Chromebook Plus ASUS CX3402 White (Officeworks)
A pleasingly capable laptop-class…
02/04/2024 03:56
As my primay-school aged kids' technology needs (and wants) have developed to be greater than their iPads can fulfill, we've reached the inevitable conclusion that it is time for us to invest in a second laptop.
I received this Chromebook at a discount in exchange for my honest opinion.
While our children already have a Windows 10 laptop, this is our first experience with a Chromebook. On paper it's a fairly decently-powerful laptop, with a Core i5 processor, 8 gigabytes of memory, and a 256 gigabyte SSD - very similar to the Windows laptop it is competing with.
Out of the box, the CX3 sports a stark white plastic body, which opens to reveal a 14" non-touch screen (although I understand there is a touch option). The display is bright and clear, however the overall package is let down by all the plastic - which feels unnecessarily fragile. The entire laptop body can easily be easily flexed, which makes the entire laptop feel quite cheap (even though it retails for over $1,000).
Booting up into Chrome OS for the first time, I was prompted to login to my Wifi network, which went seamlessly enough, however it was then immediately followed by a 10-minute wait to download updates before I could proceed any further. I then needed to login and set up everything with my son's google account, which all went relatively smoothly. After setup, I had the option of configuring a PIN code (6 digits required) instead of the password (there is no fingerprint recognition or Face ID).
It has been fairly easy for everyone to get used to using Chrome OS for basic web browsing and day to day tasks of an 8 and 9-year-old primary schooler. While the CX3 is one of a chosen few Steam compatible Chromebooks - you can't actually run Steam under a child's account. You also can't have more than one user logged in at once - however both of these are Chrome OS limitations. Ultimately though, Steam runs surprisingly well, especially given the underpowered Intel GPU - it is significantly faster than our Windows laptop.
The keyboard is great, but is let down by the touchpad - with the surface feeling 'sticky' rather than smooth to use. As we expected, the battery seems to last for a very long time - which is great.
Plastic case and trackpad issues aside, overall the CX3 has been a pleasant addition to the family, and is very popular with them for its ability to run Steam games (but only using dad's Google account).
zylantha
Fairfield , Austrálie
Age: 48
Gender: Female