Chrome OS is absolutely perfect for writing. You get great battery life, smooth performance, and fewer distractions than on a Mac or PC. If you’re looking for the best Chromebooks for writers, whether as a blogger, novelist, or just casual journaling, you’ve come to the right place. There are a lot of aspects to consider when looking for a Chromebook for writing. Where will you be writing? Does your Chromebook need to be portable? How often will you be away from the charger?
In this buying guide, we’ll take a look at the best Chromebooks for writers, taking into account a variety of specifications. You’ll definitely want a display with enough real estate, solid battery life, and perhaps even LTE connectivity. We have the perfect Chromebook for just about every use-case.
Navigate this guide:
- Best overall: Acer Chromebook Spin 713
- Best on a budget: Samsung Chromebook Go
- Best for battery life: Acer Spin 513
- Best with LTE connectivity: HP x360 13c
- Best Chrome tablet: HP Chromebook x2 11
- Best keyboard/touchpad: ASUS Chromebook CX9
- Best budget Chrome tablet: Lenovo Chromebook Duet
- Best for writing outdoors: Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2
Best overall Chromebook for writers: Acer Chromebook Spin 713
Every Chromebook manufacturer has a hero device — for Acer, that device is the Chromebook Spin 713. Inside you’ll find the impressive Intel Core i7-10510U processor Quad-core at 1.80 GH. Along with this powerful processor, the Spin 713 also packs 16GB, DDR4 SDRAM and a 128 GB SSD for storage.
In terms of display, you get a 13.5″ 2K (2256 x 1504) 3:2 IPS Touchscreen panel with excellent maximum brightness and clean viewing angles. The display is also protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass, as is the trackpad. With its 360 degree convertible modes, you can work in space-limited environments such as in-flight or on the train, while also easily making presentations or sharing your screen in convenient and collaborative ways.
If you need to stay connected on the go, this Chromebook comes with an insane number of functional features including Wi-Fi 6, a backlit keyboard, a built-in HDMI port, as well as dual USB Type-C ports to deal with productivity needs. Battery life is excellent for a high-performance Chromebook, over 10 hours of usage on average. On top of all of this, you can also run Chrome Enterprise seamlessly out of the box, making this an appealing option for business customers. All of these features are packed in a beautifully designed metal chassis that makes this the best overall Acer Chromebook.
For writers, this is the best device due to its large high-resolution 3:2 display. Having a 3:2 display on your Chromebook makes writing a lot easier, with lots of vertical space for composing documents, blogs, etc. In addition, you can get a full day’s use out of the Spin 713, meaning you won’t need to worry about carrying a charger along to move your office around on the daily. Perhaps the only downside here is the device is a bit expensive, but it’s still well worth the money if you want to play games and watch media, in addition to your writing tasks.
- Acer's Spin 713 is an ultra-premium Chromebook from top to bottom. With good looks and verified MIL-STD-810G military-grade durability, this is an impressive machine. Top of the line specs and a convenient 2-in-1 design give you the power and portability to work anywhere.
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Best Chromebook for writers on a budget: Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go
The Galaxy Chromebook Go is a new entry in Samsung’s Chromebook lineup. Announced just a few weeks back, this 14″ Chromebook has a solid display and attractive white on black design. It also passed Mil-STD-810G testing, making it a very durable choice for younger children. On the inside you get an Intel Celeron N4500 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB eMMc storage. It’s worth noting the only model of the Galaxy Chromebook Go with a touchscreen is the LTE variant.
Samsung also included plenty of connectivity, with 1 USB3.2 port, 2USB-C ports, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone/mic jack. If you care about portability, this Chromebook weighs just 3.2lbs making it fairly light for a 14″ device. Since this is a newer device, you’ll also get Chrome OS updates for a long time, making this a device students can use throughout their school years. For students, this is definitely one of the best Chromebooks with a touchscreen.
While this isn’t the ideal setup in every way for writing, it’s a great budget device. You get a screen that’s large enough for writing tasks and solid battery life. That, along with the option of adding LTE, makes this a perfect travel companion if you don’t want to break the bank. Also, if you still have wired headphones, you can jam out while composing your next article or assignment for school.
The only real bummer here for writers is the 32GB eMMC storage. That isn’t a lot of space, even by Chromebook standards. If you want to use this as your daily driver for writing, make sure you have a good cloud solution in mind before buying the Galaxy Chromebook Go.
- Samsung recently announced the Galaxy Chromebook Go and it's a beautiful device. The white on black contrast makes this one of the best looking Chromebooks under $300. You also get a quality display and a newer Intel Celeron processor inside.
