This Affordable Laptop Is My Daily Go-To and It’s Just $249 But Only for Presidents Day – CNET
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Lenovo’s Duet 11 Chromebook is compact, lightweight and perfect for commuting or travel. It’s currently 34% off for Best Buy’s Presidents Day sale.
The Duet and the keyboard weigh about 2 pounds combined.I’ve tested and owned a lot of tablets and laptops over the years. The Lenovo Duet 11 Chromebook, which functions both as a laptop and tablet, is the one I use the most and fits my daily life perfectly. If I need a bigger screen or a wider keyboard for faster typing, I’ll step up to my standard laptop. But because I regularly commute to work on the train, I love having a smaller device that’s compact, lightweight and multitalented. I particularly like the versatility of the Lenovo Duet 11 Chromebook. It has an 11-inch touchscreen paired with a detachable keyboard cover, a rear cover with a kickstand and, if you want, you can pair it with an active pen for writing or drawing on the screen. Right now the Duet is marked down to $249 during Best Buy’s Presidents Day sale, which is a pretty sweet deal on an already affordable 2-in-1 device. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. On the surface, you might think it’s no different than an iPad or any number of Android tablets. But the big differences are the operating system, ChromeOS, and its price. If you’ve never used ChromeOS, it’s sort of a mix between a traditional desktop OS like Windows or MacOS and a mobile OS that your phone uses. The combination makes it easier for me to get work done with a keyboard and trackpad or mouse, but it also uses apps from the Google Play Store, so it has a mobile device feel too. The only hiccup might be if your work relies on software available only for MacOS or Windows. That’s never been an issue for me, as there’s typically a web or mobile app I can use in its place.The Duet’s size is really nice for my train commute, letting me easily edit docs or respond to emails on my way to work. It has a fantastic front-facing 5-megapixel camera, too, so I can use it for a Zoom chat when necessary, and the camera has a physical privacy shutter to block it out the rest of the time. I especially like the Duet 11’s zippy performance. It wakes as soon as I drop the keyboard open, and I can quickly tether to my Pixel phone for an instant internet connection. Battery life is strong, too, at up to 11 hours in my use of it. Using the Duet on your lap can be a little bit of a balancing act, but it’s doable. Its compact size makes it ideal for cramped coffee shop tables and other places where a full-size laptop might be awkward. It also weighs only about 2 pounds with all of its accessories. Read more: Why a Chromebook Is Probably All You NeedLike a lot of people, I unwind on my commute home with some entertainment, and the Duet also shines for that. Pop off the magnetically attached keyboard and ChromeOS switches to a more touch-friendly experience. The tablet supports cloud gaming services such as Xbox Game Pass and Nvidia GeForce Now, which means that with a strong web connection, you can play all kinds of games. I love to play mobile games on it from the Play Store too. In addition to being ideal for commuting and cramped spaces, the Duet is also a good e-reader. I use it for reading manga with the Viz and Shonen Jump apps, and I regularly dip into my library’s collection of ebooks and magazines via the Libby app. The device is good for streaming video and music too, though I prefer Bluetooth headphones over the tablet’s little speakers. While I mainly use it for travel and on my commute, the Duet is equally great around the house. I wouldn’t recommend the Duet as your only laptop unless you simply don’t need to do more than basic home office work and can connect to a larger display, keyboard and mouse. The 11-inch touchscreen, while great-looking, is a little too small for all-day, everyday use. But as a secondary device to a larger, more powerful desktop or laptop, it’s just about perfect. If you’re in the market for more affordable tech, we’ve rounded up all the best deals for Presidents Day. Also, here are CNET’s top picks for the best Chromebooks on the market.
