If it's laptop-like productivity you're looking for on a budget, then it's likely you've heard of Chromebooks. With work from home and e-learning on the rise, these devices have been integral in helping shift life online.
Asus is one of the leading manufacturers of Chromebooks, and the Asus Chromebook CX1101 is the latest laptop-like productivity device from the brand. The Asus Chromebook CX1101 comes at an attractive price point of ₹19,999, so to better understand all of its features, read on for our Asus Chromebook CX1101 review.
Design
The CX1101 looks like a pretty well-designed and well-built laptop, and comes in this nice Transparent Silver colour. There’s a Chromebook logo in the corner, but apart from that, it’s hard to tell it apart from any other compact laptop.
The CX1101 is quite lightweight at 1.24kg, which is partly also down to the fact that this isn’t a touchscreen Chromebook, but that’s something we'll get into later. It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the slimmest device by any margin, and it’s quite thick at 17.55mm.
However, all that bulk does come with its advantages. The CX1101 gets a Military-Grade chassis, which means its passed durability tests that exceed military standards. The hinge is sturdy and feels like it could take some abuse, and there’s not a lot of flex in the keyboard area. Moreover, it’s screen can open flat at a 180-degree angle, although that feature is more useful in touchscreen Chromebooks.
Display
The Chromebook CX1101 sports an 11.6-inch display, which is surrounded by a thick shroud of bezels.
Now while we do wish Asus had gone for slimmer bezels in this day and age, the screen does get adequately bright, even in outdoor conditions. With 16 brightness levels available, we found ourselves using it mostly at level 10 for day-to-day work indoors.
This is only an HD screen, so the resolution is 1366 x 768 pixels, which we'll admit isn’t the best. The screen colours are also a bit on the flatter side, and being an LCD panel, viewing angles aren’t all that good either.
Hardware & Utility
Under the hood, the CX1101 runs an Intel Celeron N4020 processor with integrated Intel UHD Graphics.
There’s 4GB LPDDR4X RAM here, and storage is 64GB eMMC, which is expandable thanks to a microSD card slot.
Speaking of card slots, a great thing about the CX1101 is its port options, because there are a lot.
There’s two USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C ports for data transfer and power delivery, two USB 3.2 Gen1 Type A ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a Kensington lock slot that allows the Chromebook to be secured physically using a key or combination lock.
The CX1101 also gets a 720p HD webcam that isn’t the highest quality, but it should be good enough for basic video calling tasks.
For connectivity, there’s Bluetooth v5.1, along with 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi 5.
The CX1101 also houses a 42Wh battery that claims to last up to 13 hours, and gets fast charging with the included 45W fast charging adaptor in the box.
One of our favourite parts of the CX1101 is its keyboard. Despite the layout missing a couple of keys like a Windows or Command key, it’s pretty easy to get used to it. Moreover, thanks to 1.5mm of key travel, the typing experience on the CX1101 is quite enjoyable, even for extended periods of time.
It’s worth noting that the keyboard is not backlit, which does make typing in dark or low-light conditions a bit of a challenge.
Also watch: ASUS Chromebook 14 C423 Review
Software
Since it is a Chromebook after all, the CX1101 runs on ChromeOS.
Now ChromeOS is pretty user-friendly and easy to operate, and almost everything is operated using the Chrome browser. You have quick-access icons at the bottom, which include things like Gmail, YouTube, Google Docs, all of which end up opening through the Google browser itself.
For apps, you have the Google Play Store at your disposal, that lets you download a large number of apps, games, movies and much more.
Another noteworthy feature is the Google Assistant, which can be brought up by pressing the Search button on the keyboard. This allows you to search the device and the web together, making it a really handy feature.
Moreover, since Google makes both ChromeOS and Android, the CX1101 also comes with Nearby Share for quick and easy wireless file transfers.
Verdict
If you're looking for the laptop experience on a budget and just need something to browse the web, take a few video calls and edit some documents, the Asus Chromebook CX1101 is a pretty good option. It offers good battery life, a compact form factor and easy-to-use interface, all for a price of ₹19,999.