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Best Chromebooks for writers needing great battery life: Acer Spin 513
The first thing you’ll notice about the Spin 513 is the incredibly light and thin form factor. Acer lists the weight on their website as 2.84lbs, but I weighed it myself and found my model to be closer to 2.6 lbs. Obviously there’s a little bit of variance on each unit, but I can definitively say it’s lighter on average than what Acer claims on the specs page. Add that to the .61″ thickness and you have a device that feels more like a tablet than a laptop. If you need an ultra-portable writing machine, the Spin 513 can do the trick.
With a FHD display, the Spin 513 is somewhat an anomaly in this class of Chromebooks. Most devices you find below $400 have much lower resolution displays. Right away, that’s a win for the Spin 513. In addition, the display gets bright enough at around 300 nits of maximum brightness. That’s also beating nearly all of the best Chromebooks in its class.
The good news is the Spin 513 does deliver excellent battery life. I certainly didn’t get the 14 hours of use Acer claims on the spec sheet when I tested it, but I did average a respectable 10.5-11 hours of actual on-screen time. During my testing I also put it through some pretty heavy workloads, so that could potentially stretch to 14 hours if you only do light browsing and use productivity apps. It’s pretty rare the number listed by an OEM is attainable in practice, but that’s at least conceivable with the Spin 513.
As a writing machine, this is a great value with an above-average display at this price point. The Acer Spin 513 is also one of the lightest 2-in-1 Chromebooks out there. Combine those traits with the awesome battery life and this is a great contender if you need to be around $400 for price.
- If you want a 2-in-1 Chromebook, but not at a high price, the Spin 513 is a great option. You still get a bright and vivid HD display, along with excellent battery life. If you need to work on the go, the Spin 513 has optional 4G LTE capability. Performance isn't the best, but if you're not a power user this is a nice Chromebook.
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Best Chromebook for writers needing LTE: HP x360 13c
Reduce your carbon footprint with a Chromebook that has a 75% recycled aluminum top cover and recycled materials on the keyboard, speaker, and packaging. This consumer Chromebook is solely offered at Best Buy and matches the same specs found in the HP Elite c1030 Enterprise model discussed earlier. You get a stunning 13.5 inch diagonal, WUXGA+ (1920 x 1280) display, multitouch-enabled, IPS, edge-to-edge glass, micro-edge, and anti-glare Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
The 10th Generation Intel Core i5-10210U processor powers the Chromebook, with 8GB of RAM and 256 GB of SSD storage. HP’s fast charge technology allows you to get 50% charge in just 45 minutes. Throw in a fingerprint sensor, B&O audio, and USI pen support to top off an impressive spec sheet for a consumer device.
The best part about the x360 13c is the price. While it retains all of the high-end specs found on the Elite c1030, the price is much lower at $949. Considering the incredibly rich feature-set and reasonable price, this is one of the best Chromebooks with a touchscreen you can buy today. Battery life is one of the only detractors on this Chromebook, but if you typically write at an office or from home this shouldn’t be much of a problem. Otherwise, the display is fantastic and the build is incredibly durable if you plan to travel. This device also has plenty of RAM and storage to make it fairly future proof.
- If you like the look of the HP Elite c1030 but wanted a consumer model, the x360 13c is your Chromebook. This laptop features the same specs found on the Elite c1030, including a nano-SIM slot for LTE. In addition, you'll pay about $500 less which is never a bad thing.
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Best Chrome OS tablet for writers: HP Chromebook x2 11
The newly announced HP Chromebook x2 11 tops the charts as the best Chrome OS tablet. Light enough to take everywhere you go, the flexible design of the HP Chromebook x2 lets you easily detach the keyboard and kickstand and makes for a great travel companion. With long battery life you can stay connected from anywhere. The included USI pen and fingerprint scanner bring a professional flare to this new Chrome OS tablet from HP.
Get it all done with the power of a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and the 3:2 aspect ratio touchscreen. With a full-size detachable keyboard, oversized touchpad, and dual cameras, you’ll stay productive wherever the day takes you. Bring the excitement with you. Experience entertainment on the go with a cinematic screen and dual speakers with Audio by Bang & Olufsen. Plus, you get all of the Google Play Store apps you love on a larger screen. HP also built-in optional LTE support so the HP Chromebook x2 11 can be the ultimate work Chromebook for the road and truly one of the best Chromebooks with a touchscreen.
While tablets might seem like a strange choice for writing, if you need portability it’s definitely the way to go. Also, you get a very nice 3:2 display on the HP Chromebook x2 11, providing an ideal writing experience even on a smaller screen. The keyboard and kickstand are surprisingly stable for this device, so you shouldn’t have any trouble hammering out thousands of words per day. It would be nice to have a larger screen sure, but with LTE and the built-in stylus, this is a machine you can use anywhere for all types of writing.
- The HP Chromebook x2 11 combines the power of Chrome OS with the portability of a traditional tablet. You can work anywhere thanks to the optional 4G LTE capability. This is the new top of the line Chrome OS tablet experience.
