the work done. Crushed ice, crushing chili… you name it, and it can do it.

Customers have given this product an average of 4.2 out of 5 stars.

Let's look at the technical specifications as well as what others say about it:

Features of the Miallegro 9090

Powerful and professional style (550-watt); the     reliable tool, 5 speeds and turbo button

Easy to use, easy to clean, and easy to store;     dishwasher-safe attachments

Mitutto does it all: chops, mixes, grinds, blends,     whisks, whips, and froths.

Accessories: Big chopping attachment, Whisk, 4 blades     for different uses, and wall mount

Elegant style, ergonomic and stainless steel finish;     long 5-feet cord; 15-month warranty

Miallegro 9090 Product Decription

If you need the perfect speed at the exact moment, you'll love MiTutto's different speed options. I've never seen that on a hand blender before. With this one, you can get the right power when you need it. You even have a turbo function (use with care! When they say turbo, they mean turbo!)

They have used top-notch materials in the production, and I really like the compact design and its beautiful colors. It has an ergonomic design that makes it rest well in your hand.

It comes with a chopping attachment with a lit that makes it a child's play to chop and dice onions in seconds - without tears. Use it also for garlic, tomatoes, spices and vegetables. No bad odors in the kitchen!

There are so many things I really like about this hand blender. Another one is that you can use it in pots and pans, and it will not leave a scratch.

What do customers say about Miallegro 9090?

Not everybody is happy with this hand blender, but judging from some of the comments, it is because they don't use it the way it was intended. This is not a mixer you can just turn on a leave running. It is a hand blender. Don't forget to read the instructions.

This customer really understands the difference between a hand blender and a regular blender or food processor:

Once you use an immersion blender, you will wonder how you got along without one. It makes creaming soups so simple; you simply put the blender in your pot & whir away. No need to transfer hot soup to a blender. It's much safer & easier. An immersion blender will not completely take the place of a regular blender or a food processor in your kitchen but it does a really good job at blending soups, making small batches of smoothies & small batches of chimichurri or pesto. I do not use this for making icy blender drinks like Margaritas; I prefer to do that in my blender because it does a better job of quickly crushing the ice (so the ice doesn't turn to slush) & less chance of a mess because there is a lid on the blender.

This blender also comes with a chopper bowl. I was skeptical about its usefulness until I used it to make chimichurri sauce (a finely chopped parsley sauce often served with grilled meat or vegetables). I have a large food processor that is a real hassle to use for small amounts. This chopper bowl is the perfect size for a couple cups of sauce. And it actually chopped & blended the sauce to the proper consistency. The chopper bowl can go in the dishwasher on the top rack.

This blender comes with 4 different blades & a whisk. It is a bit of chore to change the blade but it's not complicated & it's nice to have the blade options. I primarily use the chopper blade so just leave that attached. A blade remover tool is included.

I've been using this blender for over 5 months, at least 2 times/month. I mainly use it for creaming soups & making chimichurri & pesto sauce. It still works as it did on day one.

Another one found that it was a great kitchen gadget - and he can prove it:

I am a subscriber to Consumer Reports Magazine, a non-profit company which reviews anything a consumer can buy. I had been looking to get a Immersion Hand blender but had not gotten around to it. The Miallegro 9090 got top ratings from CR and I am not disappointed. It has performed as expected and it my new "toy du jour". A recommended buy. 

[saundersepstein3-blog]

Cell phone Jammers

Cell phone Jammers

One in all the major reasons behind Google’s extended domination on the world stage, the Android utility software primarily use and depend immediately on the multi-faceted makes use of of Java. Many apps you knowledge with out you even knowing it which is why you want to show these apps when you find yourself abroad or limit those you want to use your data plan. Even hardcore apple followers is not going to have the courage to say that the App store is in any approach higher than the play store. We had to repair locks for even the shoe cupboards and so they hate us for that. I admit I love enjoying round with different software program applications. The conspiracy theorists will love this. Considered one of the straightforward methods is utilizing the dedicated shopping for websites that pays cash in alternate for previous cell phones. A semi-advanced cell phone with fundamental e mail get to is all I will pay for.

Flip the cellphone on its face when it is ringing and it'll go silent, whereas my favourite is a shortcut to get the torch on or off by shifting it in a pointy chopping motion twice. It displays each the maturing nature of the market and Apple’s need to place the iPhone into the palms of more price range-constrained smartphone patrons while still making enviable margins. Every of them targeted Apple's core market of inventive, entertainment-loving individuals, and every of them leveraged Apple's existing software and hardware. These devices work on operating systems (software program) like Symbian OS, Microsoft Windows Mobile OS, Linux OS, that are much like the software used in desktop Laptop / laptop computer. A database under the overall management of a central database management system but whose storage units aren't all connected to the identical processor. Jamming devices are the Excessive-finish devices with inbuilt functionality. There are particular charges on cellphone and internet if you travel throughout international waters.

It’s about 7 months later now, and I’m nonetheless assured in saying that is the most effective phones on the market. And it additionally appears attainable to query for example a trunk identifier to find other telephones from the same area. Some newer cell phones are being designed with an emphasis on entertainment. If you happen to wind up purchasing a mobile phone that you are unhappy with, it can be extremely aggravating to say the least. It doesn't involve tearing down the wallpaper and chucking some throw cushions around, but it could contain you saving money on your mobile plan. The reply is, you run for the exit as quick as you may. Run the iTools.exe file. You may determine shot distances with this golf app. Nonetheless, buying Refurbished IPhone 7 Vs. IPhone 8 used smartphone could be a bit tricky if you have no experience in any respect about this "field". One flaw is the lack of read receipts with SMS messages - on the Nokia E90 you may specify a receipt when the receipient receives/reads the SMS - not attainable on the iPhone.

One example…you could have learn here about evil individuals hijacking laptop knowledge, then demanding a ransom or it is destroyed. In case you are about to sell your phone and you want to wipe your personal knowledge, or if your phone affected with virus you must do a hard reset. If he decides otherwise, it's possible you'll wish to take one other step. However let’s step again and talk about the brand new iPhone. I'm leaving sally to find someone higher who would let me call her at any time when I want to speak. Who sing the worst Nation song in your opinion? They've greater value too and won't be chosen to make a budget power bank selling in the Internet stores. It’s fast, with all that energy barely put to the test when you’re shopping Chrome, sending the odd email or racking up a excessive rating in Alto’s Adventure. This offers you fairly good picture quality for taking selfies or other pictures. Drivers are suppossed to succeed in the destination by taking the shortest route attainable. Both means, enterprise apps are right here to stay and a certain thing. Google, Microsoft Outlook, iCal, MobileMe, and Microsoft Alternate ActiveSync for enterprise. Amazon: refurbished iphones for sprint: Amazon: refurbished iphones for dash.

This week it announced a pair of bigger iPhones in giant (4.7") and extra-massive (5.5") varieties. Sensors on the cellphone embrace Compass Magnetometer, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor and Gyroscope. It s bizarre as a result of once i plug it in, iTunes recognizes my telephone simply superb and my cellphone is charging, but it doesn t come up in different locations on my laptop. Want iPhone and iTunes help? How do I clean up storage in my iPhone 6s? What Recycle Used Appliances - What To Do With Previous Appliances about Shopping for a Refurbished iPhone: What You could Know about Buying a Refurbished iPhone. How to change my voicemail on my iPhone 5? Lithium-ion batteries, as all batteries do, have unfavorable and constructive terminals. Cellular phone Towers And Cell phone Masts , SpeedView seems to be the most effective basic goal speedometer for automobile use, but it doesn't log. Each the British GCHQ and the Canadian CSE had doubled their output of TICKETWINDOW stories in 2002. Maybe this system is somehow related to the mysterious SIGADs starting with DS, which seem to indicate collection by Second Social gathering nations.

[marketusme]

Best Chromebook 2021: the top Chromebooks for kids, students and more

The best Chromebooks prove that Chrome OS is a viable alternative to pricier Windows 11 and macOS 12 Monterey laptops and Chromebooks even pop up from time to time in our list of best laptops thanks to their increasing power and affordability.

Their affordability and functionality mean they're perfect for students who need something connected, portable, and functional enough for video conferencing, web research, and homework assignments without much extra frills that can bog down pricier Windows laptops and MacBooks. 

But just because they're often the best student laptops out there doesn't mean that they also don't make some of the best business laptops, especially for professionals who just need a lightweight, portable device to write up a report on the road or take a video call in an airport. 

Even better, these already super affordable devices also see some of the best Black Friday deals year after year, not to mention huge savings on Cyber Monday, so there's never been a better time to jump on board the bandwagon with one of the best Chromebooks this holiday season.

Our Top Picks for Best Chromebook 2021

Which are the best Chromebooks?

