Review on ASUS Chromebook Detachable Touchscreen WUXGA by Kino Gerami

TL;DR: Always wanted a Surface tablet but didn't use Windows? This Asus CM3 could be what you are looking for. Both the pen and the keyboard are actually included. Chrome OS now lets you run apps from the Google Play Store, making it more useful than ever, but it may take some learning if you're not used to it, and some apps just aren't optimized for a "laptop". mode, not to mention using the stylus. Poor performance for the price; but you get a very portable form factor with plenty of versatility. Shape and structure: Large tablet to take with you. It's a bit heavy but compact and closes well with magnetic clasps. It also fits in some tablet cases, although it might be too thick for those who are particularly slim. Ultimately, it's pretty easy to slip into a backpack, bag, or even a large purse. The tablet itself is very angular, with rounded corners and very durable. I like the gray lid on the back that doubles as a multi-directional kickstand, but because it only attaches with magnets it sometimes slips off when pushed around. The keyboard attaches firmly, including with a magnetic mount similar to the one you'll find on the Surface tablet. It snaps easily into place and requires little effort to detach from the tablet. The weak link here is the keyboard. While the back cover is nice, the writing surface feels cheap and plasticky. The keys click and you type on a REAL keyboard, not a tactile one, which is definitely welcome. But the feedback is empty and sometimes you feel like you can break the keyboard if you type too passionately. It's great that the pen is included and I love that it's "in the garage" but you're almost guaranteed to break a nail trying to get this pen out of your stash. Samsung does a much better job than Asus with its garage grabs. The tablet/laptop only has one USB-C port and one headphone jack, both of which work. It's disappointing that it doesn't have microSD expansion like many Android tablets and even other Chromebooks, especially considering you'll likely be downloading apps from Google Play. While there's plenty of storage for a Chromebook (my first Chromebook a few years ago only had 16GB of hard drive space—everything had to be in the cloud), but that kind of expandability would be welcome. Screen and pen input: The screen looks really great. Images are sharp and videos are played back with good clarity. The text is easy to read. The touch functions work well, especially in the Google Play apps designed for it. Pen input is a bit more inconsistent. If you're used to using a Surface Pen or Apple Pencil, you'll likely be disappointed with the writing and drawing capabilities of this tablet. I've found that most of the inconsistencies are software-related - it's a trick to finding the best writing and drawing apps and finding a balance between capturing input with the stylus and rejecting your palm effectively. This isn't the kind of game you should be playing with the iPad/Apple Pencil combo. The screen really needs a paper-like screen protector if you use the stylus a lot. Performance: Chrome OS has some really great elements. I like automatic updates and cloud integration. A lot of this just works, especially when you're deep into the Google environment. I also love how easy it is to set up multiple profiles. I can easily switch between my personal and work profiles and have all those things separate. Startup is quick and I haven't had any major issues with the Chromebook getting stuck on processes it couldn't handle. The only problem I had was when I tried to play a purchased video in the YouTube app and I spent a lot of time figuring out how to clear the app's cache - so it's different from the Chrome browser and the Google Play app. Like I said, the learning curve. My only other issue has to do with the volume control. The volume rocker works - you can see the volume rocker appear on screen when you press it - but it doesn't really do anything. I kept trying to turn down the volume of the playing video and it would go from too loud to mute and nothing in between. I had to fine-tune the volume in every single app I was playing media in using the software's slider. Conclusion: There are cheaper Chromebooks. If you're looking for a Chromebook because you want to run Chrome OS, you might be able to get what you want at a better price. Consider the ASUS CM3 if you particularly like the form factor. It's versatile - you get a tablet, stylus, keyboard/laptop in one device that you can easily take with you or sit on the couch.