ASUS Chromebook Flip C302CA-DH54 12.5-inch Touchscreen Convertible Chromebook Intel Core m5, 4GB RAM, 64GB Flash Storage, All-Metal Body, USB Type C, Corning Gorilla Glass, Chrome OS

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Ive been waiting for this Chromebook for some time now and having only had it for about two weeks, I can say that the device and purchase were well worth it. To start out, Im a software engineer working in the realm of cloud DevOps, and multi-platform web and mobile application development. As much of my time is spent writing code as building cloud infrastructure in AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure. As such, I can defer a lot of horse power to those cloud services and keep my actual computer fairly lean. After playing with a loaner Chromebook for a couple of months, I found the whole minimalist approach Google has taken with this platform to be totally refreshing, this Chromebook kits that up a notch and then some. Going to break this down into three parts: Hardware/Design, Use as a Stock ChromeOS Device, and Advanced Usage... In each section, Ill summarize the pros/cons and then at the end will provide a final summary. Hope this helps you get a good idea of what this Chromebook is capable of and why its such a great buy. 1. Hardware & Design Asus has really set a new standard with the C302CAs internals and physical design. Internally this device is basically an entry-level MacBook. A 12.5" IPS screen that is gorgeous to look at, extremely bright and full 1080p resolution. A solid little M3 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of SSD storage make this machine capable of handling heavy usage and earn it a solid Octane 2.0 score in the 19000-20000 range. No slouch. The physical design is not just one of the best Ive seen in a Chromebook but also in the general "ultrabook" form factor with comparable quality and design details associated with MacBook Air, MacBook, Asus own Zen line, and Samsungs recent Chromebook Plus and Pro offerings. The case is a solid aluminum billet structure with the now-ubiquitous scissor-action chicklet keyboard. The surface texture of the case is a satiny paper-like touch, which is both clean and easy to wipe down, but also not so smooth that you have to be concerned with it slipping out of your hand when carrying it. While Samsung has gone with an iPad-esque rounded edge style with their Chromebook Plus/Pro lines, Asus has stuck with a clean, square edge design with subtle beveling reminiscent of miniaturized MacBook Pro 13". Even with the 2-in-1 flip hinge, the device has a solid feel and theres very little wobble in the screen while typing. The backlighting on the keyboard is a really nice treat and makes using the Chromebook in low-light settings a dream. When in the "flipped" form factor, youre effectively looking at a 12.5" Android Tablet experience. The pop-up keyboard looks just like the Android screen keyboard and the orientation detection and capacitive touch screen are snappy and very responsive. One place that does frustrate me in the tablet mode is that ChromeOS has a number of UI features that dont lend themselves to touch interaction. For example, the "close-X" button on tabs is very tiny and has a small hit-target area on the screen. Similarly the task tray area of the main task bar is on the small side and lends itself to fat-fingering. A simple OS update to make tablet mode "beef-up" certain UI components would give this a much more Android-like table experience. More on Android in a bit... The touchpad on the C302CA is the best Ive used on a Chromebook to date. It has a glassy-smooth surface that resists finger-prints and goop, is very large, and has a firm but not too-clunky feeling click to it. It takes up more than 1/3rd of the palm-area horizontal space and makes thumb-tapping mouse tweaks very easy. Likewise, the touch screen has a very nice responsiveness and I regularly find myself just deferring to the touchscreen for scrolling and quick button-clicks. Finally, there are the ports... and this is where I had the most trepidation about this machine. To keep the lean and skinny profile, Asus (like Apple) has equipped the C302CA with a whopping 2 USB-C ports (one on each side of the keyboard), a micro-SD expansion slot, and a headphone-mic jack. The USB-C ports can act as the power-jack which is convenient when your power plug is sometimes on the left and sometimes on the right. Unfortunately, if youre charging the machine, this leaves you with only one remaining USB-C port. Ive purchased a multi-port hub that provides a pass-thru USB-C plug, 2 USB3.0-B plugs, and ethernet jack, and an HDMI-out port. I velcro it to the back of the screen and remove it when Im using the device in tablet mode (since I usually dont need it wired up in tablet mode). It gets the job done, but running $50-100 for a good dongle like this, youre adding to the TCO of the device if you need more connectivity than a single USB-C port. The battery life on the C302CA is no joke, either. Ive been getting