Lenovo N20p Chromebook review

The best feature is the N20p's touch control and stand mode. The versatility makes this a great leisure and work device. Some difficulty does occur when using it as a tablet, as Chrome isn't entirely tailored to touch as a largely browser-based operating system. We'd recommend using this for recreational activities (think: HBOGo viewing or Pinteresting), rather than business-use.

The 300-degree hinge lets you flip the N20p's display backward all the way into stand mode (or 'tent' mode, whatever you prefer), which lends itself nicely to viewing movies or showing presentations as the image flips automatically to orient with the display.

Brightness on the Lenovo N20p is a bit on the low side and the display suffers from poor accuracy, color reproduction and viewing angles. Tilting the screen forward or backward just 20 degrees can cause the video you're viewing to wash out or become unusually shadowy.

The screen boasts 10-point touch, which is rare in the Chromebook family with just the Acer C270P and the Google Chromebook Pixel (for a pretty penny) sharing this trait. If the image is flipped, a touch keyboard is automatically enabled for your typing needs - the keys are a bit far apart, making typing a bit cumbersome, but the option to touch type is nice.

We liked

This is one of the "sexier" Chromebooks available, showcasing Lenovo's eye for style. Plus with two USB ports (one 3.0), and HDMI port and an SD card reader, this Chromebook delivers a great bang for its buck. Not to mention it's multi-mode feature and strong battery life, making it a great candidate for leisure use.

We disliked

While the multi-mode option is great, it would be nice if the device hinged back to the full 360-degrees, rather than stopping 60 degrees short of a full laptop-to-tablet solution. The speakers are also surprisingly weak for a multimedia-focused machine.

Verdict

The N20p offers arguably more than any other Chromebook of its size. This 11-inch touchscreen device with a 300-degree hinge adds versatility and great WiFi speed for an excellent leisure experience. However, the price is slightly more than the competition, so you really have to want the tablet option. While we wouldn't recommend it for business use, as the extra spend on the touch screen is rendered pretty useless for most uses, it's a sufficient device for the everyday user.