Amazon.com: ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 2-In-1 Laptop- 14″ Full HD 4-Way NanoEdge Touchscreen, Intel Core M3-8100Y Processor, 8GB RAM, 64GB eMMC Storage, Backlit KB, Chrome OS- C434TA-DS384T Silver : El

I haunted the Asus and Amazon websites waiting for the right oppotunity to grab the 8gb/64gb version of this chromebook. I really wanted the 8gb/128gb version, but I can’t find that anywhere and Amazon seems to be the only vendor selling this chromebook with 8gb ram. Before, I had the Asus c302 with 4gb of ram/64 gb storage, and that was an awesome chromebook. After giving it to a relative, I decided it was time for an upgrade, and I went with the Asus c434 with 8gb of ram.

So, after working with this chromebook for a month, overall I am happy. This chromebook is so beautifully designed. The sleek aluminum casing, the hinges that slightly lift up the keyboard, and the screen itself are a joy to behold. This version of the Asus chromebook is about a pound heavier (about 3.3 lbs) than the previous version (about 2.4 lbs) but the chromebook is so well balanced that the additional weight is hardly noticeable (to me). I love using Chrome OS. I use Chrome OS everyday, and I use my chromebook more than my iPad and way more than my Windows laptop (which has been relegated to a cabinet). The keyboard is really easy to type on. And, although some reviewers have dinged the touchpad, I find it very easy to use. The battery life of 8-10 hours is as advertised, so no complaints there. The laptop is very snappy. I open up numerous tabs all the time and this laptop doesn’t skip a beat, so that is terrific. In addition to the usb-c ports on either side of the laptop, there is a usb-a port, a welcome addition.

But like I said, i’s not perfect, so I couldn’t give it 5 stars and the 4 stars are really more like 3.5 to 3.75 stars. Asus has broken some things in its drive to upgrade and improve its flagship chromebook:

The decision to make the keyboard silver instead of black was misguided. It looks great, but as many others have stated, with the backlight on, it is unnecessarily difficult to make out the keys. This isn’t a dealbreaker for me, however. I just turn off the backlight. Another solution that I haven’t seen mentioned is using a keyboard cover. Mubuy makes a keyboard cover skin for the Asus c302. It’s sold on Amazon for about $7.99. This cover also fits the Asus c434. The only hiccup is that the cover designates the laptop lock key as the power on/off key. Other than that, the cover fits the c434 like a charm. It not only solves the backlight issue, but it also keeps debris out of the chromebook keyboard. Problem solved!

Others have mentioned that the microsd card slot does not allow a card to fit flush. I don’t know how Asus missed this. I have found over the last month that several times I have dislodged the card, without intending to. Because this laptop has only 64 gb of storage, being able to securely keep data on a higher capacity microsd card is of the utmost importance. In the c302, the card fit all the way into the spring-loaded slot. Never once was it unintentionally dislodged. Boo Hiss, Asus!

While the screen is beautiful to look at, it glitches once in awhile. It doesn’t happen a lot, but it shouldn’t be happening at all. I don’t remember this issue with the Asus c302. There are times when I am working with a webpage and the screen will just go black – for no apparent reason. It seems to happen when I am using the keyboard and trying to enter data. It doesn’t seem to happen when I’m watching a video or playing a game – as far as I can tell. It happened as I was writing this review! I don’t lose my info when this happens, but it is troubling, nonetheless.

The touchscreen can become nonresponsive, again for no apparent reason. The mouse works consistently, so I can keep working, even if the touchscreen stops. The touchscreen works most of the time, but this “glitch” is troublesome. The screen blackouts and the touchscreen issue alsmost made me send this chromebook back to Amazon. But while these defects are an issue, they happen seldom enough that I decided to live with them. But these issues are why this laptop doesn’t merit 5, or really even 4 stars, unfortunately. The quality control at Asus manufacturing needs to be improved, ASAP.

Another issue is Android apps. While this is not the fault of Asus, I have to mention that playing and working well with Android apps has still got a ways to go. These issues/problems keep a good experience from becoming great.

But what can I tell you?? In spite of these issues, I love using this chromebook. I use it practically every day. And, at the end of the day, I’m glad I bought it (mostly 😉 ).