Google Pixelbook Go proves that these devices can be just as stylish and powerful as traditional laptops. (Image credit: Google)

1. Google Pixelbook Go

The best Chromebook ever made

CPU: Intel Core m3 - Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 615 | RAM: 8GB - 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) or 4K LCD touchscreen | Storage: 128GB - 256GB eMMC

Incredible battery life

Amazing ‘Hush’ keyboard

Iffy pricing at mid- to- high-end

No biometric login

It shouldn't surprise anyone that Google makes the best Chromebook in the world, given that it has built the operating system itself from the ground up so it knows better than anyone what kind of platform Chrome OS needs.

Google's original Pixelbook used to take the top spot on our list, but the company's latest release, the Pixelbook Go, is even better. This Chromebook proves that the best Chromebooks can hold their own against mainstream laptops running Windows and macOS while looking stylish and having a much more accessible price.

One of its key features is its fantastic battery life, which outlasts many competing traditional laptops handily, so you can go a full day at work or school without being shackled to a wall outlet. Even better, you can close the lid, leave the Pixelbook Go on a desk for days, and come back to find it still has plenty of battery left to pick up right where you left off. Few if any Windows laptops or MacBooks can say the same.

Its incredible keyboard is also a dream to type on, so we've even taken to using the Pixelbook Go over beefier Windows laptops when we have the chance, it's that good. If you're going to be typing a lot for work or school, you are going to love this Chromebook.

Read the full review: Google Pixelbook Go

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook delivers two form factors in one, while utilizing the versatility of the Chrome OS and packing incredibly long life. (Image credit: Lenovo)

2. Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook

The best Chromebook-tablet hybrid

CPU: MediaTek Helio P60T Processor | Graphics: ARM G72 MP3 800GHz | RAM: 4 GB LPDDR4X | Screen: 10.1" FHD (1920 x 1200) IPS, glossy, touchscreen, 400 nits | Storage: 64 GB eMMC

Lightweight and portable

Long battery life

Very affordable

Tiny keyboard and finicky trackpad

Charger and headphones share a single port

Is it a Chromebook or is it a tablet? Well, luckily, you won’t have to decide with the brilliant Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook. True to its name, this Chromebook delivers two form factors in one, while utilizing the versatility of the Chrome OS and setting you back much less than many of the top Windows tablets out there, making it the best Chromebook-tablet detachable hybrid on the market. 

Of course, like all the best Chromebooks, its battery packs an incredibly long life of almost 22 hours – so you could pull an all-nighter, work through the day and mid-afternoon, and you’ll still pass out before it runs out of juice. 

For this price, sacrifices have to be made, naturally – the keyboard is tiny, the trackpad isn’t as reliable, and the charger and headphones share one port. However, if budget is your top priority, those are definitely not deal-breakers.

Read the full review: Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook 

Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook is a nearly perfect Chromebook, packing a lot of power and a stunning screen. (Image credit: Lenovo)

3. Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook

One of the most powerful 2-in-1 Chromebooks money can buy

CPU: AMD Athlon Gold 3150C - AMD Ryzen 7 3700C | Graphics: Integrated AMD Radeon | RAM: 4GB - 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS LED | Storage: 32GB eMMC - 256GB SSD

Powerful AMD processor

Outstanding security features

Expensive

Less than 10-hour battery

The Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook shot straight into our best Chromebooks list when it was released thanks to its being one of the most powerful Chromebooks you're going to find anywhere. While all that extra horsepower means you're going to pay more than you would for a typical Chromebook, especially if you want some of the best features that come with the high-end models, it's well worth it if you're looking for something future-proofed. 

Based on the Chromebook reviews we've done, we can tell you that this one is going to last you for years to come. Better still, as a 2-in-1 device, it's got the flexibility that many other Chromebooks lack, and the screen on this thing is stunning. 

Best of all, it comes packing the new AMD 3000C-series processors - starting with an Athlon 3150C and scaling all the way up to a Ryzen 7 3700C - and this means you'll get more processing power out of this Chromebook than many of it's competitors. For students especially, this is one of the best Chromebooks money can buy right now.

Read the full review: Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook

The HP Chromebook 14 strikes an optimal balance between value and design. (Image credit: HP)

4. HP Chromebook 14

The best Chromebook for bargain shoppers

CPU: Intel Celeron N2840 – N2940 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics | RAM: 2GB – 4GB | Screen: 14-inch, HD (1,366 x 768) BrightView | Storage: 16GB – 32GB eMMC

Excellent keyboard, trackpad

Crisp, vivid screen

Slower than some rivals

Average battery life

The best Chromebooks balance a bargain price and efficient use of Chrome OS – and the HP Chromebook 14 strikes that balance perfectly. 

While it’s similar to the Acer Chromebook 15 in a lot of ways, this 14-inch Chromebook is a tad more compact and looks slightly better. Complemented by a bright blue finish and a screen made to astound, the HP Chromebook 14 offers excellent value based on the many Chromebook reviews we've done. 

Even if the battery life and performance are definitely average for a Chromebook – the HP Chromebook 14 is easily one of the best Chromebooks you're going to find if you're looking to get the best value from a laptop on a tighter budget.

We were particularly impressed with how slim and light this Chromebook is, and it means the HP Chromebook 14 is a great device for anyone who wants a long-lasting laptop that they can comfortably carry around with them. If you want a laptop to work on while lounging on a sofa, this is a great choice as well.

Also, unlike some other Chromebooks, the HP Chromebook 14 comes with plenty of ports, including HDMI-out, USB 3.0 and a microSD card slot, making this a brilliantly versatile Chromebook for the price.

Read the full review: HP Chromebook 14

Asus Chromebook Flip boasts premium Chromebook specs and a sleek design without the premium price. (Image credit: Asus)

5. Asus Chromebook Flip

Great specs at economic Chromebook pricing

CPU: Intel Pentium 4405Y – Intel Core m3-6Y30 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 515 | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 12.5-inch, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) LED backlit anti-glare | Storage: 32GB – 64GB eMMC

Elegant tablet mode

Tactile keyboard

Middling speakers

The Asus Chromebook Flip is one of the best Chromebooks for shoppers on a budget who don't want to compromise too much on specs and style. 

With an Intel Core processor and a full-HD display, the Asus Chromebook Flip is a powerful 2-in-1 that keeps up with your general computing needs while offering the versatility of its fantastic tablet mode - a tricky balancing act that many other Chromebook makers fail to pull off. 

Even though this is an older Chromebook that's been out for a while now, it still impresses with brilliant performance and an excellent build quality that's thin and light, and puts many more expensive laptops to shame. If you're on a budget, this is definitely one of the best Chromebooks out there and well worth a good, long look.

Read the full review: Asus Chromebook Flip 

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 combines that versatile form factor with some seriously powerful hardware.

6. Acer Chromebook Spin 713

The best 2-in-1 Chromebook going

CPU: Intel Core i5-1135G7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Xe | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.5" 2256 x 1504p 3:2 IPS Touchscreen | Storage: 256GB PCIe SSD

Powerful performance

Gorgeous display

Comfortable keyboard

Quality build

Nothing bold about design

No stylus included

No physical privacy shutter for webcam

Easily one of the best Chromebooks we've ever gotten our hands on, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 takes everything great about the versatile Spin form factor, like its 3:2 display ratio, and combines it with some seriously powerful hardware like the Intel Core i5-1135G7, which honestly blows just about every other Chromebook out of the water when it comes to performance. 

That said, the design is pretty basic for such a potentially beautiful device, which is a shame, as is the lack of an included stylus at all when other Acer Spin 2-in-1s actually have a garaged stylus as a major selling point. Still, it's hard to beat the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 if you're looking for the best 2-in-1 Chromebook on the market right now.

Read the full review: Acer Chromebook Spin 713

Acer Chromebook Spin 311 is a versatile Chromebook with a good battery life, robust build and solid usability. (Image credit: Acer)

7. Acer Chromebook Spin 311

Versatile and fun little Chromebook for work and play

CPU: Intel Celeron N4000 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 600 | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 11.6" HD (1366 x 768) 16:9 IPS touchscreen | Storage: 64GB Flash Memory

Great design and build

Lovely size

Excellent touch screen and flip mechanism

Dim screen

Massive bezels drastically reduce actual screen size

Versatility is a key feature of the best Chromebooks, so the Acer Chromebook Spin 311 definitely makes the list on that account. This all-rounder has all the makings of a great Chromebook, from its good battery life to its robust build and solid usability.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 311 takes its versatility even further with an abundance of ports, especially when considering its size, its convertible 2-in-1 design, a high level of portability, and an excellent touch display. Its keyboard and touchpad are also not just reliable, but they're also satisfying to use, which is a pretty rare thing for a Chromebook at this price point. 