regular 10-11hr usage times between charges and it can get back to fully charged over the USB-C ports in about 2-3hrs. Really in-and-of-itself thats a great feature by just reducing the need to always lug around a power-brick. Pros: - Internals are very performant and well-specd for the entry-level price point of this Chromebook - The physical case is solid and of a production quality youd expect in machine 3-5x the price of this machine - Beautiful, bright IPS Screen with full 1080p resolution - User interfaces that are tight, responsive, and comparable to Apple grade quality - Backlit keyboard rocks - Battery life is pretty amazing at 10-11hrs Cons: - 4Gb RAM cap... Rumor has it Asus will be releasing 8Gb and 16Gb variants down the road... this will be a good thing for power-users - Many UI elements are not user-friendly in tablet mode - Port minimalism... two USB-Cs pretty much guarantees your going to be investing in a could adaptor/hubs to carry around wtih you 2. Stock ChromeOS Usage Out of the box, the Asus C302CA is a powerhouse for stock ChromeOS usage. The general mantra of ChromeOS is that the web/cloud is your primary application interface and stand-alone applications are really just web-applications bundled up as Chrome browser Apps/extensions. Initially, this may seem like a limiting scope for being able to get actual work done beyond just web-surfing. But with a host of solid productivity suites on the web these days (Google Mail/Docs/Drive/Calendar, MS Office365, and Apple iCloud Apps), you can actually do a major amount of your day-to-day productivity activities with a Chromebook w/ having to install a single copy of anything to do it. For more advanced usages, there are now a number of cloud-based development toolkits and graphics tools available to make a stock ChromeOS system a capable web development environment. I have a stack setup right now with GitHub for source control, Cloud9 for development environment/terminal access, and a couple of AWS services for code assembly and deployment to a dev cloud server. All and all, its a light weight, but very robust development stack, that also has the added convenience of Cloud9s collaboration features wherein multiple developers can be writing code in even the same file simultaneously. Much like collaborative editing in Google Docs/Spreadsheets, but in code itself. Great for pair programming, code reviews and group refactoring sessions. Performance-wise, I can easily have 12-24 tabs open simultaneously and see no slow-down in performance. On occasion a tab may freeze up on me with the "Uh-oh!" message, but this is no more regular than what Ive experienced with the Chrome browser on Mac, Linux and Windows systems. Ive fiddled with some web-based games, but the graphics capabilities while decent for this form factor, you wont be playing any intense games in stock ChromeOS mode. Where ChromeOS really shines and what I think is going to be a very significant deal-maker for these devices in the coming year is the inclusion of the Google Play Store and the ability to run Android applications in the ChromeOS environment. You do have to be on the developer channel of the OS to get this feature, but there are a number of guides in the ether that explain how to set it up. As the owner of an Android phone, I really like this feature since I can load apps onto the Chromebook that I regularly use already, apps Ive paid for are available on this device, and the Play Store accurately recognizes the C302CA as a "tablet" form factor and will suggest the tablet alternative of many apps. Thus far, Ive loaded a number of games, my password vault, several productivity apps, Skype, Spotify and some network scanning Android Apps and theyve all worked very well. On occasion with graphically intensive apps, like games, there can be some masking artifacts around graphics and sprites that can easily be fixed usually just by restarting the app. Im really looking forward to where Google takes this in the coming years as it looks like theyre trying to find the ideal balance between ChromeOS and Android... An AndroidOS, if you will. One place that I find lacking in ChromeOS is the settings management. For the most-part you dont have much freedom to make any significant changes to settings. Mouse and Trackpad settings are very minimalist, theres no way to modify short-cut keys, and the power management options are pretty minimal, too. All and all, they are simple devices, but it would be nice to have a more immediate access to deep config settings. One of the features of ChromeOS that I find very convenient is the way in which all of your configuration settings are stored in the cloud with your gmail account. When I grab my daughters Acer R11 or borrow a coworkers Chromebook, all I need do is login with my Google account and within seconds Ive got the same user experience I get anywhere else in the GoogSpace... Pros: - Clean and secure operating system that is very lean and gets the most out of the systems modest specs - With the combination of web-based