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Best keyboard/touchpad on a Chromebook for writers: ASUS Chromebook CX9
Powered by the latest 11th Gen Intel Core processors with up to Intel Iris Xe graphics, the ASUS Chromebook CX9 delivers performance and responsiveness to empower users with the ultimate device for productivity and portability. You can configure the CX9 with up to 16GB of RAM and 512 GB of SSD storage. Even though it’s thin and light, the ASUS Chromebook CX9 offers comprehensive IO ports for frequent business use. You get two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4, an HDMI port, a single USB3.2 GEN2 port, microSD slot, and a Kensington lock slot for security.
The ASUS NumberPad is an LED-illuminated numeric keypad that’s perfect for crunching numbers, built right into the touchpad. Tap the NumberPad icon on the top right of the touchpad to turn it on, and tap the icon on the left to toggle between two brightness settings. This is a standout feature you won’t find on any other Chromebooks. Add in an amazing display, fingerprint sensor, and webcam shield, and you have the best overall Chromebook you can buy today. The price may seem a bit high at $1,149 for the i7 model, but if you compare it to other Chromebooks with similar specs — this is a steal. Despite the price, this is definitively one of the best Chromebooks with a touchscreen.
The ASUS CX9 might be a bit overkill for most writing tasks, but if you also work with spreadsheets often, you’ll be right at home. The built-in NumberPad in the touchpad makes this an excellent Chromebook for crunching numbers. Couple that with the absolutely amazing touchpad and keyboard and you have an excellent writing machine. Some users may balk at the 16:9 display for writing, but if you can handle that you’ll be very happy with this Chromebook.
- The ASUS Chromebook CX9 is a powerhouse in every sense. You can get up to a core i7 Tiger Lake processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512 GB of storage. If you want to get even fancier, there's a 4K version of this Chromebook releasing later this year.
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Best budget Chrome tablet: Lenovo Chromebook Duet
Detachable laptops differ from 2-in-1’s, wherein you can entirely remove them from their keyboard and use them as a tablet. They tend to be a lot less bulky, although they may compromise on specifications as a result.
The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is one of the best budget detachable Chromebooks on the market, though it features a MediaTek Helio P60T, 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage. It has a full HD screen too, so it’s a perfect media streaming machine when it’s engaged in tablet mode.
Do you want to use it for work? Then reconnect the keyboard, and it turns back into a laptop with a fully functioning keyboard. It’s not going to be the fastest or the best, but it’ll get the job done. It’ll do it without breaking the bank too, as it starts at $230 from Lenovo’s website. The great value on offer makes this one of the best Chromebooks under $300 for writing.
- The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is one of the best detachable Chromebooks you can buy today, and what's more, you're not going to need to break the bank to pick one up.
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Best for writing outdoors: Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2
The first Chromebook with a QLED display, this is the best option for users looking to make Chrome OS their go-to platform. The Galaxy Chromebook 2 continues the overall design of the original Galaxy Chromebook, but reduces some of the premium features to attain a more reasonable price. The most impressive feature here is definitely the display. Get awestruck by every image with the world’s first jaw-dropping QLED display on a Chromebook, which produces over 100% volume.
The processor options are not quite as high-end as the original Galaxy Chromebook, but the Intel Core i3 should do the job for most users. Storage on this device tops out at 128GB, but this is still ultra-fast SSD storage we’re talking about. You also retain 8GB of RAM, and get improved battery life. While the S-pen is still supported, it’s not bundled with the laptop so you’ll need to purchase it separately. This also means there’s no slot for storing the S-pen in the body of the Chromebook.
Overall, this is the best Samsung Chromebook for you if you can live with the removal of the 4K display and fingerprint sensor. The highly attractive price will sway most users to choose this 2nd-generation device. If you need a high quality laptop for watching media, this is one of the best Chromebooks with a touchscreen.
- With the Galaxy Chromebook 2, Samsung removed a few premium features but also drastically reduced the price. As the first Chromebook with a QLED display, this machine still packs plenty of power and style for most users.
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That’s our list of the best Chromebooks for writers that you can buy right now. If you’re looking for something that has an amazing 3:2 display and plenty of bells and whistles, the Acer Spin 713 is the undisputed Chrome OS champ for writing. For those on a budget, give Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook Go a look — it has all the basics and a nice display. The ASUS Chromebook CX9 is perfect for those of you that need a great keyboard and touchpad, as well as a few tricks from the built-in NumberPad for working with spreadsheets. No matter which one you choose, you’ll be able to hammer out your next masterpiece or blog post on these Chromebooks.
The post Best Chromebooks for writers: ASUS, Acer, Samsung, and more appeared first on xda-developers.
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