The HP Chromebook x360 14a-ca0022nr is perfect for students and has garnered excellent reviews from them. It’s lightweight, thin, and has decent enough specs to elevate your productivity without emptying out your bank account.
What's more, if you want something that will last all day without needing to plug in or worry about your battery dying midway through class then this might be the best laptop for you. With a battery that lasts up to 12 hours on one charge, it will last all day!
But, is it the right convertible laptop for you? Can I get the job done? That's what we're here to figure out!
Who's it for?
=>Students - Great for students looking to take their studies on the go.
=>Business Managers - Want to stay connected when traveling.
=>Laptop Novice/ Casual users - A laptop that is simple and easy to use without a ton of complicated features.
=> Writers/Bloggers - An affordable, reliable laptop that can be used for writing or blogging on the go.
Who's it not for?
=> Gamers - The HP Chromebook x360 14a-ca0022nr isn't suitable for graphic-intensive uses.
=> Graphic Designers - If you have a lot of video editing to do, or if your job requirement involves a high level of creativity then this is not the laptop for you.
=> Software developers - this laptop will handle the basics but if you need something that can help you get work done on the go, this is not the right choice for you.
=> People who want to do a lot of number crunching - For people whose job requires heavy computing, this is likely going to be underpowered for most projects.
Design
The 14a-ca0022nr is lightweight, and comparatively thin when compared to older Chromebooks. It is made out of durable plastic which gives it a sturdy design. While the weight of the laptop is 3.30lbs, which makes it light enough to be carried around wherever you go.
Design-wise it really reminds us of Apple's Macbook lineup, with a simple and modern finish that looks great!
Display
The HP Chromebook x360 14a-ca0022nr doesn’t have a Full HD display like most mid-range laptops but it does have a 1368x768 resolution instead (HD).
On that front, the screen is not comparable to most mid-range laptops. However, we do appreciate the slim bezels, which make for a more immersive viewing experience.
Overall, the quality of the display is alright, it's good enough to browse the internet edit documents, and watch movies which is what most people will want it for ultimately.
Tablet Mode
The 14a-ca0022nr is a convertible laptop, so it can easily be used as both a laptop and a tablet. With the touchscreen responding to your touch commands quickly.
To use it as a tablet all you need to do is flip the screen over. Sure enough, it's not going to be as slim or as light as most tablets in the marketplace but it's going to be portable enough for most people.
Also, we should point out that to further take advantage of this laptop's table mode, Google has given Chrome OS access to download apps from the Play Store, ergo making convertible Chromebooks onto the ultimate Android tablets.
Keyboard & Trackpad
The keyboard on this laptop is actually pretty good, with a respectable key-travel. The keys are well spaced and have a nice non-clacking feel to them. They also offer decent feedback when they're being pressed down.
The trackpad has a smooth texture, which makes it easy to glide your fingers over without any snagging or discomfort. The buttons are tactile and offer satisfying feedback when clicked.
Overall, both input methods work as they should; with the only real gripe being that you might want to have a backlit keyboard which this isn't. Then again, that's a common complaint against every single keyboard that isn't backlit.
Performance
Performance on the 14a-ca0022nr will be dictated by its set of key specs. On that front, we're happy to report that this Chromebook features an Intel Pentium N5000 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage.
With these specs in mind, we would say that the performance on this laptop is solid for a Chromebook. It can handle productivity apps such as word processing and spreadsheets with ease. It's also really fast and you won't notice any lags when opening multiple chrome tabs at a time.
Remember, Windows and Chrome OS don't have the need for the same specs. Windows is a very resource-intensive OS, meaning that whilst 4 GB of RAM will be very tight on Windows, it's more than enough on a more efficient OS like Chrome OS for you to open Chrome tabs to your heart's content.
On that note, while it may be lacking when compared to similarly priced laptops running Windows 10, performance-wise this laptop is comparable to most other Intel Core M-based Chromebooks. So if you're looking for a decently performing but inexpensive Chromebook then the 14a-ca0022nr will make a great choice!
Our only gripe with its key specs comes when talking about the storage solution. Specifically, we're not fans of eMMC storage, as it is less durable than a proper SSD. On the bright side, eMMC storage does allow for slimmer overall builds which is why we see it used in most Chromebooks.
There's also no SD card reader - unlike the recently reviewed convertible Chromebook Lenovo Flex 3 (82HG0006US), so be sure that you can work with cloud-based solutions for your storage needs assuming you need more than the available storage.
Battery Life
Moving onto battery life, the 12-hour battery life is like a dream come true for laptops, but it's not as realistic in practice if you have to adjust the brightness to infimal levels.
Ultimately, as many customers will confirm, you'll generally get 8-10 hours depending on your usage of the Chromebook.
Connectivity options
Unlike the recently reviewed ASUS Chromebook Flip C433TA-AS384T or the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 3, the 14a-ca0022nr features a rather limited connectivity suite. Specifically, we've got a couple of USB Type-C ports, a single USB Type-A port, and a headphone jack.
That's it, there's no HDMI port, ethernet port, nor even an SD card reader as we mentioned earlier. That's a bit tight for our needs but if you don't really use the SD card reader and you don't mind packing a USB to HDMI adapter - that's if you ever need it in the first place - then you should be fine.
Internet speed, however, is very fast, with dual-band WiFi (meaning you can log onto 5 GHz networks) and Bluetooth connectivity to reality connect your peripherals.
Of course, there's a standard webcam atop the Chromebook which works just fine though it's nothing to write home about.
Verdict: Is it worth buying?
If you're looking for an affordable Chromebook with fast performance, a good display, and long battery life then the HP x360 14a-ca0022nr is worth considering.
The only major downside to this laptop is that it lacks connectivity options which include no Ethernet port or SD card reader - unlike similarly priced Windows 10 laptops. For those who can work around these limitations, we think this model will make a great choice as your next notebook!
Furthermore, if you're looking for a convertible Chromebook that's got a bit more of a premium edge to it, and don't mind spending a bit more money we'd recommend checking out the recently reviewed ASUS Chromebook Flip C433TA-AS384T, which has more - and better - storage, a Full HD display instead of HD, and a more extensive selection of ports for improved connectivity.