Its size also means that it's really easy take with you, making it one of the best Chromebooks for taking with you on a trip. However, that small size may mean some people find it uncomfortable to use for long periods of time, especially if you're more used to larger laptops.

Read the full review: Acer Chromebook Spin 311 

The Asus Chromebook Flip C436F bridges the gap between powerful traditional laptops and super lightweight Chromebooks. (Image credit: Asus)

8. Asus Chromebook Flip C436F

A whole lotta hits

CPU: 10th-generation Intel Core i3 – i5 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics | RAM: 8GB – 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 | Screen: 14” LED-backlit Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 display | Storage: 512GB / 256GB / 128GB PCIe® NVMe 3.0x 2 M.2 SSD

Superb performance

Premium build and features

Impressive keyboard

Subpar speakers

Erratic touchpad

Touch display not accurate enough

Premium Chromebooks occupy their own space in the laptop market, bridging that gap between powerful traditional laptops and super lightweight Chromebooks.

And, the Asus Chromebook Flip C436F is perhaps one of the very few examples of these out there, with its combination of superb power, terrific feature set, premium build and a price tag that’s cheaper than its rivals. 

During our time with the Asus Chromebook Flip C436F, we were really impressed with its gorgeous design, with a magnesium alloy body, stunning 1080p screen, and wonderful keyboard. This could easily rival premium laptops like the Dell XPS 13 or MacBook, and it even comes with features like Wi-Fi 6 support and a fingerprint sensor.

If you’re looking for a lightweight OS machine that touts more power than the rest of the clan, this is one of the best Chromebooks on offer.

Read the full review: Asus Chromebook Flip C436F

The Acer Chromebook 15 is a beautiful 15-inch Chromebook that makes a great impression. (Image credit: Acer)

9. Acer Chromebook 15

The best Chromebook for going the distance

CPU: Intel Pentium N4200 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 505 | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 15.6-inch, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) | Storage: 32GB eMMC

Unbelievable battery life

Attractive, fanless design

Trackpad feels clunky

Easy to weigh down with tabs

With a solid build quality that rivals a MacBook, it’s easy to excuse the Acer Chromebook 15’s aversion to 2-in-1 form factors. Still, given that the best Chromebooks rolling out this year are fully convertible, thanks to the wide adoption of Android app support, the Acer Chromebook 15 had to prove itself with more than great style. 

Beyond its aptitude for laying flat using a 180-degree hinge, this beautiful 15-inch Chromebook also makes a great impression with its battery life, lasting nearly 17 hours in our battery test.

Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 15

The Acer Chromebook 714 is the best Chromebook for professionals looking for something with a premium and seriously solid chassis. (Image credit: Acer)

10. Acer Chromebook 714

Seriously solid, if not especially stylish

CPU: Intel Pentium 4417U – Intel Core i5-8350U | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 610 – UHD Graphics 620 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 14" Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 – 14" Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 Touchscreen | Storage: 32GB – 64GB flash memory

Seriously solid metal chassis

Strong battery life

Slightly dated styling

Keyboard a little mushy

The best Chromebook for professionals currently available might just be the Acer Chromebook 714 whose premium and seriously solid chassis is just the ticket for the business-oriented bunch. 

It’s not especially stylish, sadly, but that decent performance and strong battery life make up for its lack of fashion sense. And, aren’t those all the more important if you’re meeting with clients, tackling paperwork and balancing the books all day? 

In fact, the quad-core processor is good enough for light content creation tasks, making it a boon for those starting out in the content creation industry as well.

Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 714

How to choose the best Chromebook

What is a Chromebook?

But, what is a Chromebook exactly, and how is it different from other notebooks? A Chromebook is a device that runs the more lightweight Chrome OS. This Linux-based operating system relies heavily on Google’s Chrome browser and connectivity to the Internet for most of its tasks, which means that it requires less power and storage space when performing those tasks. 

It isn’t as robust or comprehensive as Windows 10/11 or macOS. However, it’s just as capable of seeing its users through their daily multi-tasking needs, no matter if it’s to do productivity work all day while streaming shows and movies, getting through a bunch of school assignments, or even some photo editing and gaming. 

More recently, it’s even expanded to run Android and Linux apps without internet connectivity, which means that its users are no longer limited to the Chrome browser. Finally, the lightweight nature of the operating system also lets the best Chromebooks beat out traditional laptops in some key areas, like portability and battery life. 

Which is the best Chromebook?

When it comes to choosing the best Chromebook, price is most people’s first consideration. That’s because a lot of these laptop alternatives end up in the hands of more casual users who don’t need a whole lot from their PC. In such a case, a cheaper yet still capable option is the better value – one of the best cheap Chromebooks, perhaps.

Of course, if you have more demanding needs, there are pricier options as well, and they will come with higher-end specs like more RAM, better processors like Intel Core CPUs, and perhaps more storage space. So, if you want to save more files, do some light photo editing, or play some games, you’ll want to splurge a little for better specs. 

It’s not just the reasonable price tag that most Chromebooks have that make them top contenders, especially as laptops for kids and as student notebooks. You have to consider its design. Most boast impressively long battery lives while some are built to withstand abuse better than others – any gear you put into a kid’s hands needs to be able to absorb some bumps, after all. Others come with that 2-in-1 form factor and touchscreen capability that makes them so versatile.

Just like with the laptops, size is a crucial factor as well. You might want a larger display for more screen real estate or you might want something smaller for easier portability. Since most of these portables fall somewhere between 10 to 15 inches in terms of screen size, they’re all going to be easier to lug around than the competition.

Which is better, a Chromebook or a laptop?

Knowing which is better, a Chromebook or a laptop with a more traditional OS like Windows of macOS, really comes down to your needs and how you intend to use your laptop.

If you do almost all of your work online using web apps like Google Docs, SalesForce, GeForce Now, or other similar products, then a Chromebook is just as good at handling that kind of work as a more traditional laptop, since all of the actual application processing takes place in the cloud, which then displays the contents in a browser. 

If you have a fast enough internet connection, you're not going to tell the difference between a Chromebook and a fully-featured Windows laptop or a MacBook.

If you plan on using locally installed apps like Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, or Steam, then you're going to find Chromebooks simply can't do that. The Android apps available through the Google Play marketplace are great, but they aren't as fully featured as similar desktop software. In most cases, Chrome OS simply can't run most of the installable software you'd find on a Windows laptop or a MacBook, so a Chromebook would be a bad choice for anyone hoping to use major flagship software offline.

How we test Chromebooks

Testing Chromebooks isn’t too different from testing laptops and gaming laptops, though perhaps the paces are a little less intensive or game-heavy. 

Since Chromebooks rely heavily on the Chrome browser, we push that browsing prowess to its limits, opening 20 or more browser tabs on different types of websites, from productivity ones like Google docs to streaming sites like Netflix and Hulu. For good measure, we try to play media on those streaming services simultaneously. Because Chromebooks are now much more capable of running apps, we also open and use several apps at the same time.

Of course, we also run synthetic benchmarks like Kraken JavaScript, Octane 2.0 JavaScript, and Jetstream 2 as well as the TechRadar movie test to measure its battery life. 

Because a Chromebook is only as good as its peripherals, we take a look at its display, keyboard, availability of ports, and how good its overall design is. We also test its webcam and touchscreen capabilities, if they’re on hand.

We then take everything we’ve learned about the Chromebook and compare it to its price – whether or not it’s performance and features are worth that price tag, and whether or not it offers the best value to customers.

Best Chromebook Deals

Stay safe online with one of these best Chrome VPN extensions

Source Link Best Chromebook 2021: the top Chromebooks for kids, students and more

[mikegranich87]

Windows 11 review: Microsoft’s most pleasant OS—until it isn't

What's the point of Windows 11? With Windows 10, Microsoft had to make a big course correction from Windows 8, an ambitious yet flawed attempt at bringing PCs into the touchscreen era. Before that, Windows 7 was meant as a palate cleanser to help us forget about the bloated mess that was Vista. Given that Windows 10 was already pretty polished when it launched, and only got better over time, why the need for a whole new version?

After testing early builds for months, as well as the shipping release this past week (here's how to nab it yourself), it's clear that Microsoft isn't actually trying to fix much with Windows 11. It's basically a fresh coat of paint on top of Windows 10 (and likely a last-ditch attempt at rebranding the defunct Windows 10X.) But the more I use it, the easier it is to see that small design tweaks can go a long way. Windows 10 was laser-focused on productivity; it aimed to make you as efficient as possible. Windows 11 goes a step further: What if being productive was also pleasant and oddly relaxing? Windows, meet mindfulness.