productivity tools and development apps/services, this Chromebook can provide a breadth of very viable usage scenarios without bogging the system down with locally install applications. - Android Apps and Google Play Store are real game changers for the ChromeOS landscape... Suddenly, one device can effectively serve as a platform for two different application topologies. And the Google Play Store is chock-full of great apps and games. - Boot time, sleep time and wake time are crazy fast... Theres never a long, finger-tapping wait for the system to come up. Cons: - System settings could be more robust and better organized - Tablet-mode still needs some work... Its definitely a work in progress, but with more 2-in-1s entering the market, Im expecting there will be significant feature enhancements around tablet-mode. 3. Advanced Usage [WARNING: Here there be dragons!!! The following options require you setting up your Chromebook in "Developer Mode" which requires a full factory-reset. This in-turn provides features that are normally disabled in "Normal" ChromeOS mode. Venture at your own risk/responsibility...] So, this is where this little Chromebook REALLY shines... As I mentioned in the intro, Im a software engineer and while I love the liberation and simplicity of the ChromeOS experience, there are still times where I want some more classic applications like youd find on MacOS, Linux, or Windows. Luckily, there are a number of ways to accomplish this and theres a healthy developer community regularly making new tools and options. Since ChromeOS is itself a Linux platform thats been pared down to a very simple and low-overhead system footprint. This gives us several ways to get a more fully-featured desktop experience: a) Chroot/Crouton Linux Desktop Installation b) Chroot/Crouton/Xiwi Embedded Application Launcher c) Dual Booting into Linux Desktop The first two options are very similar and only differ in the way in which you interact with the Linux environment, while the third option is quite literally installing a full installation of Linux onto the machine and booting directly into it instead of ChromeOS. Without going into too much detail (seriously, google or wikipedia chroot if you want the bloody details), a "chroot" is a parallel installation of an operating system in its own isolated "container" in the ChromeOS operating system. Its neat because it lets you run both ChromeOS -and- a Linux Desktop OS like Ubuntu at the same time (!!!). The chroot installation is actually sharing number of resources with the ChromeOS operating system, making it still very resource conservative. Crouton is an opensource script that makes the creation, installation and management of one or >many< chroot installations a breeze. With the Crouton script and a decent internet connection, you can very easily have Ubuntu or one of its many variants installed in about 10 minutes. Once installed, you just need to press Ctrl-Alt-Shift-FwdArrow and youll be in a running Linux desktop... -BackArrow to hop back over to ChromeOS. Its really seamless and smooth to move back and forth and makes experimenting with different Linux configs and environments effortless. In addition to this first full-desktop chroot approach, Crouton offers another installation method that lets you run Linux in a "headless" mode where there is no desktop environment, rather the Linux OS forwards the application windows to the ChromeOS desktop. This is accomplished by installing the "xiwi" packages into the Linux chroot and adding a ChromeOS extension that exposes the ChromeOS desktop interface to the Linux chroot. When all is said and done, you can setup an application launcher which will bootstrap and app on the Linux chroot and then open it in a window on the ChromeOS desktop. Ive used this method to install VS Code, Arduino IDE, and a 3D printer host application in this "embedded mode" and its very functional and comfortable to have everything in the ChromeOS experience and just consume the resources needed to run the application and nothing else. Its worth noting that there is a performance hit with this approach, namely that the forwarding of the application window to ChromeOS comes at the cost of losing accelerated graphics rendering for the Linux apps. While I can run Minecraft in a full-desktop chroot of Xubuntu with a very good framerate and rendering, when I use the xiwi approach here, the game is nearly unplayable. That being said, for code editors, general productivity and networking apps, and just a basic XTerm, this approach works just fine. Finally, theres the most performant but also most disconnected from ChromeOS approach of installing a full Linux OS in a separate partition on the machines system drive or microSD drive. Ive done this using the excellent GalliumOS which is an upstart opensource distribution based on Xubuntu that pares down the OS footprint, adds appropriate graphics drivers and memory management configurations that make it zippy on a small system like this one, AND adds a number of touch, keyboard, and 2-in-1 