What we really liked was the matte texture on top and ample brightness, making it one of the few laptops that can be used outdoors. If your kid has any interest in computers, they’ll outgrow the Chromebook in no time at all, and the C214, unlike an iPad, can’t double-up as an entertainment hub when it’s usefulness as a glorified browser has expired.

It included the device, a power adapter, a pretty comprehensive manual, a warranty card, and protection for the monitor and the keyboard. The HP Chromebook 11 G7 EE also can run most Linux desktop applications and command line based applications. Charging can be done via either of the USB Type-C ports and supports most standards, but not all of our high-wattage smartphone adapters delivered power. Chromebooks are not a new concept, but they have begun catching steam only recently in India, driven by a pandemic-induced increase in the demand for affordable laptops as well as higher internet penetration.

There are also plans for the world-facing camera to support versatile apps, giving both students and teachers an exciting new learning aid. The Correlated Color Temperature on a white screen and at maximum brightness is 71000K (average) – colder than the 6500K optimum for sRGB.

And it's got some small but much-appreciated spec bumps to the internals to ensure that the C214 will be running smoothly from now until June 2025. The laptop is a pretty decent workhorse as its system feels snappy to use and I noticed no slowdown no matter what I did.

We still have a mil-spec durable laptop that's been put through extensive drop, port, and pressure tests — so that you won't break it shoving it in your overstuffed backpack — while sporting a rugged rubberized frame and textured shell. As well as a versatile touchscreen display and a built-in stylus 1, there's also a 360 ° hinge and a world-facing camera.