What's new

At first glance, Windows 11 may seem like a radical departure from Microsoft's typical desktop template — an aesthetic that hearkens all the way back to Windows 95. The taskbar is still around, but now all of your icons are centered by default. The Start menu is back with a redesigned look featuring pinned and recommended apps (you can also hit All Apps to see everything you've got installed). RIP, Live Tiles — nobody ever used you.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

This refreshed look extends throughout Windows 11: App windows now have rounded corners; icons, Windows Explorer and the Settings app look sharper than ever; and even the sound effects have been cleaned up. This is Windows at its most refined. To put it uncharitably, though, it also seems a lot like macOS. But fret not, Windows diehards: You can still shove the entire taskbar back to the left side of the screen. (Editor’s note: Where it belongs.)

Microsoft has also reworked system tray, for better and worse. Hitting the date and time brings up your notifications and calendar, while clicking on the volume or networking icons makes the new action center pop out. It’s similar to the system shortcuts in Windows 10, allowing you to change Wi-Fi networks, enable airplane mode and quickly change your brightness and volume. You can also easily reach some accessibility tweaks, like enabling the magnifier or color filters. Everything looks sleeker than Windows 10, though some options are gone entirely, like the ability to turn Night Lite settings on and off.

Windows 11 also marks a major return for widgets: bite-sized apps that also appeared in Windows 7. You can reach them by hitting the widget button in the taskbar, but frankly, I found them useless. These days, I don’t need a glanceable screen for my calendar, news and mail, not when my smartphone is always within reach.

Microsoft

Less noticeable than the taskbar changes, but still important, is the new Windows Store. It looks cleaner, with a left-hand navigation bar and multiple panes for individual app entries. I'd wager Microsoft just wanted to keep those install and purchase buttons in clear view at all times. Windows 10 is also getting the same Store app eventually, so it's not really an exclusive for the new OS. Eventually, we'll also see Android apps in the Microsoft Store, but it's unclear when that's happening.

Similarly, Windows 11 ships with the latest Xbox app, but that's also available on Windows 10. You'll still want to upgrade for the best overall gaming performance, though, as Windows 11 will be the only way to use Microsoft's DirectStorage technology on PCs. Whenever that does land it should dramatically speed up load times (assuming you have a compatible GPU and SSD) just like the Xbox Series S and X.

Microsoft

Calm from the start... mostly

On a new PC, Windows 11 welcomes you with a series of setup screens that feel like you're flipping through a spa brochure. Log into your Wi-Fi (or plug into Ethernet), enter your Microsoft credentials, and maybe grab a cucumber water while you wait.

As with Windows 10, you can choose to disable advertising IDs, which prevents ad tracking, and opt out of sending diagnostic information to Microsoft. But there aren't many other choices you'll have to make; the setup process basically runs on autopilot until you see the new desktop.

It's worth noting that Microsoft has made setup more restrictive for Windows 11 Home users: Both an internet connection and Microsoft account are required. You won't be able to set up a local user account, or use your computer at all, until you meet those requirements. Windows 11 Pro users won't have that limitation, which is good news for IT professionals and power users. But it could be frustrating for people without reliable internet access of their own.

(As of last year, the FCC said around 14.5 million Americans don't have steady broadband, defined as at least 25Mbps download speeds and 3Mbps uploads. Recent figures from Data Reportal say around 40 percent of the world's population are offline. Microsoft is probably assuming that the majority of its potential customers won't have an issue finding internet, but that goes directly against the company's moves towards increased accessibility.)

I'd expect many consumers will be upgrading their existing Windows 10 systems, rather than setting up a new computer. Unfortunately, Microsoft didn't have a way for me to upgrade my PC with a final Windows 11 release. Based on what I've seen with the latest Windows 11 Insider previews, though, moving to the new OS appears to be very similar to installing a major Windows 10 update. On a Surface Laptop 4 I had lying around, the upgrade process took around 15 minutes after downloading the new OS via Windows update.

You're going to have a tougher time if you own an older PC that doesn't meet Microsoft's hardware requirements. You'll need a compatible Intel, AMD or Qualcomm processor; 4GB of RAM; and at least 64GB of storage. Also, you'll have to enable Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module), features that should make it harder for spyware and malware to attack your OS. Microsoft's PC Health Check app can help you see if your system is ready for Windows 11.

If you don't meet the upgrade requirements, you can download a Windows 11 ISO and install it manually, a method that bypasses Microsoft's CPU restrictions. Still, you'll need to be savvy enough to create a boot disk and deal with a more complex installation. Another caveat: manual installations may not receive some future Windows Updates, according to The Verge. (It sounds like Microsoft hasn't decided how restrictive it wants to be just yet.)

If you've built your own desktop PC, I'd suggest bracing yourself for additional upgrade complications. Microsoft's Health Check app initially said that my system — powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X processor, an ASROCK motherboard and 32GB of RAM — wasn't compatible with Windows 11. It turned out I needed to enable the AMD TPM 2.0 module and Secure Boot in my BIOS. But once I did all that, my system couldn't boot into my Windows 10 installation.

After a bit of sleuthing, I learned that I needed to convert my Windows 10 installation disk from MBR (Master Boot Record) to GPT (GUID Partition Table). So off I went into the command line to run some strings and pray for my Windows installation's safety. Five sweat-soaked minutes later, I rebooted and saw my trusty Windows login screen. Whew. From there, I was able to proceed with the Windows 11 Update as normal.

I'm sure I'm not the only one with a Windows 10 installation on an MBR disk — that was the standard on older computers — so I'm hoping Microsoft eventually bakes that conversion into the entire Windows 11 setup process. I can't imagine average consumers trying to figure out command line prompts without wanting to throw their PCs out the window.

Microsoft

In use: A new look, new frustrations

Windows 11 is nice to use. Pleasant, even. Windows 10 wasn't ugly, but Windows 11's focus on design leads to a more refined experience at first. I enjoyed having color-matched themes. The new Settings app is a dream; it's actually easy to find things for once! I genuinely love the new automatic window snapping, which lets you shove an app to a particular area of your screen by hovering above the maximize icon. Even better, snapping a few apps together creates a group that you can easily revisit in the taskbar.

That facelift doesn't come at the expense of performance, either. Windows 11 feels just as fast as Windows 10 on all of my test systems. But I'll be more interested to see how it performs on PCs older than five years, which is about the cut-off for Microsoft's upgrade requirements.

As impressed as I am by the design changes, a part of me feels constrained by the new OS. No matter where you place your taskbar icons, for example, you won't be able to see app labels anymore. Microsoft has been pushing an icon-focused taskbar since Windows 7, but you always had the option to turn on labels, so you could see what was in an app window before you clicked on it. Dealing with that loss is the single biggest hurdle I had with Windows 11.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Now it takes me multiple clicks to find a specific Chrome window, or to locate an email I popped out of Gmail. Icons just aren't enough. I can understand why Microsoft took away labels: They make your desktop look chaotic. It's not nearly as zen as a simple line of high-resolution pictures.

But as a Windows user, I'm used to chaos. I was shaped by the instability of Windows 3.11; I learned to tame Windows XP as an IT admin; and I was there at the Windows 8 launch in Spain (an event that seems cursed in retrospect). Even after all of that, I'm still primarily a Windows user. If chaos can make me more productive, I embrace the madness. Sadly, Windows 11 doesn't give me that option. It just wants me to relax, damnit.

To be fair, I have similar issues with macOS. As pretty as it is, finding a specific app window can be frustrating. To mitigate that, I typically rely on Mission Control to establish hot corners that can either show me every open app, windows within a specific program, or the desktop. Windows 11 lets you set up a hot corner in the bottom right of your screen to show the desktop, but you'll have to rely on keyboard shortcuts to see open apps. (I'm still debating whether Alt + Tab or Win + Tab is better.)

After spending so much time with Windows 11, I'm begrudgingly getting the hang of the new taskbar, at least. I'd bet some Windows diehards will be similarly frustrated with the new Start menu, especially if they're used to seeing all of their apps instantly. Personally, I find the focus on shortcuts and recently added files and apps to be more useful. And as of Windows 10, I just hit the Windows key and start typing to search for specific apps. (I'm glad that's still practically instantaneous on the new OS.)

I’ve only dabbled in the Windows 11 touchscreen experience so far, but in general it feels easier to hit specific targets. Microsoft has also made apps more responsive to touch, so it’s being able to quickly expand and maximize windows feels less frustrating. You still won’t mistake Windows 11 for iPadOS, but I never expected Microsoft to go that far. This new OS is simply better for laptops that have touchscreens, and it’s far more usable for hybrid tablets like the Surface Pro.

While I've found Windows 11 pleasant overall, I'll be interested to see how mainstream users react to all of the changes. Some members of Engadget's staff initially found the new design to be ugly (some warmed up to it later), and at least one was grateful I explained how to move the taskbar back to the left. It's tough for Microsoft to make any major changes to Windows without having users throw a fit. (Remember everything that happened around Windows 8?) So I expect the initial reaction isn't going to be welcoming. Let's just say I'm glad I'm no longer in IT support for this transition.

