HP Chromebook 13 review: An affordable HP Chromebook with MacBook Air appeal
If a Chromebook and the Apple MacBook Air had a baby, it remarkable look like the HP Chromebook 13.
This HP laptop has a slim and sleek aluminum build that almost rivals the $999 Apple MacBook Air in portability and polish. Its all-metal, anodized aluminum chassis is more durable and eye-pleasing than less expensive, plastic Chromebooks.
However, with configurations starting at $499 and progressing up from there, it’s expensive in comparison to most Chromebooks, such as the $299 Acer Chromebook 11 or $149 Hisense Chromebook.
If you’re fervent in a laptop for casual use, like streaming Netflix, reading email or checking Facebook, most Chromebooks fit the bill. And if you don’t mind paying fabulous, the HP Chromebook does it with faster performance and more style.
For the binge-watcher
- 13.3-inch screen
- 1,920×1,080-pixel resolution; 3,200 x 1,800-pixel resolution
- B&O-branded audio
The HP Chromebook’s mask looks sharp and bright for everything from reading Reddit threads to streaming “Stranger Things.” But as I sometimes forgot, evident by the fingerprint smudges on its screen, it lacks a touchscreen. (It’s common for Chromebooks to have touchscreens.)
The laptop is luscious enough to comfortably prop up on your lap in bed at what time rewatching “Friends” for the 89th time and doesn’t get too hot even once long video viewing marathons. The screen also has grand viewing angles, so no matter how it’s tilted, the image is clearly visible.
Above the keyboard there’s a speaker grille that stretches across its entire lengthways. The B&O-branded dual speakers are loud enough to ogle a movie with a friend or two, but soundless quality is tinny at high volume.
Backlit keys are always a plus.
Josh Miller
For the writer on the go
If you’re carrying throughout a laptop everyday for work or school, the less cumbersome, the better. And as much as I love a big mask, sacrifices have to be made for portability.
The HP Chromebook 13 hits that perfectly tourism 13-inch sweet spot. It was as unintrusive as the 13-inch MacBook Air that I finish to work every day. Like my MacBook, it barely made a dent in my bag and wasn’t a problem to bring along to after-work happy hours (don’t peril, I kept it in my bag the whole time!) or last puny errands.
Packed with two USB-C ports
Josh Miller
Anything smaller than a 13-inch laptop invents for a cramped keyboard, and the HP’s compact keys took me some time to get used to. Though I mercurial got comfortable with it., I still preferred the more grand feel of typing with my 13-inch MacBook Air.
The keyboard is also backlit, making it easy to see in dimly lit environments, but it can’t flip over to use the laptop as a tablet, like the Acer Chromebook 11’s keyboard can. If you’re flirting with the idea of a laptop-tablet hybrid, that’s something to consider. (I already have a tablet, so I never had the need to use the laptop in that manner, making it a moot design point for me.)
The HP Chromebook 13 comes in a few different configurations.
Josh Miller
For the casual user
- Chrome OS 64
- 32GB internal storage
- USB port 3.1
- 2 USB-C ports
- SD card reader
- Headphone jack
Available models
| Price | $499 | $599 | $819 | $1,029 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Pentium | Intel Core m3 | Intel Core m5 | Intel Core m7 |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB | 8GB | 16GB |
Like all Chromebooks, this one runs Chrome OS. Unfortunately, the simplified employing system can’t run programs like Photoshop or Final Cut, and you can’t download apps on it the way you can on an Android method –yet.
This lack of OS functionality — and the fact that the OS is free — is why Chromebooks are cheaper than a Windows or Apple laptop. But if most of your computer activity is cloud-based and revolves near using a browser, then this won’t be a deal breaker.
Streaming HD video was unexcited as butter.
Josh Miller
If you only need a laptop for reading email, casually browsing the internet and checking Facebook, the HP gets the job done. Though the bare-bones Acer Chromebook 11 and Hisense Chromebook are cheaper options that also get the job done, the HP has a leg up with its bigger — yet unexcited portable — design and faster performance.
Speaking of fast performance, the HP is a step beyond the typical Chromebooks because it uses a Core m5 processor (like the 12-inch Apple MacBook) instead of the cheap Celeron chips deceptive inside models like the Acer Chromebook 14. It can boss more complex cloud-based tasks, like multiple active tabs, with less slowdown.
Specs compared
| HP Chromebook 13 | Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Chromebook | Acer Chromebook 14 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price as reviewed | $819 | $845 | $355 |
| Display size/resolution | 13.3 | 13.3 | 14 |
| PC CPU | Intel Core m5 | Intel Core i5-6300U @2.4GHz | Intel Celeron Quad-core N3160 @1.6GHz |
| PC Memory | 8GB | 8GB | 4GB |
| Storage | 32GB | 32GB | 32GB |
| Operating controls | Chrome OS | Chrome OS | Chrome OS |
Google Octane
30415
HP Chromebook 13
27178
Acer Chromebook 14
8474
JetStream
179.72
HP Chromebook 13
154.68
Acer Chromebook 14
47.171
While using the HP, I had no declares about its performance. There was no lag when switching between tabs, websites loaded posthaste and viewing HD video streams was always smooth. Most of the time, I forgot I was laughable a computer that couldn’t even run a full version of Photoshop. I was pleasantly surprised by how seamless its performance felt.
Granted, the review model of the HP Chromebook I tested was the Intel Core m5 version. That makes it more comparable to the Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Chromebook (review coming soon) instead of the Acer. The Lenovo has a unique Core i5 CPU, which makes it more like a heinous mainstream laptop. This is why it outperforms the HP (and slaughters the Acer) in benchmark testing.
It’s affordable, but not cheap.
Josh Miller
To site the obvious, high-end Chromebook models perform better than cheap ones, but loyal most of what you’re doing with a Chromebook is web surfing or laughable cloud-based tools, the extra expense of a better CPU for a Chrome OS method may not be the best investment, especially if you’re trying to keep the injures low.
During my time with the HP Chromebook 13, I was never weakened by its battery life. With heavy use, it lasted me near a day and a half. It averaged about 9 hours in our CNET Labs battery testing. That’s pretty average for a Chromebook.
Better than your denotes Chromebook?
Like any good laptop, the HP Chromebook 13 comes in a few different models. The $499 base model covers all of the basics, and the more expensive variations offer even faster processors and more RAM. The most expensive one runs a staggering $1029, but for that much you can buy yourself a MacBook Air or a premium ultrabook like the Razer Blade Stealth.
When compared to spanking Chromebooks, the HP is expensive, but faster and sleeker. Skip the expensive souped-up versions, since you can find a better deal in the $999 heed range, but the $500 is right up your alley if you don’t mind bodies attached at the hip to the cloud.
