The Lenovo N21 80MG0001US is a bestselling 2015 11.6-inch Chromebook that received positive reviews for its durable construction, high fidelity display, fast dual-core Intel Celeron processor, long battery life and plenty of connectivity options. On the downside, like other cheap Chromebooks, it has limited on-board storage which needs to be upgraded via SD card and it runs on Chrome OS which doesn’t support regular Windows applications. If you need a lightweight laptop for online research, YouTube and document editing, the N21 80MG0001US is one of the top Chromebooks in its price bracket.
The Lenovo N21 80MG0001US Chromebook brings lots of design and hardware upgrades over its predecessor the N20P. Featuring a non-slip texture, anti-peel keys, a water resistant keyboard, a sealed touchpad,and drop resistance with reinforced hinges, the N21 is clearly designed with long-term use in mind.
If that wasn’t enough features on a $200 notebook, it includes a retractable handle which makes it easier to carry around. Another unique feature is it’s rotatable webcam with mic, giving you the flexibility to capture videos and images in different angles.A touchscreen and dual-mode design are some of the features missing in this laptop. However, it’s LED screen, though non-touch, is good quality and doesn’t catch any excess glare.
Housing an Intel Celeron N2840 processor, 4GB of RAM and 500GB Hard Drive, it easily outperforms the N20P featuring the slower N2830 processor and much smaller 2GB RAM and 32GB storage. Overall, with its hardware you’ll be able to handle normal school and office activities like a pro.
With up to 9.5 hours of battery life you can also do a full day of work without needing a charge. Small in size but big on connectivity, it also includes all current ports and wireless technology including Bluetooth 4.0, a USB 3.0 port, an HDMI out and a memory card reader. If you want a Chromebook that’s highly durable, portable and sufficiently powerful for school and work with a world class battery life, the N21 is another great catch.
Pros
- Thin and Light
- 4GB of RAM
- Matte display
- Price
- Sturdy build quality
Cons
- Small keyboard
- Limited storage space
- Pointless swivel camera
Bottom Line
The Lenovo N21 Chromebook 80MG0001US offers good build quality and decent performance for its sub $200 price tag. The light weight design and excellent battery life make it great for travelling.
- Weight: 2.8 lbs
- Processor: Intel Celeron N2840 2.16GHz
- Display Size: 11.6 inch
- RAM: 4GB DDR3
- Operating System: Chrome OS
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail)
Critic Reviews
Full Specifications
| Processor | Intel Celeron N2840 2.16GHz [View Benchmarks] |
|---|---|
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail) [View Benchmarks] |
| Graphics Type | Integrated |
| Graphics Memory | Shared |
| RAM | 4GB DDR3 |
| Operating System | Google Chrome OS Chrome OS |
| Weight | 2.8 lbs |
| Battery Life | 9.5 hours |
| Hard Drive 1 | 16 SSD |
| Display Size | 11.6 inch |
| Display Type | TN |
| Display Resolution | 1366 x 768 |
| Display Technology | LED backlit display |
| Connectivity | USB 3.0 | USB 2.0 | HDMI | WiFi | Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Audio | Stereo speakers |
| Webcam | HD 720p |
| Additional Features | keyboard, touchpad, 2 in 1 ( SD Card, MultiMediaCard ) |
| Dimension (LxWxH) | 11 x 8.5 x 0.9 |
One reply on “Lenovo N21 Chromebook 80MG0001US 11.6-inch”
Pros
English keyboard
matte colouring, not a fingerprint magnet
Fast!
Carry handle is a plus
Excellent battery 9 hours
Cons
Charging plug is very small
Not able to charge through USB
Summary
The English keyboard is important to me, and this has the English only keyboard. I was concerned about the 1MB Cache, thinking it would be lethargic with all actions, but it is NOT! I find that pages open quickly, comparatively to my gen 1 hp chromebook (the one with the blue trim around the keyboard). This machine is very quick in all aspects of function. The N21 is lighter than my hp “snow white gen 3, 11.6” ” book. It is noticeable in the back pack. It is heavier than my gen 1 hp chromebook, but does not feel as fragile. The screen does have a slight bluish tinge to it but it is not bothersome…to me anyway. The screen is matte and is wonderful on the patio at the local cafe’. I get 9 hours when I turn the screen brightness down to 25%. It doesn’t matter if that is watching videos, surfing, writing or whatever. The keyboard is really great. Lenovo still has a way of making them feel great. The trackpad works really well and this surprised me. I usually use a wireless mouse, but found myself using the trackpad one morning and was pleasantly surprised at how well it works. It is large and comfortable to use, which is very different than that of the gen 1 hp, and the Acer C710.
This N21 is all plastic, but it is quite rigid and strong, as I found out after dropping my backpack and having a bicycle run over it. No issues. The rotating camera is interesting; it has good ambient lighting but lacks some definition (which for me is a plus to hide the wrinkles). Not terrible at all. On Hangouts video, no one has complained about the image, lighting or volume/microphone. All of those work sooo much better than that of the Acer C710. The speakers are decent, not powerful, but clear, with enough bass to sound accurate. The hinges are stiff and do not let the screen wobble at all when typing aggressively. Very nice.
The whole machine feels solid when in the hands. The large bezel surrounding the screen is for me, a tell-tale sign of the sturdiness this machine offers. I don’t mind it at all.
This chromebook is the one so far, that is always ending up in the backpack and travelling to and from wherever I go.
The fine people at NCIX were awesome when answering questions about the machine for me, even though it is a Chromebook. I am a stickler for quality and detail; this machine makes me happy.