Microsoft

So, who needs Windows 11?

To paraphrase Thanos, Windows 11 is inevitable. It's going to start rolling out to eligible Windows 10 users today, and it will ship with new PCs this Fall. Aside from re-learning the taskbar and Start menu functionality, there's not much of a reason to avoid it. The new Secure Boot requirements will make it a safer OS overall; gamers will eventually get faster loading times; and everyone can appreciate the clean new aesthetic.

It's a step forward, even if it isn't as momentous as Windows 10. It's also hard to ignore the story behind the new OS, which makes Windows 11 feel more like a way for Microsoft to save face after an embarrassing failure. In the fall of 2019, the company announced Windows 10X, an OS variant meant for dual-screened PCs. Those devices, like the intriguing Surface Neo, failed to arrive. (It's unclear if the complex new hardware was the roadblock, or if PC makers were waiting for Windows 10X to be completed.)

Microsoft announced last year that it was shifting the focus of 10X to single-screened devices, and it put the final nail in the coffin this May, when it said that Windows 10X development had stopped. A few weeks later, we got word that Microsoft was gearing up to reveal the next version of Windows, and shortly after that the Windows 11 leak occurred. On June 24th, with practically all of its new features spoiled, Microsoft officially revealed its new OS.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

In my head, I imagine the frantic meetings around Windows 10X's rocky development like something from The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin. With dual-screened devices a no-show, maybe they could just repurpose that work for traditional laptops, a harried Panos Panay would say. But why even make that a separate version of Windows 10? The PC market is pretty hot right now, perhaps there's a way to capitalize on that? And at some point, someone just said "Why not just go to 11?" A stunned silence. Applause all around.

Not to sound too cynical, but releasing a new OS is an easy way to encourage people to buy new computers. That's particularly true now that we're relying on our PCs more than ever, as many people are still working and doing schoolwork from home. A new version of Windows is no simple thing, and it’ll surely get more headlines and media attention than a mere Windows 10 update. (Stares directly into camera.)

from Mike Granich https://www.engadget.com/windows-11-review-microsoft-mindful-os-200028040.html?src=rss

[hellomcafeeloginblog]

The Best Chromebooks Under $400

These days, an average laptop is more powerful than ever, but with increased performance comes an increased price. The majority of us don’t require that much computing power to get through the day, and we’re spending considerably more money than we should on (albeit cool-looking) items that do far more than we require. There are considerably more affordable laptop computers that can accomplish these duties perfectly well for the average person who uses their laptop for surfing the web, sending emails, and watching the occasional Netflix show. Chromebooks are these computers, and they’re revolutionizing the personal computer market in new and exciting ways. These small but mighty laptops can be thought of as little more than a powerful web browser with a touchpad and keyboard—or as a large-screen extension of your smartphone. These laptops are fantastic for getting work done on a commute, on vacation, or even in the office when you need a little less firepower to get the job done. They are perfectly suited for practically all of the day-to-day chores that we demand from the Internet. Of course, not all Chromebooks are created equal, and a number of well-known organizations have hurried to develop their version of Google Chrome’s renowned infrastructure. So, before you run out and buy that nice-looking Chromebook you saw on the internet, take a look at our list of the best Chromebooks under $400. Lenovo Chromebook Duet The Lenovo Duet is difficult to beat in 2021 if you’re looking for a great, low-cost Chromebook. The Duet, which looks like a Chrome OS version of Microsoft’s Surface Go, has a 10.1-inch 1920×1200 display and comes with a keyboard attachment, making it one of the most affordable hybrid devices available today. The Duet seems to be a typical 10′′ tablet in tablet mode, and the 16:10 aspect ratio keeps the device from feeling excessively big in your hand. However, attach the supplied kickstand and keyboard dock, and you’ve got yourself a full-fledged laptop with a touchpad for mouse compatibility. Of course, you shouldn’t expect something comparable to the Surface Pro range of laptops for $300. Because the Chromebook is so small, the keyboard and touchpad are both cramped, and the MediaTek CPU is inadequate for anything other than basic browsing and productivity tools. Still, this gadget has a lot of advantages, such as all-day battery life, excellent color reproduction on the IPS panel, and surprisingly good dual speakers. Lenovo’s Duet won’t transform the way you use computers in your daily life, but it’s hard to go wrong at $300. In 2021, the Duet is far from the only Chrome OS tablet available. Asus’ impending CM3000 Chrome OS hybrid has leaked widely, revealing similar features and a somewhat larger display, despite the fact that it isn’t yet on the market. This summer, it should be available. Samsung Chromebook 4 Samsung’s Chromebook 4 isn’t fancy, which is why it’s such an easy suggestion for anyone on a tight budget. This is a simple laptop with none of the bells and whistles that most other Chromebooks on the market now have. Many users find that a basic device is sufficient for their purposes. The Chromebook 4 comes with 4GB or 6GB of RAM and Intel Celeron N4000 processors, which are normal for a low-cost Chromebook in 2020. The laptop is built of aluminum, which makes it feel a touch cheap in comparison to the MacBook Airs of the world, but it looks a lot nicer than anything the competition has to offer in this price bracket. Despite the fact that the screen is only 720p, this laptop offers a decent display for an 11.6-inch Chromebook. With 12-hour estimated battery life, you can get through the entire day at work or school without needing to rush to the next wall outlet. Overall, the Samsung Chromebook 4 is unremarkable. The keyboard is fine, the trackpad is a little cramped, and the build has some flex. However, the specs you receive for $249 are excellent, and it is by far the cheapest tablet on this list. While it doesn’t stand out in any way other than price, the good news is that practically any buyer should be able to find one. HP Chromebook 14a HP is no stranger to Chrome OS, and their Chromebook x360 14 is one of the best Chromebooks on the market right now. However, at $629, it will be out of reach for many Chromebook customers. That’s where HP’s Chromebook 14a comes in, a great entry-level laptop that costs less than $300. The display is HP’s main strength here, as it competes directly with Samsung’s Chromebook 4. HP’s Chromebook is the appropriate size at 14 inches. However, you’ll have to put up with a 720p display. Most users at this price bracket are unlikely to notice, but it’s worth noting before purchasing. Aside from that, the laptop is very similar to its Samsung competitor. The Celeron N4000 processor from Intel is featured here, and it offers good browsing and media consumption features at a low price. For this price range, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage are pretty common and should keep your laptop running well for at least a few years before any notable slowdown occurs. HP also includes B&O-branded speakers on the left and right sides of the (backlit!) keyboard, as well as quick charging up to 50%. HP is a good option for anyone who can’t make the 11.6-inch display on Samsung’s Chromebook 4 function in regular use. However, this laptop has also reduced to as low as $219, making it a complete bargain. Although we recommend HP’s Chromebook 14a, it’s worth mentioning that many users have complained about occasional Wi-Fi difficulties during normal use. The summer Chrome OS update should have rectified the issue, but it’s something to keep an eye on. Acer Chromebook 14 Acer’s Chromebook 14 delivers a considerably larger display than other inexpensive Chromebooks, similar to HP’s Chromebook 14a, and it does so in style. With a 1080p 14′′ display, this is the best screen on the list so far, and while it lacks the low bezels of the HP Chromebook 14a, doubling the resolution makes for a much better day-to-day experience. In terms of design, despite the laptop’s modest price, it has a premium-feeling aluminum casing that appears to be more expensive than it is. Acer’s Chromebook, unlike some of its competitors, manages to find a sense of style. The Chromebook 14 is powered by an Intel Celeron N3160 processor and can handle basic surfing and media playback, albeit it lags behind Intel’s newer N4000 processor. A 12-hour battery justifies the laptop’s size, and 32GB of storage ensures you can save some of your favorite movies and shows on the move. The keyboard and trackpad on the Chromebook 14 are adequate but ordinary, and the laptop lacks upgradeable or expandable storage. Of course, the major trade-off here is the extra weight, albeit, at 3.42 pounds, you could do a lot worse. Overall, the Chromebook 14 isn’t the most interesting item on this list, but if you’re looking for a reliable, basic laptop for around $300, this is it. Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 If the HP Chromebook 14a and Samsung’s Chromebook 4 are going head to head in terms of features and pricing, Acer’s Chromebook 14 and Lenovo’s Flex 5 are going head to head in terms of performance and price. It’s a little out of our pricing range at $405, but it’s close enough that we’re putting it in this round-up. Despite the fact that the Flex 5 has 4GB of RAM, which matches Acer’s model, the Core i3-10110U is a significant upgrade above the N4000 found in most laptops on our list, much alone the outdated N3160 found in the Chromebook 14. Although the 13-inch 1080p display isn’t as large as Acer’s, it’s a good compromise between screen size and portability, and taking notes on the touchscreen is a breeze thanks to the 360-degree hinge. One of our favorite styles now available on Chromebooks is the Flex 5. It’s simple and understated, with a lovely matte texture that helps keep fingerprints at bay. Lenovo has also included a few luxury touches, like a backlit keyboard and front-facing speakers, to help make it a deal at $400. Despite how fantastic this laptop is, it’s understandable if the tiny price increase deters some customers. Even so, if you can afford to spend a few dollars more over our price restriction, the update will be well worth it in the long term. Source :- https://marthip.com/the-best-chromebooks-under-400/

[webdevelopmentcompanyindia]

How to Choose an Ecommerce Platform Based on Business Size

The eCommerce industry has been steadily growing over the past 10 years. In fact, online sales jumped nearly 15% across the board in 2016, and are predicted to continuously increase in the future. It’s been said that consumers are more likely to tap online shops than their retail counterparts for Black Friday this year.

