 I love Chromebooks. They're these complete back-to-basics computers that show how much you can get without actually spending that much. If you're looking for a cheap computer right now, this is the first place you should book. But not all Chromebooks are created equal, and some are pretty bad. So we tried out a ton of them to figure out which is the best. Here's the deal. A great Chromebook is three things. First, it has to have a good screen. Something you'd be okay with working on for hours. Second, it has to be relatively cheap. You want to spend right around $300. And third, it has to be able to handle a lot of tabs without choking up. There's one Chromebook that hits all three of those marks, and it's the one that I'd recommend to most people looking to buy one. That's the Acer Chromebook R11. I really like the R11. It has this white, chunky body that almost looks like a kid's toy. But it's pretty light and sturdy, so you're not going to have a problem throwing this in your bag and toting it around to a coffee shop. It has an 11.6 inch touchscreen display, which is bright and clear, and it's not going to hurt your eyes. Which is legitimately an issue on other Chromebooks. It also has a great keyboard, a solid trackpad, and enough battery life to get through most of my workday. Plus, the price is spot on at $279. The R11 has been a pretty great performer for me, too. I've been able to handle well over a dozen tabs on this thing without any issue. It doesn't get the regular lockups that other Chromebooks seem to have all the time. Here's the other big thing. The R11 is one of the first Chromebooks to support Android apps. The screen flips around so you can use it like a tablet, or you can prop it up. I sort of just like to use it as a normal laptop and then tap on the screen every now and then when it makes sense. But it's really nice having the option there. Now you may have noticed that I didn't say the R11 has the best screen, or the best performance, or the best price or size. That's because it's not the best in any one particular area. But it does have the best combination of all of those things. Every other Chromebook has one or two serious flaws. But the R11 is the only one that does a great job all across the board. Now if you don't think you're going to need a touch screen, there's one other Chromebook you should know about. It's a little bit bigger, a little bit more powerful, and a little bit more expensive. That's the Dell Chromebook 13. This is one heck of a Chromebook. It has one of the best screens out there, excellent battery life, and great performance. It's better than the R11 on all of those counts. And with this 13 inch display, I actually think it would be great for someone who wants a Chromebook primarily for use around the house. But there are a few big downsides. The first is its price. It's $429, which is a little expensive for a Chromebook. Second is it's kind of big and bulky. I definitely wouldn't want to carry this around all the time. And the third thing is if you do want a touch screen, upgrading this gets way too expensive to bother with. It's just not worth it. Now not having a touch screen might not be a problem for you, especially if you're just going to be browsing the web. But keep in mind that for Android apps, it's a really great option to have. Of course there are a lot of other Chromebooks out there, including some other good ones. If you want something a little bit smaller and more portable, I really like the ASUS Chromebook Flip. And if you want something a bit bigger, Acer's Chromebook 15 is a really great option. It's just a little too big for me personally. You might also be wondering about more expensive Chromebooks, like Google's Chromebook Pixel. It is phenomenal, but no one, no one should pay that much for a Chromebook. Maybe in the future with Android apps, but not yet. There are also some stylish cheaper options like Samsung's Chromebook 3 and Acer's Chromebook 14, but neither quite hit the mark for me. Neither of them have touch screens and performance just wasn't quite there. And then there's the stuff you should just never buy, like the ASUS C300, which has a disqualifyingly disgusting screen. Or the HP Chromebook 14, which has a display that actually made my head hurt. Don't get me wrong, I think some of these Chromebooks are the right Chromebooks for certain people, but you want to make sure that they're not missing any of the core functionality that you'll need. There's no perfect Chromebook yet, but it's still surprising how far $300 or $400 can get you. If you want a cheap laptop that can get the job done, look no further than these two, because they are absolutely your best bet.
 I love Chromebooks. They're these complete back-to-basics computers that show how much you can get without actually spending that much.
 If you're looking for a cheap computer right now, this is the first place you should book.