friendly features. This installation has a lot of pep in it... Apps start very fast, graphics are much more responsive and capable when not being shared with ChromeOS and there are a number of ways you can tweak the UI/UX to your own liking. I havent tried it yet, but there are reports that Steam-based games can be run on this sort of configuration, but with a limited number of hardware applicable games. Again, this isnt going to be a gaming mega-machine. You also sacrifice not having access to the Android/Play Store features. But if youre looking to run an app that needs all the resources, like Gimp or a Java IDE, then this is the way to go. Having a zippy 128GB microSD card to mount for system storage on the Linux side is convenient too because you can also mount it from a chroot Linus installation on the ChromeOS side so you can share files and config across the various installation types. If only for the dual boot option, Im actually looking forward to when Asus actually releases the 8GB and 16GB models as Id actually consider that to be a worthwhile since it would open the possibility of hypervisoring virtualbox and docker containers with serious resource availability. All that being said, you get a lot of bang for the buck with these three enhanced desktop/application options and I use all three in some capacity every day, so dont think youre isolated to just one approach. 4. Summary In conclusion, the Asus C302CA Flip Chromebook is hands-down one of the best new offerings for Chromebooks in 2017 up there with the Samsung Plus/Pro models, and some of the new HP models. Build quality is amazing and not just a plastic, toy-like assembly, but a solid unit with high-quality parts through-and-through. As a stand-alone, stock ChromeOS device, the C302CA performs as well as Chromebooks in the $800-$1000 price range and provides more than enough options as just a web-application and Android app platform. If you really want to get the most out of this little wonder, then the options for installing Linux OS in various forms and integrations is solid and has outstanding opensource and community support in GitHub, reddit and Google Groups. When adding that "secret sauce" this machine goes from being a basic ChromeOS device to a fully-featured development platform... for only about $450-$500. By comparison, the entry level Apple MacBook has the same CPU, same graphics chip, comes with 8Gb more RAM, a 256Gb SSD, but a lower-resolution screen, and no touch or 2-in-1 features... for $1300. You wont be disappointed with this great little machine how ever you end up using it, and that versatility is what really makes this machine such a fun and valuable computer. Id also recommend that you consider the following items for accessorizing your C302CA: a) Vinyl Skins - There are a vast number of very beautiful skins available for this model that provide protection for the screen cover, keyboard face/palm rest, and screen bezel. While the stock aluminum case is darn solid enough, it can take scratches easily from things like keys or cable connectors tossed in a bag with it. b) Anti-glare Screen Protector - The glossy glass screen cover is beautiful, but it has two drawbacks: its a mess of a fingerprint magnet and its so glossy that in outdoor environments or spaces with a lot of stray light from windows, the screen becomes a glare-reflecting mess. For ~$15 you can get a nice, fitted anti-glare screen protector that reduces the fingerprint/glare problems AND gives you some piece of mind about protecting that gorgeous screen. c) USB-C Expansion Dongle - There are a number of them out there to address this port-minimalism trend. If you want to use a mouse/keyboard with a USB-A style wireless dongle, plugin an external HDD, display to an external monitor, or use an ethernet hardline, youre going to need one of these. Expect to pay $50-$125 depending of features a build quality. Dont skimp on USB-C devices, they handle a ton of current and you dont want a cheap hub toasting your USB bus. d) A Bluetooth Mouse - While this unarguably has one of the best trackpads in Chromebook Land, there are still times you just need the precision of a mouse... ChromeOS supports Bluetooth 4.0 and LE devices and there are a lot of nice, slim-style mice out there similar to Apples Magic Mouse that are BT and dont require a USB dongle. e) 64GB/128GB/256GB microSD Card - The only way to expand this machines internal storage is through a microSD card. You could conceivably install a USB 3.0 type-A low-profile memory stick on a USB-C adaptor, but that would be silly. With many of the high-performance microSD cards getting to 90-100mb/s read-write speeds, these drives can be used for all sorts of things, like storing music, videos, photos and the likes on a shared device. f) A Capacitive Touch Pen - I prefer the kind that are active tip charging so that you can have a very fine-point, but still register contact. Helps with dealing with miniscule UI elements when in tablet mode. Hope this has helped you make a decision and happy computing!

