Picture this scenario, for it’s not as far-fetched as you think. You’re at the mall, trying to get everything on everyone’s Christmas list. Your eyes rest on the term “Chromebook”, but you realize that it seems that everyone wants one, and it’s hard to find one now. It’s like the Great Cabbage Patch Kid Riots of 1982, or the Teddy Ruxpin Shortage of 1985 all over again!
There’s a couple of laptops out there that can satisfy your urge for a Chromebook and then some.
And what’s with these Chromebooks, anyway? A year ago, people had hardly heard of them, and now suddenly everybody wants one! Well, if you can’t find a Chromebook, there are alternatives that are in the same ballpark that are worth taking a look at. Check these out…
HP Stream 11
Here’s a system that matches Chromebook prices ($199), which as we all know is one of the Chromebook’s biggest selling points. Furthermore, the Stream has a 14-inch monitor, AMD A4 Quad-Core 1.6GHz processor, 2GB RAM, 32B Internal flash, webcam, and as if that’s not enough, 100GB of storage space in One Drive for two years, free. Talk about a deal!
HP Pavilion DM1-4310nr
Here’s another HP entry, though this one’s a little pricier. But then again, the price (around $430) is on par with higher end Chromebooks. It features an 11.6″ screen, AMD E-Series Dual Core 1.7GHz processor, 4GB RAM, and 500 hard drive. This system gives you some real solid performance in a lightweight body. Note that it does not have an optical drive, however.
ASUS EeeBook X205
Let’s get back to a more saner price that best mirrors Chromebooks, shall we? This model features 1.33GHZ Intel Atom processor, a 11.6″ screen, 2GB RAM, 32GB on board storage, and two free years of 500GB ASUS WebStorage. It uses Windows 8.1, a vast improvement of the train wreck that’s Windows 8, as its operating system. The average battery life is listed as a staggering 12 hours! All this in a system that weighs just a little over two pounds. This one’s definitely a keeper.
Toshiba Satellite NB15t Netbook
This one’s a little more on the expensive side, around $380. It comes with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive and, awesomely enough, a 11.6″ touchscreen. If there’s any drawback to it, it’s the short battery life, reportedly around six hours.
Acer Aspire E
Here’s a model that weight in at $250, which is not so far away from that ideal $199. It comes equipped with an Intel Celeron N2830 Dual-core 2.16 GHz processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, and a 15.6″ HD monitor. It runs Windows 8.1, and has a bit more heft at 5.25 pounds. Dollar for dollar, it’ll be hard to find a machine that delivers so much power for such a price. This one will be just the thing to make you forget that Chromebooks exist.
There you have it; five systems that can replace the Chromebook that you can’t seem to get a hold of. If you want to read up on more about the Chromebook versus laptop struggle, check out “Battle Between Laptops and Chromebooks: What Is The Future?”
Byline: John Terra has been a freelance writer since 1985. He was always creeped out by Teddy Ruxpin. In fact, he still is.
Born in the Boston area in 1959, I started writing in 1985. I live in Nashua NH with my wife and three cats. We have four kids in our blended family. I am an utter geek who's into gaming, horror, SF/fantasy, the Red Sox, trains, running, history, and a bunch of other things.
