I have added an HP/Google Chromebook 11 to my Chrome OS collection. Ironically, a year ago I was planning to buy this device for Christmas, but then there was a problem with the power supply that caused HP and Google to pull the device from store shelves and I ended up buying the Acer 720C. I was able to buy this device at a discount through my employer, who happens to be HP. [[Disclosure]]

There are several interesting points about the Chromebook 11, first is that this device was designed in collaboration by Google and HP, and in actuality this is a Google Chromebook rather than an HP Chromebook. Although it was never really sold this way, I think the intent was for the Chromebook 11 to be a lower price alternative to the Google Chromebook Pixel.

The collaboration lead to some interesting design decisions. One is that it uses a ARM-based, Samsung CPU so it has the processing power more typical of tablets than notebooks. It has a nice IPS display and the case is glossy white and solidly constructed. Noone will be embarrassed carrying this device.

One of the interesting aspects of the Chromebook 11 is that you can charge it with a standard Micro USB cable, which I found intriguing because it means you could charge it with the same charger as the one you use with a phone. It requires more power to charge so the power supply may get warm, which is why the devices were recalled earlier in the year.

The combination of the ARM chip and the 2 GB of RAM make for slower performance than the Acer 720C. The Acer gets an Octane score of 11,000 while the Chromebook 11 tops out at 6500.

In my opinion, the ideal mid-priced Chromebook is a combination of the Chromebook 11 and the Acer 720c, put the Acer's processor and RAM inside the Chromebook 11 and I would be very happy with the result.

11/05/14; 12:08:59 PM

Last built: Wed, Feb 17, 2016 at 3:26 PM

By Frank McPherson, Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 12:08 PM.