When we look at the landscape of newer, branded Chromebook Plus devices, there are a few of them that bubble to the top as great, all-around, easy recommendations. Though all the new models provide a solid Chromebook Plus experience, the ASUS CM34 does so with some nice additions and an overall attention to being great at nearly all parts of the convertible Chromebook equation.
I said as much in my review of this device, and that review happened right as Chromebook Plus was officially launching, so we didn’t really know exactly what Google was cooking up at the time. After using all Chromebook Plus models for some amount of time at this point, the ASUS CM34 really does hold its own among this crowd as a device that isn’t full of huge superlatives, but still manages to provide an incredibly solid experience.
I suppose the only thing I’d knock it for is its girth, coming in at nearly 21mm thick and weighing just over 4 pounds. For a 14-inch Chromebook, that’s flat-out hefty, and you feel it every time you pick it up or place it in a bag. This is not a thin/light Chromebook by any stretch of the imagination.
But it’s not a deal breaker, either. That heft also means it’s quite sturdy and the chassis is firm and reassuring. And all the pieces it holds are impressive, too. The 16:10 300 nit touchscreen, excellent backlit keyboard, smooth trackpad, full speakers, and Ryzen 3 7320C processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage all come together to make for a Chromebook that’s good at most tasks and lets you focus on things you want to get done.
I called it an affordable workhorse device in my review, and I stand by that. The CM34 isn’t flashy, but it does what you need when you need it. And when the price does come down a bit like it has right now (just $399), it’s just an easy Chromebook to recommend. If you want a convertible with a great screen that is Chromebook Plus inside and out, this or the Lenovo Flex 5i are both great options. The ASUS gives you a bit more solidity in the chassis and better speakers, and right now it is the more affordable option as well. But don’t wait too long: the deals on this one tend to disappear pretty quickly.
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