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I’m a professional IT guy. So when I buy something for myself, I know what I’m looking for and I do my homework. This is easily the best overall Chromebook out there right now (under $500). There’s nothing I don’t like about this device, so in order of importance, here’s what I love about it. Backlit Keyboard First off, WOW - I’d pay an extra $200 (the difference between this Chromebook and the average entry-level Chromebook) just for this lighted keyboard. The nerd press may talk about key travel and deflection, but I’m just talking about visibility. I’m typing this review in a dark room, and it reminds me how much I LOVE this backlit keyboard. The keys are clearly lit, and there’s the perfect amount of luminosity between them to provide good contrast and relief for the keys and the keyboard. This could not be better executed. Like I said, I’d pay an additional $200 just for the keyboard. Speed - CPU (Intel Core m3) I love how quick this thing is. I have an 8th Gen Core i5 16GB laptop at work, so I’ve become conditioned to instantaneous response. This thing isn’t that fast, but for loading web pages, it’s pretty close. The older Chromebooks were ok, especially for the price - you got what you paid for. But with this generation, you get more than you pay for! Screen Brightness and Clarity Great! The brightness and clarity are awesome. Don’t be worried about nits and lumens and all those other measurements. The nerd press use them in their evaluations because they have to, but in the real world, the rest of us only worry about what looks great and what doesn’t, and this screen does. Build Quality and Appearance This is quality hardware, and it shows. More than once I’ve had fellow nerds admire it, and for those of you who don’t know tech, that’s the highest compliment you can pay a device. One nerd even said he thought it was a new MacBook. Touchscreen It’s great. I don’t really use the Chromebook as a tablet, but I use the touchscreen much more than I thought I would - as another input device, like an adjunct mouse or touchpad. It’s complementary, not revolutionary, which is much more intuitive and useful. Hinges and 360° Foldability Again, this is where the build quality really shines. This thing folds and sticks in any position like a Swiss Army knife. There’s no flex in the movement, just perfect uniformity of motion along a single axis. Surface - resists fingerprints, smudges Being a nerd - and proudly OCD - I don’t do dirt. I value cleanliness, and even more, the appearance of cleanliness. I don’t hate dirt because it’s dirty, I hate it because it’s a distraction. The matte silver finish of this device feels great and looks great. Very sterile. MicroSD card slot A big part of this device is its gorgeous aesthetic. Older Chromebooks had SD card slots that left the card jutting out. Not this one. The MicroSD slot leaves an inserted card perfectly flush. I dig that because then the card is visually integrated, not an obvious add-on.