 But not all Chromebooks are created equal, and some are pretty bad.
 So we tried out a ton of them to figure out which is the best.
 Here's the deal. A great Chromebook is three things.
 First, it has to have a good screen. Something you'd be okay with working on for hours.
 Second, it has to be relatively cheap. You want to spend right around $300.
 And third, it has to be able to handle a lot of tabs without choking up.
 There's one Chromebook that hits all three of those marks, and it's the one that I'd recommend to most people looking to buy one.
 That's the Acer Chromebook R11.
 I really like the R11. It has this white, chunky body that almost looks like a kid's toy.
 But it's pretty light and sturdy, so you're not going to have a problem throwing this in your bag and toting it around to a coffee shop.
 It has an 11.6 inch touchscreen display, which is bright and clear, and it's not going to hurt your eyes.
 Which is legitimately an issue on other Chromebooks.
 It also has a great keyboard, a solid trackpad, and enough battery life to get through most of my workday.
 Plus, the price is spot on at $279.
 The R11 has been a pretty great performer for me, too.
 I've been able to handle well over a dozen tabs on this thing without any issue.
 It doesn't get the regular lockups that other Chromebooks seem to have all the time.
 Here's the other big thing.
 The R11 is one of the first Chromebooks to support Android apps.
 The screen flips around so you can use it like a tablet, or you can prop it up.
 I sort of just like to use it as a normal laptop and then tap on the screen every now and then when it makes sense.
 But it's really nice having the option there.
 Now you may have noticed that I didn't say the R11 has the best screen, or the best performance, or the best price or size.
 That's because it's not the best in any one particular area.
 But it does have the best combination of all of those things.
 Every other Chromebook has one or two serious flaws.
 But the R11 is the only one that does a great job all across the board.
 Now if you don't think you're going to need a touch screen, there's one other Chromebook you should know about.
 It's a little bit bigger, a little bit more powerful, and a little bit more expensive.
 That's the Dell Chromebook 13.
 This is one heck of a Chromebook.
 It has one of the best screens out there, excellent battery life, and great performance.
 It's better than the R11 on all of those counts.
 And with this 13 inch display, I actually think it would be great for someone who wants a Chromebook primarily for use around the house.
 But there are a few big downsides.
 The first is its price. It's $429, which is a little expensive for a Chromebook.
 Second is it's kind of big and bulky. I definitely wouldn't want to carry this around all the time.
 And the third thing is if you do want a touch screen, upgrading this gets way too expensive to bother with.
 It's just not worth it.
 Now not having a touch screen might not be a problem for you, especially if you're just going to be browsing the web.
 But keep in mind that for Android apps, it's a really great option to have.
 Of course there are a lot of other Chromebooks out there, including some other good ones.
 If you want something a little bit smaller and more portable, I really like the ASUS Chromebook Flip.
 And if you want something a bit bigger, Acer's Chromebook 15 is a really great option.
 It's just a little too big for me personally.
 You might also be wondering about more expensive Chromebooks, like Google's Chromebook Pixel.
 It is phenomenal, but no one, no one should pay that much for a Chromebook.
 Maybe in the future with Android apps, but not yet.
 There are also some stylish cheaper options like Samsung's Chromebook 3 and Acer's Chromebook 14,
 but neither quite hit the mark for me.
 Neither of them have touch screens and performance just wasn't quite there.
 And then there's the stuff you should just never buy, like the ASUS C300, which has a disqualifyingly disgusting screen.
 Or the HP Chromebook 14, which has a display that actually made my head hurt.
 Don't get me wrong, I think some of these Chromebooks are the right Chromebooks for certain people,
 but you want to make sure that they're not missing any of the core functionality that you'll need.
 There's no perfect Chromebook yet, but it's still surprising how far $300 or $400 can get you.
 If you want a cheap laptop that can get the job done, look no further than these two,
 because they are absolutely your best bet.