If you’ve been thinking of setting up your own eCommerce shop, there’s no better time to do it than now. Selling online has never been easier to do. A popular new trend in eCommerce is dropshipping, where store owners don’t need to hold inventory or hold fulfillment.

Furthermore, the process of creating an eCommerce store has historically been an expensive venture (at least when compared to commissioning a website with more basic functionality). Thanks to a multitude of options that range from self-serve to complicated-but-powerful, the ability to effectively run an eCommerce store is available to even the least technically savvy.

Of course, when it comes to choosing an eCommerce platform, there are a lot of elements to consider before deciding on the perfect option for your project.

What to Consider When Choosing an eCommerce Platform

Before pulling the trigger on the eCommerce platform that will power the backend of your online store, you’ll want to consider what each option can offer.

Products. What kind     of products are you selling: digital or physical? This is an important     distinction because there are platforms that cater specifically to     different types of transactions (and resulting fulfillment).

User Interface. Does your     eCommerce platform make it easy to manage inventory, issue discount codes,     and generate analytics reports? When you operate an eCommerce business,     you will be dealing with your platform’s user interface on a daily basis.     Make sure to pick an eCommerce platform that has a user interface that you     know you’ll be able to navigate once you learn it’s ins and outs. For     example, a beginner would have a lot more luck with Shopify     than Magento when it comes to updating the website on their own.

Security. Since     you’ll be handling sensitive customer data (like credit card information,     addresses, and so on), make sure the eCommerce platform you choose     supports HTTPS and SSL for a safe and secure checkout. This has become an     even more important consideration as of late, since Google Chrome is penalizing     websites not on HTTPS. Another important security consideration is whether     or not the platform is PCI (payment card industry) compliant.

Payment method. How will     customers be paying you? Some eCommerce platforms do not accept third     party payment processors, such as Paypal. Do you research to choose an     option that works for you.

Price. Many of     today’s eCommerce hopefuls don’t have thousands of dollars to sink into     eCommerce website development. Luckily, there are plenty of affordable     options when considering an eCommerce platform as a whole, or in terms of     the different plans offered based on scale. Don’t forget that when     choosing a plan, you still have to consider payment processing fees,     hosting fees, and potentially help with web development (to name just a     few things you’ll inevitably have to deal with).

Third Party Integrations.     It takes more than just an eCommerce     platform on it’s own to run your business. Important ecommerce     integrations include an email marketing solution, Amazon Marketplace     compatibility (to sell new/unused items alongside Amazon offerings), and     fraud management tools. Of course, the specific integrations you use will     depend on what you’re selling and what you hope to accomplish with your     eCommerce website.

Mobile Friendliness. With 60%     of searches come from mobile and global eCommerce mobile transactions     estimated to comprise 70% of all eCommerce transactions, there is a clear     need to use a platform that optimizes for mobile.

SEO Friendliness. Your     chosen eCommerce platform should also offer tools to optimize for SEO,     making it easier for your ideal customer to find your store online.     Specific features with this in mind include the abilities to: add a blog,     use your own domain name, and add reviews.

Customer Service. If you     aren’t very technologically savvy, you’ll need some form of support     whenever your eCommerce website breaks down or doesn’t work the way it’s     supposed to. Having too long of a downtime can definitely impact your     sales and brand image. Before choosing an eCommerce platform, check to see     if customer service offers 24/7 support, what level of support they give,     and what channels you can use to reach them (i.e. social, chat, email, and     phone).

Hosted vs Self Hosted. You     must decide whether you want your online shop to be self-hosted or hosted     through your chosen platform. In a nutshell, if you want more flexibility,     go for a self-hosted site, and if you’re a beginner or not     technologically-savvy, go for a hosted site. A hosted site also usually     offers additional customer support.

The Most Popular Ecommerce Platforms

There are a lot of eCommerce platforms to consider but the following options are top-rated solutions for businesses in distinctly different levels of growth (though most can also scale accordingly).

Shopify is one of the fastest growing ecommerce platforms and recently crossed the 500k mark for merchants using their services.

People love how easy Shopify makes everything; their in-depth (yet approachable) content walks you through the entire process of building your own online shop. Shopify can be configured without any knowledge of HTML or CSS, and the platform offers a number of themes (for an additional price) that are SEO-friendly and easy to customize.

When you sign up for a Shopify account, you’re also signing up for your web hosting. Shopify manages this aspect of your eCommerce business for you, though you still have the ability to connect it with your own domain name.

Shopify empowers the selling of both physical and digital products and is designed for small to medium-sized businesses. It is perhaps the best solution for a dropshipping website, as it integrates with apps such as Oberlo, Inventory Source, and eCommHub.

Shopify accepts over 70 third-party payment gateways like Paypal, Stripe, and even Bitcoin—completely flexible for you and your customers. Plans start at $29/month.

2. Magento

Unlike Shopify and much like WordPress, Magento is self-hosted and an open-source eCommerce platform. For those not in the know, this means that the core code is available for anyone to modify. Similarly, like WordPress, there are a number of extensions (like plugins) you can use to customize your Magento installation.

Because of its flexibility, Magento is best for businesses that are planning to scale. It’s an enterprise eCommerce solution, best suited to organizations rather than individual users/shop owners. To put this into context, consider the fact that Magento fuels brands such as Burger King and Christian Louboutin.

Magento is known to be more SEO-friendly than other eCommerce platforms. Because of its open-source nature, Magento requires coding knowledge (or a developer on-call) to effectively configure. Although the eCommerce platform is free, the costs add up when you consider the cost of hosting an enterprise website, extensions, themes, support, and web development help.

3. Woocommerce (on WordPress)

WordPress is a free content management system that can be set up in one click on most web hosts. Like Magento, it is open source and free to use.

There are several plugins available to use to customize WordPress—you can use it to create a personal blog, a business website, an eCommerce site—and that’s just the beginning. The level of flexibility that WordPress provides is why it’s used to power 28% of the internet.

Since WordPress is open-source, don’t expect any customer support. That said, the WordPress community is very welcoming and helpful. Individuals often make themselves available for free to solve basic issues. If you purchase premium themes or plugins, you’ll be able to make use of the customer support provided in terms of those specific products.

When it comes to eCommerce, the creators behind WordPress created a plugin called WooCommerce to add online shop functionality to the core code.

Compared to Magento, WordPress/Woocommerce is easier to use and you’ll probably be able to configure much of it on your own. You’ll need to plan on costs that include web hosting, a domain, plugins, themes, and other third-party integrations.

Woocommerce is a nice step in between beginner-friendly Shopify and enterprise-ready Magento.

How to Choose an Ecommerce Platform Based on Business Size

With so many choices available today, choosing an eCommerce platform certainly isn’t an easy decision to make! Regardless of where you’re at right now, plan for long-term growth and choose an option that can scale accordingly.

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best chrome book

Lenovo S330 14" Full HD Chrome book

 ·         Chrome book S330 is High performance laptop which is equipped with a Chrome OS, Media TEK MTK8173C Processor, 4 GB LPDDR3, 64 GB EMMC 5.1 and much more specifications.

·         It has sleek, stylish and secure design. It is Perfect for day-to-day computing and multimedia, on or offline.

·         This Lenovo Chrome book S330 is very thin (less than one inch) and 3.3 pounds light with a 14-inch FHD display.

·         Lenovo chrome books delivers a host of performance features. It has powerful processing ability and perfect for all your daily computing needs.

·         You can enjoy powerful processing for daily tasks, LPDDR3 memory for multitasking, EMMC storage for quick boot-ups

·         It has fast software loading speed and additional 100 GB of cloud storage via Google Drive.

·         Its reinforced design of the screen hinges can withstand thousands of openings / closures of the lid.

·         Its island type keyboard makes typing easier and will be useful for people who have to work a lot with text documents.