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My first Chromebook was my Acer C720P back in early 2014. It was an excellent machine for the money and it also got me spoiled with its touch screen. I was looking to upgrade and decided to go with the Acer R13. I was had become partial to Acer and also wanted another Chromebook with a touch screen. I was incredibly disappointed in the performance of the R13. It was slow to render web pages and the scrolling wasnt smooth at all. It felt slower than my almost 3 year old C720P. I ran Octane 2.0 benchmark and it confirmed my suspicions. The new R13 scored just under 10,000. My old C720P scored 13,000. I couldnt stand the noticeable drop in performance, so I returned it after less than a week. This made me realize that ARM processors are not ready for desktop-class browsing. I saw this C302 was announced at CES and was immediately drawn to it since it has the Intel Core m3 processor. I ordered it as soon as it was available online. Let me tell you, this thing is SNAPPY. Everything you do happens quickly. Web pages render quickly and scroll very smoothly. Its night and day when compared to the R13. Its Octane score is just under 23,000. Huge difference. Even though it has a larger screen than my old C720P, it doesnt feel more difficult to handle. Its actually thinner than the C720P and seems to be lighter as well. The build quality is nice and the hinge is sturdy. Youd never think it was a 360-degree hinge if you didnt flip it all the way around. The keyboard also feels nice and the backlighting is great. I use my Chromebook a lot in the dark and its a real treat. Ill never have another Chromebook without this feature. Android Apps are available if you switch over the the Beta channel in settings. I got several random reboots when I first ran Android apps on the beta channel. Ive decided to power wash and run the beta channel without Android apps enabled for awhile. Hopefully it was a fluke and maybe Ill give them a try a bit later. Android apps should make their way to stable channel in a few months. UPDATE 1/14/17: I re-enabled the Play Store in the beta channel and the Chromebook has been flawless. Apps like Microsoft Word, Excel, etc run wonderfully. The Android Calendar app also works so much better than the Chrome calendar. I learned that its important to pick your battles and decide which Android apps can truly work better than their Chrome counterparts. For instance, the Android YouTube app doesnt work well at all because its very inconvenient to get videos into full-screen mode. Another example is the Android Google Maps app. It runs very well, but isnt nearly as full-featured as the Chrome version of Maps. Android Hangouts also doesnt work as well as the Chrome Hangouts App. UPDATE 2/21/17: The Google Play Store became standard in the Stable channel a few weeks ago. Now you can enjoy Android apps straight out of the box without switching channels. I do still keep mine in Beta channel because I enjoy receiving updates a bit early and the Chromebook remains reliable with no bugs that I can observe. UPDATE 8/19/17: Just wanted to mention that this Chromebook DOES support downloading the full Microsoft Office apps from the Play Store. I currently have Word, Powerpoint, and Excel installed. Im not going to bore you with specs because anyone who shops online can compare specs. What Ill say is that there is only one other Chromebook providing this level of performance at this price range. Its the Samsung Chromebook Pro (not the Chromebook Plus, which has an ARM processor like the Acer R13). While the Chromebook Pro does have a nice high-resolution 3:2 screen and the S-Pen (which is truly a gimmick anyway), it has half the storage, shorter battery life, and no backlit keyboard. Its also $50 more expensive than this Asus. In my opinion, this is the one to beat. This is among the best.

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Much has been written already in reviews, so Ill stick to two things: comparing it to the previous Asus Flip c100, and using a stylus with it (something people thinking about the Samsung Chromebook Plus/Pro would be interested in). c100 Comparison: Ive had this for only a couple days. It seems pretty fast. A lot faster than the c100. Its much smoother with web pages and android apps, and the touch screen is more responsive. Its still not quiiite as buttery smooth as a macbook pro (its also only 20-30% of the price, which is crazy). For example, scrolling in a PDF is fast but not super super smooth. The build quality is a bit better than the c100. Theres not as much flex, its a bit more premium feeling. The finish is very very similar. Keyboard is a bit nicer, not tons. So yes, the build quality is way better than the majority of (plastic) chromebooks out there, but not way better than the c100 (because thats already pretty nice). As many have said, it approaches macbook pro build quality (and looks). Screen is slightly brighter than the c100 (not a lot), and slightly better (sharper). The difference is discernible, but certainly not a big difference. Again, a much much better screen than the TN screens on many chromebooks, ..but the c100 screen is also much better than those. Its significantly larger and heavier than the c100. One of the things I like best about the c100 is how ultraportable it is. Sometimes I forget its in my bag. The c302 is a significantly bigger laptop. Feels like a 13" to me, coming from such a small one. Bezels are much smaller