At $199, this ultra-portable convertible Chromebook is an unbeatable deal

I’ve reviewed a lot of Chromebooks. Nearly all of them, actually, and it is pretty rare that I get my hands on a device, spend a bit of time with it, form an opinion, and then feel the need to retract that opinion months later. Chromebooks are pretty surface-level devices, and generally speaking, what you see is what you get. If there are turn-offs or issues at the start, those things don’t magically go away.

But in the case of the ASUS Chromebook Flip CM3, a subtle change happened months after our time with that device that changes my fundamental viewpoint on this Chromebook completely. That change? A swap to a more-capable MediaTek Kompanio 820 processor. It makes all the difference in the ASUS Chromebook Flip CM3, and not only is this a great Chromebook to use; it’s wildly inexpensive right now, too.

My experience with this particular Chromebook is quite different than it is with most of them. The earlier version of this one was powered by the underwhelming Kompanio 500 and between the poor performance and higher-than-expected price tag, I was put off by it all around. But after ASUS updated it and got one to use, I finally got around to trying it out last December when it went on sale for the holidays and I was very, very impressed. This little Chromebook packs in a lot to like!

It’s compact but has a 3:2 12-inch display that is IPS, has great colors and gives you a nice canvas to work on. The keyboard and trackpad are workable, the feel in tablet mode is pretty solid, and the performance of the Kompanio 820 is quite good. And as a bonus, you get stellar battery life with this SoC, so it becomes a great companion device and something I like to take home with me in the evenings to do a bit of simpler browsing and light tasks.

And at just $199, you can’t beat it. Its thin/light chassis, long-lasting battery, and enjoyable 3:2 display all come together to make a delightful, mobile Chromebook experience that is simply unmatched at just $199. But don’t wait too long on this one. This deal was here in December and has been gone for months at this point. When it goes back to full price, there’s no way to know when it will come back.