·         It’s also very powerful even if you open many tabs in Chrome or run some resource-intensive tasks, you still won’t notice freezes or lags.

·         Its full input/output support comes standard on the laptop computer with USB-C, micro SD and USB 3. 0 for effortless connectivity.

·         This Chrome book also features powerful 2 x 2 Wi-Fi ac with Bluetooth 4.1, a 720p webcam.

·         It also has two 2W speaker systems for effortless collaboration, all supported via a suite of collaborative apps via Chrome OS.

·         It offers built-in virus protection and keeps going with long battery life.

·         It is easy to use, no setup is needed, just a Google account so your stuff stays with you via cloud storage of your emails, maps, docs, pics and more.

Pros:

·         Powerful Processing

·         High Performance Laptop

·         Sleek & Stylish Design

·         Full I/O Support

·         Easy To Use

·         Less Than One Inch Thin

·         Perfect For Day-To-Day Computing

·         LPDDR3 Memory For Multitasking

·         Two 2W Speaker Systems

·         Built-In Virus Protection

·         No Setup Is Needed

Conclusion:

Lenovo Chrome book S330 delivers a host of performance features and has powerful processing ability. It also has two 2W speaker systems and built-in virus protection.

   Samsung Chrome book 4 11.6" Laptop

·         Its Intel Celeron N4000 CPU has 1.1 GHz base frequency, up to 2.6 GHz burst frequency, 4 MB cache and 2 cores.

·         It has 11.6" HD LED Display (1366 x 768), Anti-Reflective and Intel UHD 600 Graphics. It also 4GB LPDDR4 SDRAM Memory, 32GB EMMC Storage.

·         It’s another feature is it consists of 802.11 ac wave2 2X2 and Bluetooth 4.0 wireless connectivity and has Micro SD Multi-media Card Reader.

·         It also provides 1 Headphone out/MIC in Combo and Micro SD Multi-media Card Reader.

·         This laptop is bundled with IPUZZLE 4 in 1 USB Type-C to Ethernet Adapter with 3 x Supper Speed USB 3.0 ports and 32GB SD Card.

·         Its HD 720p webcam will enable comfortable streaming and recording. The laptop will remain attractive without requiring daily upkeep attention because the matte housing is fingerprint-proof.

·         This best chrome book will not easily slip even from wet hands because its design is textured. It has 16 GB built-in storage capacity.

·         With this device, you can work with Google Docs and Google Sheets, watch YouTube, prepare presentations, and more. It has up to 8 Hours battery timing.

·         This device from Samsung is a dependable workhorse, despite a faint economy-model vibe coming from its middling integrated storage facilities.

Pros:

·         11.6" HD Led Display

·         Intel UHD Graphics 600

·         Anti-Reflective

·         Wireless Connectivity

·         Micro SD Multi-Media Card Reader

·         Authorized IPUZZLE Bundle

·         Supper Speed USB 3.0 Ports

·         32gb SD Card

Cons:

·         16 GB Built-In Storage Capacity

Conclusion:

This Samsung Chrome book has 1.1 GHz base frequency and Intel Celeron N4000 CPU. It provides11.6" HD LED Display and up to 8 Hours battery timing.

 HP 14-inch Chrome book Laptop

·         It has power to work and play all day. All the power which you need to stay productive and entertained on a seamless Chrome experience.

·         It is a daily dose of entertainment and immerse yourself in Dual speakers and by B&O play audio.

·         You can easily share your screen with a flexible hinge that allows up to 180-degree rotation.

·         It has AMD Dual-Core a4-9120, 2.2GHz up to 2.5GHz Processor.

·         It provides 14.0-Inch diagonal HD SVA anti-glare WLED-backlit Display (1366x768).

·         It has built in 4 GB DDR4-1866 SDRAM Memory and 32 GB EMMC Hard Drive.

·         Its battery life is up to 9 hours and 15 minutes.

·         Its 32 GB EMMC flash-based hard drive works without moving parts which making failure very improbable. Which means that the data stored on this device will remain safe.

·         Its WIFI module supports the 802.11ac protocol, keeping the wireless connection stable and BT 4.2 module does the same thing. 

·         This best chrome book will let you get to work without worrying that the device will struggle with it.

·         It’s AMD A4-9120C dual-core processor will juggling multiple lightweight apps, taking on system demanding applications and have no problems handling everyday tasks.

Pros:

·         Power To Work And Play All Day

·         Stay Productive And Entertained

·         Daily Dose Of Entertainment

·         Dual Speakers And B&O Play Audio

·         Easily Share Your Screen With A Flexible Hinge

·         Allows Up To 180-Degree Rotation

·         AMD Dual-Core Processor

·         Battery Life Is Up To 9 Hours

·         Keeping The Wireless Connection Stable

Cons:

·         Native Resolution Is Not Great According To Screen Size

Conclusion:

HP Chrome book has AMD Dual-Core a4-9120, 2.2GHz up to 2.5GHz Processor and provides 14.0-Inch diagonal HD SVA anti-glare WLED-backlit Display. It provides Dual speakers and B&O play audio.

Acer Spin 11 Convertible Chrome book Laptop

·         It comes with built-in virus protection, updates automatically, boots up in seconds and continues to stay fast over time. 

·         This Chrome book runs on Chrome OS and its operating system by Google is built for the way we live today.

·         You can edit, download and convert Microsoft Office files in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.

·         You can get access to more than 2 million Android apps from Google Play to learn and do more.

·         All the Google apps you know and love come standard on every Chrome book.

·         This Chrome books come with built-in storage for offline access to your most important files.

·         It also has an additional 100GB of Google Drive space to ensure that all of your files are backed up automatically.

·         It comes with CP311-1HN-C2DV 11. 6” HD Touch IPS Display and Intel Celeron N3350.

·         It has built in 4GB DDR4 Memory, 32GB EMMC, Google Chrome, Protective Sleeve, Wacom Pen and Up to 10-hours Battery Life.

·         Its 10-point touchscreen will let you swipe, edit, surf, and organize without the touchpad.

·         It has Wacom stylus pen that's shipped with the Chrome book will enable writing, drawing, doodling, and signing documents without restrictions.

·         The protective sleeve will safeguard the screen during transportation and its keys are pretty loud. 

·         The Acer Spin 11 aims at unit askers as well as multitasks with its 88-degree viewing angle.

·         Its camera supports comfortable Google Hangouts with multiple people and integrating HDR imaging.

·         The cam improves face-to-face chats and video conferences. Its IPS panel will make the content look pretty great.

Pros:

·         Comes With Built-In Virus Protection

·         Updates Automatically

·         Boots Up In Seconds

·         Continues To Stay Fast Over Time

·         Come With Built-In Storage For Offline Access

·         Additional 100gb Of Google Drive Space

·         Built In 4gb Ddr4 Memory And 32gb EMMC

·         Up To 10-Hours Battery Life

·         Camera Supports Comfortable Google Hangouts

Cons:

·         Keys Are Pretty Loud

Conclusion:

Acer Spin chrome books comes with CP311-1HN-C2DV 11. 6” HD Touch IPS Display and can get access to more than 2 million Android apps from Google Play. It has built in 4GB DDR4 Memory, 32GB EMMC and provides Up to 10-hours Battery Life.

 Lenovo Chrome book Flex 5 13" Laptop

·         With its outstanding combination of performance, entertainment and connectivity you can work from home, school, or anywhere.

·         The Lenovo Flex 5 is enabled by 10th generation INTEL Core processors.

·         It offers intelligent performance features that adapt to you for a personalized, intuitive, and responsive experience.

·         This 2-in-1 laptop combines a keyboard and touchscreen to make it easy to interact with everything on your display.

·         You can also use the Lenovo digital pen to quickly write, click or drag files right on the screen

·         Its 13-inch FHD display in this slim, light 360° convertible Chrome book offers beautiful visuals, while narrow bezels minimize distractions.

·         It also has two user-facing stereo speakers which keeps you immersed in the experience.

·         You can use your Google account to easily access files, videos, music, and documents stored on the cloud from anywhere.

·         It provides up to 10 hours of battery life and you'll stay productive.

·         You can easily connect with the built-in webcam, 2 USB Type-C ports, a USB Type-A port and an audio jack.

·         It also has the latest Intel Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 which provides a fast and reliable connection.

·         Its Intel Core i3-10110U CPU will let you to compile programs, juggle financial modeling, encode videos, run different compression and decompression algorithms, mine data, and more.

·         Its two front-facing stereo speakers will also make the on-screen visuals more immersive. 

·         Lenovo Flex 5 will accommodate creative professionals, including those who spend ample time on the road.

·         This laptop can survive a pretty long flight without giving out and you can switch between tablet, tent, stand, and laptop modes.