on the c302, except the bottom one, ...but theyre not thin bezels. Ive included a bunch of comparison photos. Nearly identical thickness, although the c302 *feels* thicker/more substantial. Stylus: I ordered the Meko 2-pack, 2-type stylus (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E0LHE26). The c302s competitor, the Samsung Chromebook Pro, comes with a stylus. I went with the Asus c302 over the Samsung Pro because I was a bit concerned with the Pros quality issues and the shorter battery life, ..and to a lesser extent the lack of backlit keyboard. But I did want to use a stylus occasionally for note taking/sketching. Maybe annotating pdfs. I had read in the comments of another review that the pointy/disc stylus type didnt really work with it. For me it *does*. In my experience with the apps Ive tried so far (Keep android app, Kami PDF web app, and Sketchbook android app) *both* the point/disc stylus tip and the rounded metallic knob tip types work really well. If Im writing quickly, theres a very slight lag before things appear, but nothing that will annoy me at all. One Note android app registered well and smoothly, but was more laggy. The way I see it, the main thing youre missing is the palm rejection that you get with the Pro (because it has a pen digitizer in the screen). For casual use, this will work fine for me. (fyi - all the styluses Ive tried with the c100 [including this Meko, either tip] have been miserable and useless.) So Im very happy and relieved to see it working excellently on the c302. Final, initial thoughts: For me, the computer is a bit bigger than I would like. Ideally, it would be a 11.5-12" (not 12.5") screen with minimal bezels, which would make it almost as small as the c100. The default scaling 1536x864 looks excellent and sharp to me. Holding it in tablet mode is awkard given its size and weight - more so than the c100. However, most of the time if I want horizontal tablet mode Ill use the "stand" mode (keyboard face down in my lap, screen angled up). Portrait tablet mode works better than expected because its thin, has a magnetic closure, and has a large side bezel. Ill try to update this in the coming days and weeks as I use this more. Feel free to ask questions. Overall Im very happy so far ..just very stingy with my 5-star ratings. I might change it to a 5-star in the coming days.

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I’ll compare this ASUS Chromebook Flip with 12.5″ touchscreen (and Intel m3 processor) to the smaller and more portable ASUS Chromebook Flip C101PA-DB02 with 10.0″ touchscreen in just a moment, but first let’s look at its specs. This Chromebook weighs just under 2.7 pounds and has dimensions of about 12″ x 8.25″ x .6″ thick. The chassis is aluminum (feels sturdy!), and the computer has a 12.5″ 1920×1080 touchscreen. What I like about this Chromebook is that the touchscreen’s hinge allows you to rotate the screen 360 degrees — you can use it of course as a normal laptop, but you can also stand it up like a tent in case, for example, you want to make a presentation or share a video with a group of people, and you can rotate the backlit keyboard completely under the screen to use the Chromebook as a tablet. The Chromebook’s battery lasts about 10 hours of mixed use, and it comes with a USB-C charging brick and cable. One benefit is that this model comes with a USB-C port on each side, so that you can charge on either side. One gripe is that the prongs for the charging brick do not swivel into the brick body like more travel-friendly chargers. This model comes with a peppy Intel Core m3 processor, 64GB of storage, and 4GB of RAM. The keyboard and touch interface seemed responsive and the apps I used were very responsive, so these technical specifications seem more than adequate for many office or home use cases, such as word processing, email, browsing, and watching videos. I used it to connect to my work’s virtual desktop infrastructure (Citrix VDI) and this was a great use-case due to the good keyboard and screen. Other technical specs include 802.11ac+Bluetooth 4.0 (Dual band), Webcam, 1 Micro SD slot (took my 64GB card I use in my GoPro just fine), 2 USB-C ports, and 1 headphone out and audio in combo jack. Being a Chromebook, it runs Chrome OS and you have access to apps on the Google Play Store. Since I already had another Chromebook, all my apps were automatically downloaded, my toolbar was setup correctly, and my Chrome browser homepage was even configured correctly, though I had already agreed to backup my apps to Google. Setup was easy: 1. Enter your WiFi connection information 2. Enter your Google login/password 3. Uncheck (or leave checked) the checkbox to opt out of automated error messages sent to google (defaults checked) And then the OS updated itself. Once the first download finished, I restarted it, then there was another round of OS updates, then there was a second restart. This all sounds perfectly fine, but before you make your decision, you might want to compare it to the smaller ASUS Chromebook Flip C101PA-DB02 with 10.1-Inch Touchscreen. While the smaller version is obviously more portable, with the larger one you get a slightly more spacious and backlit keyboard as well as a larger and higher resolution (full HD!) touchscreen. Check the included pics in this review for direct physical comparisons. All in all, I found this to be a workhorse Chromebook -- with backlit keys! Thanks for reading and I hope you found this review helpful.

