HP Chromebook x360 12b: It's affordable and good

The 3:2 aspect-ratio display and solid design make it a Chromebook fit for work or play.

- MELISSA RIOFRIO

The HP Chromebook x360 12b is an affordable Chromebook made for grown-ups. It takes you a cut above the rock-bottom basic Chromebooks that hover around $250 (and continue to sell well). Get one of those for your kids—who cares if they destroy it? But you, the adult in the room, deserve the Chromebook x360 12b, with its surprisingly good design and great battery life.

This is still a budget-grade Chromebook, so there are some compromises: Performance is mediocre, and the 3:2 display, while nice and tall, isn’t very bright. Still, we think HP made reasonable choices to provide a productive and enjoyable experience without breaking the bank.

SPECS AND FEATURES

The Chromebook x360 12b we tested currently goes for $360 at Adorama (go.pcworld.com/36ad). As you’ll see from the somewhat modest specs and features below (and the performance charts later on), HP spent less on the CPU, memory, and storage, and more on the design.

CPU: Intel Gemini Lake dual-core Celeron N4000

RAM: 4GB

Display: 12-inch, 3:2 aspect ratio, HD+ (1366x912) touchscreen

Webcam: HD (720p) WFOV (Wide Field of Vision), 88 degrees

Storage: 32GB eMMC

Networking: 802.11ac 2x2 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5

Connectivity: Two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C (5Gbps, DisplayPort 1.2, Power Delivery 3.0), one USB 3.1 Type-A, one headphone/microphone audio jack, microSD

Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 0.68 inches

Weight: 2.98 pounds, per HP

The HP Chromebook x360 12b locates the power button on the left side, toward the middle.

DESIGN