- Toshiba's is heavy - it's exactly one pound or almost 50% heavier than HP's Chromebook. I happen to use my Chromebook on my lap, on the couch, in bed or to carry it around the house held in one hand and one pound makes a big difference. Watching a movie in bed or checking the weather in the morning as I wake up or browsing through the news while I was watching a movie on the big living room TV was awkward with the Toshiba. Because it's... heavy.
- Toshiba is larger, thicker - 11 inches vs 13 inches may not seem like such a big difference but the 11-inch form factor may be the sweet spot when it comes to size of little computer gadgets. Something larger becomes more difficult to carry around the house or at least that's my experience.
- Proprietary charger - I can use most USB chargers with my HP's Chromebook but Toshiba's comes with its own. Yes, Toshiba's longer battery life makes it less likely that it needs a charge while in the middle of doing something but the ability to charge your Chromebook even when the original charger was misplaced or stopped working is a major convenience.
- HP's has a stronger body - and it's not a subjective impression entirely. HPs Magnesium chassis makes a well put together, solid little computer. Toshiba's larger, heavier body by comparison appears to be more fragile and less durable.
- HPs display is vastly superior. It's not just brighter with more lively colors but it's also viewable from a much wider angle - practically from almost any angle. By comparison, Toshiba's display is dull. Add to the superior HP display the fact that Toshiba's has the exact same resolution as HP's Chromebook but the pixels are spread on a large display and you therefore get fewer 'dots per inch' on Toshiba's machine and that's not good.
- HPs speakers sound better - yes, it's almost a subjective comment but everyone who listened to both agreed with me so maybe it's not too subjective.
And then there are some of the subjective criteria. The HP is a very, very pretty little computer, I will even go as far as calling it 'beautiful'. I know, 'design' is subjective but once you've experienced such a slick Chromebook as HP's you may not be happy with one of the more 'industrial' designs. I prefer HPs design and finish, its responsive keyboard and trackpad to Toshiba's. Toshiba's body feels 'cheap' and rings hollow whenever I hit the keys or I hit (click) on the pad. It's as if the body has thin, not so sturdy walls that buckle a little when pressed.
If the above sounds almost like an indictment on Toshiba's product, don't read it that way. I am still rating it as a 4 stars (I like it) because, while not the ideal Chromebook for me, this is still a Chromebook and that's a good thing. Get the Toshiba if speed, battery life, ports, and a larger display are what matters to you.
For anyone not a Chromebook user yet, I am adding a couple of sections on what Chromebooks are and what they are good for. Whatever follows may not be very interesting to anyone who's already used one.
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WHY A CHROMEBOOK?
There's so much to say here but let me make a quick summary. And never forget that we are talking about an 'under 300' device here because, yes, anything that costs 3-4-5 times as much should do better most of the time.
˕ My Chromebook is my most used computer excluding work hours and by 'computer' I mean PCs, laptops and tablets.
˕ Malware, spyware, adware-free. Since nothing is really 'installed' on the Chromebook, I can't see how one would ever be infected. I am now using my Chromebook to open suspicious emails or click on dubious URLs that I don't dare touch from a laptop.
˕ Extremely safe OS. I don't know if this is common knowledge but Google is constantly challenging hackers to crack their OS. As far as I know, Chrome OS wasn't cracked yet.
˕ Easy to share among any number of users without any concerns of compromising privacy. If you have a Google account, you simply sign in and you are going to be within your own, personal environment.
˕ Constantly updated and upgraded. Google updates Chrome OS every few weeks and I found my Chromebook actually getting better all the time rather than slowly fall into obsolescence. HP's Chromebook will not replace Samsung's, it will be used by another family member who really, really wanted one after watching my happy relationship with our first one.
˕ Nearly maintenance free. Whenever I don't use a tablet or even a laptop for a while, they tend to get very busy for a while once I turn them back on. Tablets, especially, are almost impossible to use until all those dozens of updates/upgrades process. Not the case for Chromebooks. Whatever upgrades may take place don't hit my Chromebook. Whenever I call up an app, I get it in its latest version.
˕ The attached keyboard helps a lot. Yes, you can pair a keyboard and even a mouse to a tablet but the Chromebook's keyboard is always there, it negates the need of a sta