So many pixels!
I still wonder how Toshiba managed to make such a well-rounded laptop with such an AMAZING screen. The 1920×1080 IPS panel rivals that of the new MacBook. It’s that good. Even though the display is so good, there are no corners cut anywhere else in the design.
Apple? Is that you?
One look at the Toshiba Chromebook 2 and you only think of one thing; a MacBook. The outside of the laptop is a very nice feeling hard plastic throughout, and looks very premium. It has the specs to back up the premium look, too. Center stage is an Intel Celeron running at 2.16 GHz, a 16gb SSD playing the melody, and 4 gb of RAM to sing backup on the song of ChromeOS.
The penguin returns
ChromeOS, a Linux-based operating system, is primarily focused on web applications. Google has realized that most people don’t want ten million extra apps cluttering their hard drives, so they give you basically a web browser and a desktop. It basically relies on being near an internet connection most, if not all, of the time. There is a large emphasis on using Google’s free web app suite. These include Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Drive. Google has also taken some Android applications and put them straight onto ChromeOS, such as the Google Play Store, music, and photos. These all work together to create an OS that is unique as well as functional.
Bringing it all together
The Chromebook 2 has made it over most obstacles that typically plague laptops of this price. The keyboard has decent amounts of key travel for a laptop this small and thin. In addition, the trackpad supports two finger scrolling, which is a nice touch. The party piece of the Chromebook 2 is definitely the speakers. Tuned by Skullcandy, who manufacture earbuds and speakers, they sound better than some full size speakers. When listening to Bastille’s “Oblivion” near max volume, there was little to no distortion or flat tones, which was extremely impressive for a laptop of this size and price.
Size does matter
The Chromebook 2 features a 13.3 inch display, which, coupled with the 1080p resolution, looks beautiful. The laptop itself is 12.6 x 8.4 x 0.76 inches, and weighs in at 3 pounds, which is light enough to carry around in a backpack. Battery life, fully charged, is 9 hours, which is mostly because of the low-power, fanless components and the optimization of the OS.
Final Thoughts
The Toshiba Chromebook 2, when compared with other laptops of a similar price point, such as the HP stream, stands out due to its screen, speakers, and beauty. All things considered, the Toshiba Chromebook 2 is the best Chromebook, and one of the best sub-300 dollar laptops around.
ShadowByte 