ASUS - CX34 14" FHD Chromebook Plus Laptop with Google AI - Intel Core i5 - 8GB Memory - 128GB UFS - Rock Grey

ASUS Chromebook is well designed and high quality. The keyboard, trackpad and screen are designed with comfort and usability and a good value comparing the specs to the price.

This Chromebook Plus is my first Chromebook device with a focus on AI capabilities. The device itself is lightweight with a matte plastic shell and weighs a little over 3 lbs. It has basic I/O including a combo mic/headphone jack, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, HDMI 1.4 output, and 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 ports that both support DisplayPort out and Power Delivery charging of peripherals. The unit also comes with a small 45 Watt (15V, 3A) power brick with 6.5 ft cord that can charge the laptop using either USB-C ports. Note, however, that the charging status LED is on the left-hand side only. The touchscreen LED IPS display has a 14” diagonal with anti-glare matte coating and is powered by Intel Iris Xe UHD Integrated Graphics with a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 FHD, 250 nit brightness, and a refresh rate of 60Hz. The screen opens to a 180° lay-flat orientation but does not fold over for use in “tablet” mode. Inside, the machine runs on a 1.3GHz Intel 13th Gen 10-Core i5-1334U CPU, 8 GB of onboard LPDDR5X 4800MHz RAM and has a 128 GB UFS (universal flash storage). For additional storage, you can use external drives or cloud-based storage. While the memory and internal storage aren’t upgradable, they are sufficient for light to medium duty applications like web browsing, word processing, streaming hi-def video and music, and casual gaming. I found that the Chromebook handled each of these activities well and was responsive without lengthy load times or lag when switching between apps. When gaming, however, note that they run in “emulator” mode which could restrict some features or functionality of games, for example, in PUBG Mobile some game modes were not accessible. Other games, like those that require an accelerometer to recognize device orientation for movement, won’t work properly. Also keep in mind that mobile games are designed to be played via touchscreen which can be cumbersome on such a large format screen, though you could try mapping controls to the keyboard in the Game Dashboard instead. Since Chromebooks use the Google suite of apps by default, Gemini, Google’s large language AI model is built-in. This is a separate feature from Google’s AI assistant which is typically activated by voice use the wake words, “Hey Google.” Gemini can answer questions, write-up summaries, generate creative text and image content, and the pro model can also implement reasoning, math and code with well written-prompts. You should know though, that AI can make mistakes its output needs to be double-checked where accuracy is important. It’s worth noting that the purchase of a new Chromebook Plus currently includes a free 12-month trial of Google AI Pro as a perk. I’ve used Gemini’s LLM for various tasks like generating recipes, thumbnail images, and even short works of fiction and the results are pretty impressive. I do think things have to be tweaked here and there, and factual data needs to be verified against reputable sources for accuracy, but overall Gemini can give you a solid framework as a starting point when given the right prompts. The CX3402’s 3-cell 50Wh battery can last a whopping 9+ hours on a full charge depending on your settings and usage habits and charges fully in just a few hours. Connectivity-wise it supports WiFi6E and Bluetooth 5.4 and can also be paired to a smartphone for hotspot access. The keyboard on this model is not backlit which can make it hard to see in the dark, and while it is full-size, it does not have a separate number pad. The top row keys are quick functions for actions like back, refresh, screenshot, brightness and volume control, active apps, and full-screen toggle. The mouse trackpad is large, though doesn’t have ‘right-click’ since that’s not used in Android-based operating systems. You can also double-tap to click and use two-finger gestures to scroll, swipe, and zoom on the trackpad just like you would directly on a touchscreen. The color and clarity of the screen is nice with a comfortable brightness level and decent contrast. There’s an optional blue light filter for nighttime use which gives the screen a visibly yellow cast but reduces eyestrain. The screen looks pretty good when watching video content and playing games, however, color accuracy at 45% NTSC may not be precise enough for professional creative work like digital art or photography. The bottom-facing speakers are okay but a bit echo-y and thin sounding at times. For a better audio experience, you can use Bluetooth or plug-in headphones or external speakers. The unit has a built-in front facing 1080p webcam and dual-array mic that work fine for live streaming, vlogging, and virtual meetings with clear detail and quality, though I found the camera’s colors can appear overexposed and under-saturated. When the camera is active, its status LED illuminates white, and there’s a sliding lens cover for instant privacy. When setting up the machine, you’ll need to log into or create a Google account, and you have to option to sync your profile, so you’ll have a similar user experience across devices (apps, settings, activity history, etc.). Connecting to the internet is also required for most of its features to work, as ChromeOS is cloud-based and many applications are not run directly on the device; that means most desktop computer programs cannot be installed on this device unless is has a mobile app version. You can access your installed apps by clicking or tapping on the circle in the bottom-left corner of the screen or pressing the analogous key where the Caps-lock is usually found on the keyboard. Overall, I found this Chromebook Plus to be a fantastic lightweight alternative to a traditional laptop. It handled web browsing, everyday tasks and computing, and even casual gaming well and feels fast and responsive. It does have limitations like requiring the internet, incompatibility with some games, and only has a handful of I/O options with no pathway for upgrades internally. However, software and firmware updates happen automatically over WiFi, and it can be a powerful tool with its built-in LLM AI capabilities for students, parents, and creatives alike. The battery life is exceptional and the audio/video experience is quite decent. My only complaint is that all surfaces, including the exterior, keyboard, mouse pad, and touchscreen, pickup oils from your fingers very readily so keeping it smudge-free is a never ending chore.

