

- LENOVO CHROMEBOOK DUET REVIEW FULL
- LENOVO CHROMEBOOK DUET REVIEW ANDROID
- LENOVO CHROMEBOOK DUET REVIEW WINDOWS
While Chrome OS feels like it's starting to mature in a desktop environment, tablet mode still feels more like a beta. (I think scrolling tabs is pointless.) Google also needs to let folks sideload apps more easily, like you can on Android.
LENOVO CHROMEBOOK DUET REVIEW WINDOWS
I'm glad Virtual Desks finally got a four-finger swipe to move between them, but the direction of the swipe is backward from how I have it on my Windows and macOS machines, and I'd really prefer if I could switch it to use a three-finger gesture instead. I also wish that Google would let us customize touchpad gestures. The platform's multiplying settings menus are getting seriously out of hand, it's almost as bad as Windows at this point, and Google doesn't have three decades of legacy cruft to accommodate. I also have a few complaints about Chrome OS in general. Standby time was also very good, barely sipping power.
LENOVO CHROMEBOOK DUET REVIEW FULL
Though Chrome OS doesn't have an easy way to measure screen-on time (that I know of, anyway), in my anecdotal estimation, it should last at least a full work day unless you're doing particularly intensive tasks. Lenovo claims it can last up to ten hours, and though manufacturer numbers are usually generous (if not misleading), it has some "go" to it.

It took four days of light-to-normal use for it to die on me when I first got it, and that included using it for work over a weekend. Considering it's ARM-powered and just $280, I expected it to be worse.īattery life seems good. While it wasn't always fluid, it was never much of a problem, especially if you're sticking to more basic tasks like content consumption, simple productivity like writing, and video calls.
LENOVO CHROMEBOOK DUET REVIEW ANDROID
I did notice some stuttering and dropped frames when visiting particularly demanding websites, or if I was playing Android games. In more anecdotal and accurate terms, performance was acceptable. For comparison, the Helio P60T included in the Chromebook Duet sounds like it might be the same chipset that the latest Kindle Fire HD 10 uses (or it's very similar). In more plain terms: Near the bottom of the modern pack, but better than a lot of Chromebooks at the price point. That level of performance places it far behind the latest, most powerful (and much more expensive) Intel Chromebooks with U- and Y-series chips, but a bit ahead of 2018-era N-series Celerons. Microsoft did that right with the Surface line, this adds a lot of extra thickness for no reason.

The keyboard is floppy and not rigid enough to even keep the touchpad's clicks tactile if you hold it just a little bit "wrong," and the kickstand cover is superfluous - Lenovo should have just built the kickstand into the back of the tablet itself. But, it's still sub-$300 hardware, and some corners were absolutely cut. Lenovo and Google did an incredible job making some of the best sub-$300 tablet hardware I've seen, the screen and build quality are pretty good, and the fact that it comes with a keyboard and fabric-backed kickstand cover is pretty nuts for the price. But if it's a design you know you like or can live with, the Duet executes it well enough. Ultimately, there's no tangible benefit in my mind: It's an inherently flawed design. Getting everything just right is uncomfortable and inconvenient, and the design consumes even more space in compact environments due to its kickstand. It's a frustrating experience getting things positioned in your lap while ensuring the keyboard cover isn't so warped that the touchpad no longer works, and that the screen is held at the correct angle. I'm not generally a fan of the Surface-style 2-in-1 designs because they're very difficult to use in as many circumstances as a laptop or a hinged detachable. Right: And the Surface-style design is floppy and a little awkward sometimes. Left: The keyboard cover doesn't really stay in place when closed.
