Alongside Windows PCs, there are Chromebooks: machines that are easier to use, faster, with greater autonomy, and which rely on Google services. In recent months, there has been a focus on AI with the arrival on the market of Chromebook Plus.
Do you know about Chromebooks? These laptops are neither Windows nor Linux based. They run on ChromeOS, an operating system specially developed by Google. The interface is very easy to use, and not very confusing if you are already a Chrome and Google Workspace user. The original idea was to stick to the majority of users' uses with the smoothest possible experience.
Interested in these machines? We offer you a list of five Black Friday offers at Boulanger to buy a cheaper Chromebook or Chromebook Plus.
1. Asus CX3402 with cover + mouse: a complete Chromebook Plus for less than €300
The ASUS Chromebook Plus combines elegant design and performance for optimal use
© ASUS
The ASUS Chromebook CX3402CBA-MW01424 is a particularly robust and elegant Chromebook Plus, designed for a wide range of users. It offers a beautiful 14” touch screen, all in a very elegant white case.
Performance is ensured by an Intel i3-1215U chip with a clock frequency of up to 4.4 GHz, and 8 GB of RAM. Enough to make the use of this Chromebook Plus very fluid, including for the years to come and the arrival of new features around AI.
The benefits of this Chromebook Plus don't stop there. In addition to its 128GB of storage (while connected to your Google Drive, you'll actually have access to more for your files), this Chromebook Plus has a 1080p front camera with manual shutter for added privacy.
The connectivity is incredibly complete. There are in fact both classic USB ports and USB-C ports and an HDMI 1.4 port allowing you to easily connect a TV, an overhead projector or an external screen.
The ASUS Chromebook CX3402CBA-MW01424 also provides access to ultra-fast Wifi 6 wireless connectivity. As well as the very recent Bluetooth 5.3 standard which allows more increased bandwidth for better quality sound reproduction on compatible headphones.
Acer Chromebook Plus CB515 (2H-37PB variant): larger screen and 512 GB of internal storage
The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 with Full HD display and FHD webcam for everyday use
© Acer
The Acer CB515 is a more efficient Chromebook, equipped with a 15.6” screen suitable for working on several documents and offering more comfort for entertainment (films, series, Android games, streaming games, etc.). The fairly premium computer case is constructed of gray aluminum around the MIL-STD 810H military durability standard.
Here we find an Intel i3 1215U chip, like on many Chromebook Pluses. This chip, equipped with an adaptive clock frequency of up to 4.4 GHz, allows particularly smooth execution and almost instantaneous launch of applications. It is one of the best possible balances allowing both peak performance and autonomy of up to ten hours on this model.
The component comes with 8 GB of RAM. This allows comfortable multitasking on ChromeOS and the simultaneous launch of a large number of tabs in Google Chrome. Acer accompanies this Chromebook Plus with a fairly generous amount of internal storage, 512 GB (PCIe SSD for fast performance).
An advantage for accessing your documents more quickly if internet connectivity is not good or you temporarily do not have access to them. Here again, the range of ports is particularly interesting, with both USB-C and USB type A ports and an HDMI port for connecting an external display device.
All these benefits, combined with the fact that this computer weighs just 1.68 kg, make it an ideal Chromebook Plus for traveling professionals and students. The Acer CB515 is currently available from Boulanger at the price of €369.00 versus €449.00 excluding promotion.
The Acer Chromebook Plus CB515 (2HT-31AR variant) gives you access to a touchscreen
Meet the new Acer Chromebook Plus 515, a touchscreen laptop ideal for everyday tasks and family use)
© Acer
The 2HT-31AR variant of the Acer Chromebook Plus CB515 offers a technical sheet very close to the 2H-37PB model described just above. With the added bonus of a 15.9” touch screen allowing more intuitive interaction under ChromeOS.
The device also offers 512 GB of slightly more efficient NVMe storage. This feature allows bandwidth of up to 3.5 GB/s for reading and writing. File transfers are therefore faster to and from the internal memory of this Chromebook via the machine's three USB 3.2 ports (type A and type C).
This device comes with the same premium aluminum case as the 2H37-PB variant and offers a battery life of up to ten hours. This Chromebook Plus is ideal for photo and video editing professionals who require more internal storage and who travel often.
For Black Friday, Boulanger offers you to buy this Chromebook Plus at €399 instead of the usual price of €499.
Lenovo Chromebook IdeaPad 3: an ideal option for students
The new Lenovo Chromebook IdeaPad 3 laptop, stylish and powerful, ideal for students and professionals.
© Lenovo
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Chromebook offers a high level of performance at a particularly affordable price. This machine, geared more towards students, offers all the advantages of Chromebooks, except for the integration of advanced AI features reserved for Chromebook Plus computers.
The computer offers a rather bright 14” FHD display that covers 100% of the sRGB color space for vibrant images, and improved calibration capabilities in applications such as photo editing and vector design.
Beyond that, its performance is based on a MediaTek Kompanio 520 mobile chip (ARM) with 8 cores clocked at 2.05 GHz and 8 GB of RAM. A set that brings the machine to the level of the fluid experience sought on Chromebooks. All with 10 hours of battery life.
This Chromebook is offered by Boulanger at only €259 as part of Black Friday.
Packard Bell CB314: the cheapest Chromebook in this selection
Meet the Packard Bell CB314, a stylish and functional Chromebook perfect for everyday use
© Packard Bell
Latest Chromebook benefiting from a particularly attractive price during Black Friday, this Packard Bell allows you to equip yourself for less than €200. At this price, the machine offers a fairly basic technical sheet, but sufficient for consulting content on the internet or taking notes.
We therefore have an Intel Celeron N4020 chip associated with Intel UHD Graphics, 4 GB of RAM and internal eMMC storage with a capacity of 32 GB – expandable via a microSD card port. In addition to its 14” screen and its compact format, its great advantage is its superior autonomy: count on up to 12 hours without recharging.
Booting up the machine takes no more than a few seconds with fast loading of apps downloaded from the Play Store. A real interesting deal for a machine on offer at the moment at Boulanger for only €199.
Why choose a Chromebook
In addition to their very good value for money, Chromebooks are packed with benefits. From the first time you turn it on, you log in with your Gmail account and everything is immediately there: your files, your accounts, your preferences and your passwords. In terms of uses, almost everything is possible on these machines, including editing photos, doing video editing… even playing video games in streaming via Cloud gaming services like GeForce Now.
For several months, alongside classic Chromebooks, there have been Chromebook Plus. The latter are more powerful, and above all emphasize Google's latest generative AI features. You can get suggestions for writing or rewriting text with a simple right-click, chat with Gemini to get help with your daily activities and projects. Or even do photo editing locally with tools like the Magic Eraser in Google Photos.
Best of all, Google guarantees 10 years of updates on Chromebooks, so you can benefit from new AI features as they become available. And for any purchase of a Chromebook until January 2025, Google is offering 12 months of subscription to Google One AI Premium, providing access to Gemini Advanced and 2 TB of storage space on Google Drive.
