I decided to adventure into the realm of Chromebooks since several news articles have begun to talk about this Google-based experience. Some authors represent that Chromebooks are changing the PC landscape.
During visits over the past year to big-box electronic retailers, I occasionally looked at the Chromebooks for sale…generally in the $200 price range. My impression of the physical devices at the time was they seemed physically fragile…in other words easy to break. Contrasting this were numerous laptop devices which were much more expensive, but also much more sturdy.
I have always been a fan of the Thinkpad line, first by IBM and then by Lenovo. I’ve owned several Thinkpads over the years and have found the construction to be well engineered. In looking at the Lenovo line, — regular Lenovo as well as Thinkpad — I’ve always found the Thinkpad versions to be have a much better look and feel – a solid feel.
Then I saw some words about a Lenovo Thinkpad Chromebook. While a little more expensive than similar Chromebooks, the Thinkpad moniker told me to jump in and explore Chromebooks. And I did. And this Blog entry is being written on my new Lenovo Thinkpad Chromebook 11e.
Lenovo offers the Thinkpad 11e (11.6″ screen) in four models – a 11.6″ Chromebook clam shell “laptop”, an 11.6″ Yoga style touch sensitive Chromebook, a 11.6″ clam shell with Windows, and an 11.6″ Yoga style touch sensitive with Windows. In the Chromebook versions, the 11E comes with Intel processors and 4GB of memory; as with other Chromebooks, it uses 16GB of storage. Note: most other Chromebooks use only 2GB of memory. The same hardware platform but for Windows offers larger rotating or SSD storage and an option for additional memory – albiet at a higher cost.
As a computing platform, the Lenovo Thinkpad 11E is worth the extra cost. (Lenovo also makes a Chromebook based on the regular Lenovo Ideapad line – lower in cost, and only 2GB of memory…same 16GB storage.) The keyboard I’m using right now lives up to the very high Thinkpad standards – originally by IBM and now carried forward by Lenovo. Unlike other Thinkpads, no red pointing stick, and I keep looking for the DELETE key as I write. And the rest of the platform similarly has a sturdier look and feel. Lenovo indicates the 11E in either Chromebook or Windows versions are aimed at the education market…either as individuals or schools/universities.
The 11e uses a track pad to move the cursor, however after a little use, I found I needed a mouse for precision location pointing and actions. And this is true of the other computers I play and use. One mouse I tried, just didn’t work, but two others worked just fine.
Another nice feature of the Thinkpad 11e is the material of the case. The base plate has a slightly rough surface which provides additional friction to stay on your lap. It has a rubber-type edge that provides protections against bumps, and it has a nice matte finish to eliminate glare. All-in-all nice.
Note: In any assessment of platforms – laptops, tablets, desktops, etc. YOUR functional use is the most important factor. Some people need high performance, some don’t; some people need globs of storage, some don’t (or use NAS or Cloud storage). It all depends on your needs. These products are viewed from my usage and needs.
Pros:
- Thinkpad construction standards fully maintained
- Typing on the keyboard- Superb!
- 11.6″ screen readability very usable
- Performance sufficient for my needs
- 4GB of memory probably gives better performance than the 2GB versions of Chromebook
- Rugged construction – virtually no fingerprints or hand oils accumulate (so far); nice surface, bezel, and bottom plate finishes
- When you open the clam-shell, it powers on automatically to the login screen (it does have a power button) making for faster start up
- Instantly recognizes USB Flash Thumb drive – no “loading drivers”
- The 11e is targeted for the education market; others will enjoy it just as much.
Cons:
- No DELETE key on the keyboard
- No expandability – memory or storage
- Rugged construction – adds some weight…not terrible though.
- Cannot boot from USB drive.
Overall rating for the Lenovo 11e Platform — 4 out of 5 stars.
Part 2 will cover the ChromeOS.