After only 5 weeks of use, the "enter" key started to look like "e ter"! The n had almost completely worn off. Next, typing was horrible -- letters that your fingers weren't even near showed up, settings only helped so much, and usually the default settings are fine. And, lastly, the colors are terrible. Muted colors. Traded up to the CX5403 which was only like $20 more (it was on sale with $200 off) and it's incredible! That's the ASUS to get!

I am impressed with the Asus-CX34 14” FHD Chromebook Plus Laptop with Google AI - Intel Core i5 - 8GB Memory - 128GB SSD. The processor is fast and efficient. It is a laptop in a way that I did not expect from a Chromebook. I guess that is what the “PLUS” is for. The keyboard is comfortable to use and my wrist does not hurt after an hour or so of use like a regular Chromebook did. This is perfect for the student or the home business owner. It made my work day very productive. It fits in any backpack or even a tote with padding. Google Al took some getting used to as I usually use another platform. Over all I love this thing. I have only a few minor suggestions. There is nothing lit up when using. I like to have my “Capital” key lit up with I am typing with capital letters. Also I like a small light lit up when the laptop is on. I always look at the light to verify that it is completely off before I shut down my screen. Also and this is a big suggestion “I like my plugin prongs to fold into the plugin so it is easier to carry in my backpack without damaging the prongs. This is a 14” screen so it is hard to see with my poor vision. I had to go into the settings and make the text larger which was easy to do. I also like to make the text bold but I never could figure out how to make it bold. Even a search on the internet gave me no real directions. The laptop itself is beautiful and there are multiple places to plug in extras on the side. I have added a photo of them.

ASUS has released the CX34 Chromebook Plus laptop. The CX34 comes with an Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB or RAM, and a 128GB SSD. The specs, when compared to a standard Windows laptop, don’t seem too impressive, but the specs are high for a Chromebook. It’s plenty to run the Chromebook OS. Form Factor The CX34 has a laptop form factor. It looks and feels like a typical laptop. It has some weight to it. Not too bad, but it is weightier than I would have expected. Still, it’s light compared to the typical laptop. I found myself wishing that it was a convertible laptop/tablet with a swivel screen that could swivel around and allow it to work as a tablet in addition to it being a laptop, but it doesn’t have that as a feature. Screen It sports a 14” FHD screen which is high enough resolution for what I would use this for. Above the screen is a FHD webcam with a privacy cover. You can slide the cover over the camera when not in use. The webcam support 720 and 1080 resolutions. It’s clear enough to use for video calls and some video recordings. The screen is also a touch screen. It’s responsive and accurate when using the touch screen feature. Keyboard/Mouse The keyboard has a really good feel to it. The keys feel good and didn’t feel like cheap plastic to me. The built-in touchpad works well. It’s sensitive and feels smooth. Speakers/Ports The speakers aren’t the best for a laptop. They are sufficient, but that is about it. There are two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. All are enough for my needs as I don’t need it to have more than that. Battery The battery in the CX34 takes more than a few hours to charge. My initial charge took about 2 hours. A full charge will take longer. As I used it on battery power for standard apps such as Chrome, Docs, Calendar, etc., it was using about 10% per hour. When I was using the webcam to record a video and the recorder/memo app to record audio, it was using more (15-20% per hour). Specs The Core i5 CPU was a good choice for the CX34. It comes with 128GB SSD which doesn’t sound like much, but if you consider that it is running ChromeOS and integrates well with Google’s storage and app services, such as Google Drive and Photos, 128GB is going to be fine for most users. It also comes with 8GB of RAM. I do wish it had 16GB or RAM. That is the only thing I felt lacked with the CX34. As it is, it runs very well. The specs were enough to run a mobile Diablo game. It does heat up a little when using it for video/game related tasks. Google Docs and other Google apps all worked well. They started up quickly and were responsive. I use Gemini regularly and the CX34 makes it easy to use it. All together, the specs are plenty for most users and apps that will be used on a Chromebook. Final Thoughts I’m liking the CX34. Keeping it’s intended purpose in mind, this doesn’t what is it is supposed to do. It runs apps very well and uses a reasonable amount of battery power when doing so. ChromeOS apps are supported by the Google Play store so it’s easy to find apps for it. It also integrates well with Google’s storage and app services. The specs are good for the intended use of it. If you are looking for a laptop that runs ChromeOS, then I would recommend checking out what ASUS has with the CX34 Chromebook Plus Laptop.