First Encounter: Is this a Chromebook?#
Note: This article does not include content related to Linux containers.
After being fed up with the poor battery life of my Go1 (losing 50% battery in two hours of handwritten assignments), I started looking for my next mobile device. This time, I decided to give Chromebook a try.
First and foremost, it feels like a jumbo-sized Chrome. This is not meant as a derogatory comment, because there are very few devices of the same size that come with a complete Chrome browser. This is also one of the advantages of Chromebook.
I purchased the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 2020 (hereinafter referred to as Duet), one of the cheapest Chromebooks available, and also one that has received good reviews in the same price range. Its basic specifications are as follows:
- SOC: Helio P60T
- Memory: 4G LPDDR4X
- Disk: 64G emmc
- Display: 10.1" 1920x1200 LCD 400nits
- Weight: 0.99lbs or 0.450kg
- Port: 1xUSB-C (Gen 2)
- Pen: USI
Here, I have only listed a few basic configurations. When I purchased it, the full set on the second-hand market was priced at around 700. The second-hand price of the Xiaoxin Pad 2020, which has similar performance due to the same mold, may be slightly cheaper, but considering the price of the keyboard, the difference should not be significant. There are very few second-hand Chromebooks in the same price range that are from recent years, but their performance is definitely much stronger.
The initial experience is not bad. The back cover and middle frame are half metal and half synthetic leather (not entirely sure). The feel is normal, and the synthetic material has a good anti-slip effect, but the Ice Blue color makes it look cheap. The rear camera protrudes about two millimeters, but when placed flat on the table, it does not feel unstable or wobbly.
The volume keys, power button, and the only Type-C interface are all located on the same side. The keys are very narrow, and the power button has been specially treated with anti-slip texture, but the distinguishing effect is not good. I pressed it wrong many times during actual use, and it took a lot of effort during the process of enabling developer mode.
Flipping to the front, the screen bezels are relatively narrow, and visually, it is slightly wider than the new mold iPad. The screen is fully laminated, with slight backlight leakage at the edges, which seems to be a common issue according to what I saw on the second-hand market. The maximum brightness is 400 nits, but the resolution is not high, so the visual experience is average.
Usage#
The seller had already enabled developer mode, so I only reset the system. Since I was not sure at the beginning whether I needed to enable it again, it took me some effort to enter recovery mode. Here, please note that to enter recovery mode on the Duet, you need to simultaneously press the volume up and down keys and the power button while the device is powered off.
As a portable Chrome browser, the Duet is undoubtedly very capable. Within the Google ecosystem, plugins, accounts and passwords, browsing history, and device synchronization all work perfectly, providing a seamless experience identical to that of desktop devices. Although the memory is small, it rarely kills web pages during use (but there may be some lag when switching Android apps).
Chromebooks heavily rely on PWA applications. The built-in Play Store provides both Android apps and a large number of PWAs. The logic behind providing applications is as follows: if a PWA is available, there is no need for an Android version; if neither is available, it recommends using the web version. For example, the Microsoft Office suite no longer provides Android apps for Chromebooks, only allowing the use of the web version, which is not a PWA. Thanks to the browser notification mechanism, the system notifications of PWA applications are almost the same as those of regular Android apps integrated with the Play framework. Even without opening the application, you can still receive notifications (consistent with how Chrome on desktop receives notifications). The PWA applications I mainly use are Telegram and Twitter, and they work perfectly with normal functionality.
Input#
I specifically mention the input experience because for a product that combines both tablet and laptop forms, messing up either the keyboard or handwriting would affect the overall usability.
Well, I was somewhat disappointed with the Duet's performance in terms of input. First, the keyboard feels loose. After experiencing the exquisite magnetic keyboard of the Surface and various imitation Magic Covers, it is hard for me to accept a keyboard system that requires attaching a thick backplate to the back, unfolding the stand feels stiff, and the keyboard cover cannot be magnetically attached. Although its feel has reached the level of a cheap laptop.
Secondly, the stylus. Since the Apple Pencil brought the functionality of handwritten notes to the iPad, any new tablet has started to support styluses. For college students, the quality of the handwriting experience is an important factor in choosing a tablet. The Duet supports USI stylus, which has pressure sensitivity but no pen tip. The best handwriting applications on Chromebook are Google's own Cursive (PWA) and Squid (Android APP). Among the several handwriting note-taking applications I tested, only these two had an acceptable level of handwriting latency. Cursive's handwritten files need to be saved in the cloud, which is not a reliable option in China where the network environment cannot be guaranteed. Squid can be called a "handwriting note-taking application designed specifically for Chromebook." Compared to the popular Notability and GoodNotes on iPadOS, Squid has almost the same functionality and can be used as a regular tablet for taking notes and researching during class (but it is quite difficult to take notes on textbooks because you may not be able to log in to WeChat and QQ). Additionally, its outdated Material Design 2 design style seems out of place in 2022, and without purchasing the professional version, you cannot use the cloud sync feature. When similarly priced competitors (such as the Xiaoxin Pad 2022 with the same mold) can integrate into a more complete Android handwriting ecosystem, the handwriting experience of the Duet becomes less satisfactory.
Conclusion: An Unqualified Tablet in 2022#
As mentioned at the beginning, my main purpose in purchasing the Duet was to replace the Surface Go with its deteriorating battery life. So, did it achieve this goal?
My transaction record on the second-hand market has already revealed the result: after reducing the price by 100 yuan, I sold it to another college student who wanted to try ChromeOS. It must be admitted that the Chromebook Duet is a qualified budget Chromebook, but it is not a qualified tablet in 2022. Its weak performance, outdated screen, unqualified keyboard, and handwriting experience make it difficult for me to label it as "qualified."
But anyway, perhaps I shouldn't have had too many expectations and complaints about a low-end product released in 2020 that only costs $279 and comes with a keyboard.