Updated 20-Sep-2023
The Asus C214MA-BU0546 is a Q3 2021 durable (milspec) 11.6" 2-in-1 Chromebook. It has:
- Intel Celeron N4020 Processor,
- Intel UHD 600 Graphics (Integrated),
- eMMC 32GB SSD,
- 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and
- 11.6" 1366x768 screen
For my mind and money this replaces the venerable Asus C101PA. This device is effectively an update 3 years later, but with a bigger footprint in size and weight (33% heavier from 0.9kg to 1.2kg). The screen is noticeably bigger (11.6" 1366x768 vs. 10.1" 1280x800, bigger pixels too!), and the keyboard less cramped, with a decent track pad. More storage is available on the base model, up from a meager 16gb to an adequate though not expansive 32gb. An additional front-facing camera is added (it sits below the keyboard and to the right of the track pad). This is also useful for qrcode scanning.
The processor and graphics cards are an improvement, as demonstrated by the benchmarks below.
Widespread Availability
This chromebook is widely available, including in India and Thailand (with a Thai/US keyboard), and in the United States, and elsewhere. Pricing in Thailand is around 12,000 Thai baht (~360 USD). I've found a new one for a reduced price of 9,000 Thai baht (~270 USD) on Lazada.
Improvements still needed
The lack of backlight keyboard is still annoying, and in this model, the included stylus is simply an immovable piece of plastic. Not the niftiest of options. And of course there is the weight, the base RAM and SSD which could be doubled, and also the large bezels. No doubt these add to the milspec durability, but come on, surely something smaller and lighter weight can be found.