Hands-on review: Asus CM3 Chromebook - FutureFive New Zealand

Does the Asus 10.5-inch CM3 Chromebook connection a viable alternate to a Windows notebook? Techday’s Darren Price finds out.

For reasons unknown, whilst I’ve reviewed much than my just stock of laptops and notebooks, I’ve ne'er utilized a Chromebook. So, erstwhile Asus asked maine to instrumentality a look astatine their CM3000DV Chromebook, I jumped astatine the chance.

Just earlier Android smartphones took disconnected successful a large way, I had a 10-inch Samsung Android tablet. I could constitute emails with a half-decent keyboard, ticker movies connected a decent surface and adjacent sketch worldly utilizing the stylus. It was great. But arsenic phones became much versatile, luging a tablet astir became a spot of a pain. Still, I missed the ample surface and being capable to benignant decently alternatively of with my thumbs connected a tiny telephone keyboard.

The Asus CM3 Chromebook bought backmost each sorts of blessed memories.

The Asus CM3 Chromebook is powered by a MediaTek Kompanio 500(MT8183) CPU. This octa-core CPU combines 4 Arm Cortex-A73 cores with 4 Arm Cortex-A53 cores, each moving up to 2.0 GHz. Graphics are provided by an Arm Mali-G72 MP3 GPU, integrated into the MediaTek CPU, powering the 10.5-inch 1920 x 1200 touchscreen. The reappraisal illustration had 4GB of LPDDR4X representation and 64GB of eMMC SSD storage. 

The instrumentality has a cloth beforehand and backmost that looks similar it’s already successful a protective case. The cloth screen is really the backmost of the detachable keyboard connected 1 side, and the magnetic landscape/portrait basal that encases the tablet/screen portion of the device, connected the other.

Opening the Chromebook alerted maine to the keyboard being held successful spot with magnets the aforesaid arsenic the backmost cover/stand. I easy pulled the keyboard distant from the screen, astir dropping the instrumentality connected the floor. Whilst it looks tough, if dropped I tin spot the keyboard and backmost screen flying disconnected leaving the existent LCD tablet sheet exposed to damage. 

At astir 26cm x 17cm and 8mm heavy the Chromebook is rather petite. It lone weighs 0.5kg arsenic well, making it precise portable.

The device’s biggest positive is besides its biggest negative. The Chrome OS is simply a Linux-based operating strategy that tin besides tally Android apps from the Google Play Store. You whitethorn already person a load of apps and games acceptable to tally connected your caller Chromebook. But this besides means that you are not going to get rather the aforesaid magnitude of harmony arsenic you would with a Windows laptop if you are different entrenched with Microsoft. 

The instrumentality does afloat integrate into the Google ecosystem, allowing you escaped entree to the Google bureau suite and your Google Drive. Additional escaped apps similar the fantastic Chrome Canvas sketch app (making usage of the device's cleverly hidden stylus) marque things adjacent better.

With the assistance of the basal integrated into the cover, the instrumentality is large for enjoying your favourite streaming shows. The surface is vivid and the audio is much than capable.

The Chromebook tin besides play the unusual crippled natively from the Google Play Store. But, with a Microsoft Gamepass Ultimate subscription and an Xbox Game controller, you tin besides watercourse rather a fewer games, via the Xbox app. After signing onto the Xbox app and plugging successful a crippled controller via USB I was back, soaring amongst the clouds successful Microsoft Flight Simulator. 

The Asus CM3000DV Chromebook is simply a no-nonsense instrumentality that is each astir getting you moving without the hassles associated with Windows laptops. What it lacks successful Windows integration and features it makes up for successful simplicity. The device’s ChromeOS volition beryllium precise familiar-looking to Android telephone users. As a precise portable bureau machine, it truly shines, but it is besides versatile capable to supply immoderate amusement during your downtime arsenic well.