Pros:

·         13-Inch FHD Display

·         Outstanding Combination Of Performance

·         Offers Beautiful Visuals

·         Enabled By 10th Generation INTEL Core Processors

·         Two User-Facing Stereo Speakers

·         2-In-1 Laptop Combines A Keyboard And Touchscreen

·         Provides Up To 10 Hours Of Battery Life

·         Built-In Webcam And 2 USB Type-C Ports

Cons:

·         Webcam Is Passable At Best

Conclusion:

Lenovo Flex 5 best chrome book will accommodate creative professionals and come with Intel Core i3-10110U CPU. It is enabled by 10th generation INTEL Core processors and provides up to 10 hours of battery life.

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[perfectirishgifts]

Surface Duo Review: Misunderstood And Underappreciated

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/surface-duo-review-misunderstood-and-underappreciated/

Surface Duo Review: Misunderstood And Underappreciated

The author holding Microsoft’s recently released Surface Duo.

I will be the first person to admit that I was only mildly interested when I initially heard about the Microsoft Surface Duo. My first smartphone was a Microsoft-powered HTC Titan, branded the XV6800 and made for UTStarcom. I loved that phone—it ran Windows Mobile 6 Professional Edition and came with Microsoft Office pre-installed on it. It was great for doing my homework when I didn’t have my laptop. Of course, the interface was horrendous for a mobile phone, but none of us knew any better at the time—all we knew was Palm and Blackberry. Microsoft eventually updated Windows Mobile to 6.5 in a last-ditch to save the operating system before it canned everything for a new version. Finally, Microsoft migrated everything to Windows Phone 7, but that ultimately pushed all Microsoft’s mobile developers to Android for trying to be too much like (sinking Nokia along with it).

A fresh new start

I give you all this history because my prior experience with a Microsoft mobile device was a mixed experience that ultimately left a bad taste in my mouth—hence my initial lack of enthusiasm at the  Surface Duo announcement. Still, I was curious to see what the company would do with its first Android device. Furthermore, I believed it was the right call not to run Windows, given the current state of mobile ecosystems.

I struggle to call the Surface Duo a phone because aside from its cellular connection and dialer apps, it does not act much like one (aside from having a cellular connection and a dialer app to make and receive phone calls). And to be frank, I think most people of my generation and younger don’t care much for the phone aspect of our mobile devices today; we prefer to chat and text much more than talk on the phone, and if we do use voice, it’s usually in one of our many chat apps.

The Surface Duo design is in line with the rest of the Surface portfolio, which Microsoft successfully built up over the years as a premium brand. However, we can’t call the Surface Duo  a premium Windows brand anymore—now it’s a premium Microsoft brand. As such, nobody was surprised by how incredibly sleek and thin the device is. It’s like nothing else on the market.

Growing pains

While I was not in the first round of reviewers who got the Surface Duo, I did get the device before it was available to the public. Unlike most reviewers, my experience was mostly positive. I attribute the discrepancy to the fact that I started using the device after the first major software update fixed many of the initial issues. Most of the Surface Duo’s software issues were fixed with the second major update. I do believe that this phone still has lots of room for improvement on the software side, but I also think that many people’s expectations of this device were simply outside of what it was intended to do.

The Surface Duo is a misunderstood device that Microsoft designed to fit into a yet untapped niche. I believe that is why the Surface Duo doesn’t have an outside screen or a three-camera array. There are a lot of people who don’t particularly care that much for smartphone cameras, and some who aren’t even allowed to carry a device with a visible camera into their workplace. The Surface Duo does still have a front-facing camera, which can be flipped outward, but the user experience in my opinion is not really that great and feels like a compromise. However, there is a somewhat strong case to eliminate the Duo’s camera for users who might carry two devices around, using the Duo as their work-only device,

Productivity powerhouse

I use dozens of phones per year and few devices have come close to matching the Surface Duo in terms of productivity. LG came pretty close with the V60 and dual screen setup as did Samsung with the Galaxy Fold line. Still, I believe the Duo’s dual screen design allows for the smoothest mutli-tasking experience in the industry. I believe this likely has to do with Microsoft’s Surface Duo launcher and how it handles applications. I think there’s still room for improvement on this launcher, though it’s gotten a little sharper with every Surface Duo update.

I split most of my productivity between Google and Microsoft apps, all of which have worked extremely well side by side. That said, I do not see myself using the Surface Duo for writing documents or working on spreadsheets because I prefer to use a keyboard and mouse for those applications, which starts to enter laptop territory.  I do see myself using apps such as OneNote together with Teams when I’m not at my desk. I like the ability to have both my active apps open at the same time and without having to switch between them, and switching between apps on the Surface Duo is generally pretty easy.

Microsoft has explored some app pairings, where one app launches on each screen, such as Edge and OneNote, Outlook and Calendar, YouTube and Microsoft News and Office and Teams (the last of which I use frequently).  I actually use the Surface Duo as my back-up device for Teams if I’m not at my desk. For me, the most common app pairing is Gmail with Google Calendar so that I can see my schedule when scheduling meetings or calls. Additionally, when I’m taking a break, sometimes its nice to browse Twitter while watching TikToks or doomscroll through Facebook and Twitter simultaneously.

The first great dual-screen

Many have tried to make dual-screen work on Android and most have failed. I believe that Microsoft has made a very strong case for a dual-screen Android device as competition to some of the foldables out there like the Moto Razr, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold. Some people are not particularly sold on the foldable formfactor quite yet and many of them actually like the idea of a tight but functional hinged design with two screens. I think that Microsoft has really nailed this experience, albeit with some growing pains, and has shown that this form factor has real promise. Apps like Microsoft News fully utilize the dual-screen design in an intelligent way, which gave me some very exciting ideas about the future of mobile experiences. Obviously application developers have to enable this capability, but there are already some very compelling dual screen applications of the surface like extending the height of a standard webpage by using the device in “portrait” mode and extending the browser across both screens.

I am a big multi-tasker and I like to have many things open at the same time. I am that guy with 100 Chrome tabs open, across 4 windows on 3 monitors. I also like to do photo editing, video editing and write simultaneously. So, naturally, the Surface Duo is my go-to device. However, while I really do wish that I could make the Surface Duo my daily driver for everything personal and business, there are some shortcomings that necessitate carrying at least 1 or 2 other devices in addition to the Duo.

A great first try

While I have enjoyed the Surface Duo and I prefer to use it as my ‘work’ device over others, there are still lots of things that I would like to see Microsoft do with the second version. First, Microsoft needs to upgrade the camera and camera software. If the Duo is only going to have one front-facing camera, it needs to be much higher quality than what’s currently on the Duo. Personally, I can’t make the Duo my daily do-everything device because it doesn’t have enough cameras or good enough cameras. Triple camera is the minimum for me on a flagship device and that’s not going to change—I love taking pictures and I take lots of them.

While it’s forgivable that Microsoft didn’t ship the Surface Duo with this year’s flagship processor, it’s much harder to justify charging a $1,399 retail price for last year’s. For a Surface product, one would expect the latest Snapdragon, either an 865 or 865. Especially considering that without the latest Snapdragon, the Duo lacks both 5G and Wi-Fi 6 capabilities. I believe that these are all big misses on the device’s productivity and performance capabilities. Faster connectivity and processing power all translate to a better productivity experience and that story has been pushed by virtually all of Microsoft’s competitors in the space. I also believe that the 6GB of RAM the Duo ships with is low for a device being promoted for its ability to multitask and increase productivity. I believe that 8GB should be the minimum for any Android-based flagship, let alone one meant for productivity.

In terms of design, while the Surface Duo looks unique and extremely clean, it could benefit from a serious downsizing of the bezels at the top and bottom. The extremely thick bezels obviously hide a lot of the device’s electronics, but I believe that many of the components should be smaller to enable either a larger display size in the same body or a smaller overall body. That said, the overall build quality is absolutely fantastic and the device feels and looks absolutely premium.. The Surface Duo design seems to elicit the same reactions from people as the first Surface PCs did—amazement and confusion.

What’s next?

Microsoft needs to decide what its ambitions for Windows on ARM and Android are for the future. I think that Microsoft absolutely made the right call to launch the Surface Duo on Android and I don’t think it should waver from that decision. That said, Apple has leaned heavily into its own M1 processor and, as my boss Patrick Moorhead has illustrated, even companies as big as Apple have growing pains. The Surface Duo is Microsoft’s first real try at a smartphone since the company launched the last Lumia phones in 2016 with Windows 10 mobile. While there are many ways I believe that the Surface Duo could improve, especially in terms of system specifications and software maturity, there are glimpses of brilliance in there as well. As I used the Surface Duo more and more, I felt increasingly more productive and capable of multi-tasking in a way that I didn’t think was possible on a mobile device. For that alone, I hope that Microsoft comes out with a second version with an improved design, better specs and more polished software.

From Cloud in Perfectirishgifts