The Asus C200 Chromebook ($249) is a basic laptop for those who use PCs primarily to access the Internet. Like other Chromebooks, the C200( at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) will get you online and give you easy access to Google services like Google Drive, Google Play Music, and YouTube. Additionally, you can still perform simple PC tasks, like word processing and email. Just make sure you have constant access to Wi-Fi, and you’re golden. It’s well made, inexpensive, and will keep general users happy, but still we think that Chromebooks with cellular access make more sense for these Web-centric PCs.

Design and Features
The C200 measures a compact 0.8 by 12 by 8 inches (HWD) and weighs 2.59 pounds. It’s certainly thinner and lighter than the Dell Chromebook 11($299.00 at Dell Technologies)(Opens in a new window) and the Editors’ Choice Acer Chromebook C720P-2600($299.00 at Acer)(Opens in a new window). Like all Chromebooks, the C200 proudly displays the Google Chrome logo on its matte-black lid. The top and bottom lids’ finish attracts smudges and fingerprints, so keep a microfiber cloth handy if you’re meticulous.

The painted aluminum keyboard has the standard Chromebook layout, with navigation and settings keys replacing the F1-F12 keys on a typical Windows laptop. Key feel is comfortable, and strokes register quickly. Response is also good from the multitouch touchpad. There’s no touch screen, but the Chrome OS hasn’t been optimized for touch functionality.

Logging on to the system is as easy as entering your Google or Gmail username and password. If you haven’t created a Google account, the system will guide you through the process. Guest access is enabled out of the box, so you can lend the system to a friend and not have to worry about them snooping around your files.

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The 11.6-inch 1,366-by-768 LCD display is clear and bright enough to use in most indoor situations, including next to a sunlit window. However, narrow viewing angles means the screen will appear washed out or dim if you aren’t viewing it head on. This is a consequence of using a lower-quality panel in order to meet the sub-$250 price. The screen isn’t heinous by any means, but the Editors’ Choice HP Chromebook 11 (Verizon LTE)($249.99 at eBay)(Opens in a new window) and its In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel is a much better choice if display quality is a priority for you.

I/O port selection is good for a Chromebook. There’s an HDMI-out port, a headset jack, a Kensington security slot, an SD card reader, a USB 2.0 port, and a USB 3.0 port. The 802.11ac Wi-Fi in the C200 is more up-to-date than the 802.11n on most Chromebooks or just about any sub-$350 notebook.

Sound from the internal speakers is clear and strong enough to fill a home office or bedroom. It’s notably better than other basic laptops, and will certainly be sufficient for your kids to listen to music while studying or for watching streaming video.

There’s 2GB of system memory and a 16GB solid-state drive (SSD) for local storage. That’s not a lot, but as with all Chromebooks, you’re expected to keep most of your files in Google’s cloud-based storage or on another service’s servers. You can supplement the local storage with an SD card or a external USB hard drive. All Chromebooks come with 100GB of Google Drive online storage for two years. Also standard are 12 free Gogo Internet passes on airlines (as long as you’re logging on from your Chromebook), and there are other offers, like a trial subscription to Google Play’s Unlimited Music service.

Like with all Chromebooks, Web-access is the key to the system’s functionality. All of my Chrome OS apps and extensions, like access to my stored music and Gmail, propagated to the C200 after I logged in for the first time. However, you have to manually set up offline access to Google Docs and other programs in case you want to use them on a plane that doesn’t have Gogo Internet or if you’re off the grid. This isn’t an issue with Chrome-OS-based desktops like the Asus Chromebox M004U($69.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window), but it can be a deal breaker on a Chromebook.

Performance
Booting the system takes less than 10 seconds, so you can be up and online before you take your second sip of coffee in the morning. During testing, streaming video from services like Disney Movies Anywhere, Netflix, and YouTube was smooth for the most part. Another popular video app, Slingbox, took a little more creativity. Normally you’d just access it through the Slingbox website, but its Web plugin doesn’t support Chrome OS yet. We found a workaround, where you can log into the Slingbox Facebook page, and remotely watch your TV from within Facebook. Web-based games were likewise fine in testing, particularly casual games like Angry Birds and Kingdom Rush.

The C200 lasted a phenomenal 11 hours 14 minutes on our battery rundown test. This is mainly due to the system’s Intel Celeron N2830, based on the power-sipping Intel Bay Trail-M platform. That’s almost six hours longer than the latest HP Chromebook 11, four hours better than the Acer C720P, and two hours better than the Dell Chromebook 11, all of which have higher-end CPUs. If you absolutely need the unplugged battery life, the Asus should be your ride.

At the $250-to-$300 price point, PC manufacturers need to carefully cherry pick the features they put in a laptop. In the case of the C200 Chromebook, Asus decided to emphasize connectivity and battery life. If all-day computing away from a power outlet is what you’re looking for, the C200 is a great bet. Just make sure you have access to Wi-Fi. Still, the HP Chromebook 11 remains our top pick for Chromebooks with its higher-quality display along with 4G LTE connectivity. It’s well worth the extra $50 over the C200’s list price.