Just like the mediocre high quality of the show, the touchpad can be relatively middling. I’ve used worse, however its plastic floor isn’t as easy and responsive as glass ones. The clicking mechanism is loud and requires an excessive amount of effort to press. It is also free, so you possibly can depress the touchpad with out registering a click on. All of that is widespread in low-cost laptops, and over time, it’s one thing I feel I may get used to. However if you soar again to one thing extra premium, you’ll discover an enormous distinction. The keyboard isn’t fairly as troublesome, however the keys do really feel squishier than I like. I do not thoughts the grippy texture on the keycaps.
There’s a stable choice of ports, together with HDMI 1.4, USB-A 3.2, USB-C 3.2, a USB-C port for charging, and a headphone jack. It’s properly rounded, however there’s an issue: They’re all on one aspect. You’ll solely discover a Kensington lock slot on the suitable aspect of the machine. Sadly, meaning you’ll solely be capable of cost the laptop computer from the left aspect.
Simply Sufficient Energy
{Photograph}: Luke Larsen
There are two variations of the Asus Chromebook CX14 out there proper now. My overview unit was the dearer configuration, which comes with extra of all the things—a quicker CPU, twice as a lot RAM (8 GB), and twice as a lot storage (128 GB). The processor is the Core 3 Collection 1, in any other case often known as the Intel Core 3 N355. It’s an fascinating chip, utilizing solely eight effectivity cores and no efficiency cores, in comparison with the traditional dual-core setup of the Celeron chips.
Efficiency isn’t something to write down residence about, although it was 38 p.c quicker within the Speedometer 3.1 benchmark than the Celeron-based Asus Chromebook CX15 I examined final month. Which means internet purposes really feel a bit snappier and extra responsive, particularly when you will have so much occurring on the similar time. It’s onerous to argue with the value of that cheaper configuration (particularly when it’s on sale), however for those who intend to make use of the CX14 for lively work or learning, you’ll recognize the increase to efficiency and additional storage.
Asus claims the CX14 lasts for eight hours on a cost. In my assessments, it lasts for about that lengthy. Thoughts you, that is on native video playback with the display at 100 lux—not precisely a heavy load. My regular work day use dropped that down by fairly a bit, and I definitely wanted a recharge in the course of the day. So no, that’s nowhere close to as long-lasting because the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, neither is it akin to extra premium laptops just like the MacBook Air or Floor Laptop computer. However for a laptop computer of this value, it’s respectable.
