Chromebooks are in an identity crisis. They aren’t the small, cheap laptops they used to be. These days, Chromebooks come in all shapes and sizes, and some even pack premium hardware.

On example is the Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630. Starting at $540 and featuring a quad-core Intel Core processor, it’s serious competition for similarly priced Windows 10 notebooks. There’s even a 4K model in the works. Can this Chromebook be your only laptop?

The Yoga Chromebook C630 is the perfect middle ground between premium and affordable. At $540 (or even for the $700 Best Buy option), there aren’t many Windows 10 laptops we’d recommend, making a Chromebook like this one a very solid alternative. It’s not the flashiest Chrome OS device we’ve used, but with performance at the top of its class and impressive build quality to boot, it’s one of the easiest to recommend.

Is there a better alternative?

There isn’t a Windows 10 laptop anywhere near this price that compares in build quality, performance, and battery life. The only one that comes nearest is the Acer Aspire E 15, though you won’t get near the portability, both in battery life and chassis size. There are a couple of serious competitors in the Chromebook space, however. The Acer Chromebook Spin 15 is a bit cheaper than the Yoga Chromebook, though it has a slower processor and weaker build quality. The closest competitor is the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1, which matches the Yoga in just about every spec, including price. It doesn’t, however, offer a more powerful Core i5 version, though the built-in stylus slot is a plus.

How long will it last?

This is a futureproofed laptop. Its 8th-gen processor will last you for years before it gets sluggish. Meanwhile, the port selection has enough USB-A and USB-C to manage the transition of peripherals. The one-year warranty isn’t great, but it’s become the industry standard.

Should you buy it?

Source: Youtube