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I purchased this notebook back in July and was initially happy with my purchase. However, after a couple of months the keyboard case started to crack at the corner. I contacted customer service and was told to send the notebook to the repair center where it would be repaired under Warranty. 2 weeks later I received an email informing me the crack was not covered under warranty, and I would need to pay $183. After numerous calls, I then received confirmation the warranty was valid, but only as a ‘one-off’. 2 more weeks go by, and the repair status still shows as ‘in repair’. I called customer service again and was told the issue would be escalated. Another week goes by and still no change. I call again and was told the issue would be escalated again. I asked for the notebook just to be returned as is, and was told that’s not possible as it’s ‘in repair’. In summary, I have been without this device for over a month, have no idea if and when it will be returned, and in what condition. Day 29 since Asus received my notebook. Still no update, status, supervisor escalation. ‘Bot response to review requested RMA # which was provided same day, but no follow up. Day 33 - Got same email / escalation from customer service but still no ETA, status, evidence of escalation or Notebook! Day 42 - Finally received repaired Notebook. Update - 7/30/18 - Exactly the same issue has occurred with a crack in the keyboard cover on the opposite side. This Chromebook has not been dropped or treated roughly so I can only assume this is a design or manufacturing defect. I have been informed by Asus Customer Service that I would need to return the device (again), and the repair would cost an estimated $210!!! This device would be a good choice if it werent so poorly constructed. Now looking elsewhere for a reliable Chromebook.

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9-8-2017: A couple weeks back the Google Play Store/Android Apps arrived (and have remained) on the Stable Channel, so I would like to change the focus of my review. The long awaited Core m5 version of the C302CA has arrived for nothing short of a staggering price! To this I have to say that in no way is the Core m5 version worth the current asking price (649). I should also add that I was someone who was willing to shell out north of a grand for the original 2013 Chromebook Pixel, and then again for the 2015 Chromebook Pixel LS. Outside of my Pixel LS, the Core m3 C302 is the machine I use the most, and is has never left me wanting with the exception of the display (relative to the Pixels). Yes, the Core m5 will make this machine even faster, but considering that some mostly unnecessary speed is ALL you will be getting for an additional 200 bucks over the m3 I dont think its worth it. You still get the same 4GB of RAM as the m3, you still get the same 64GB SSD as the m3, and you still get the same old slightly above average FHD display. If I really wanted to step up from the Core m3 version of the C302 Id move to the Core m3 Samsung Chromebook Pro. Yes, Id have to sacrifice a back-lit keyboard, and live with a 32GB SSD, but Id gain a truly beautiful display with a 3:2 aspect ratio that is so much better when using machine in tablet mode (I had a Samsung Plus...gave to my daughter). Im sure this rant will catch me some heck from a few people, but when I saw what Asus was offering with the m5 C302 flip I felt I had to give my two cents. And hey, if you have a load of cash just burning a hole in your pocket and you want to spend it on the next great Chrome OS device, I say wait just a little longer for the arrival of "Eve" (the soon to be announced and newest Chromebook Pixel). 2-8-2017: As of this date and the arrival of Chrome OS version 56, the Play Store and Android apps have come to this Asus C302ca on the Stable Channel. If you pick one of these laptops up you may have to let it run through the update process after you set it up. Chromebooks usually come with a not so recent version of Chrome OS, but once theyre up and running they will download the latest version of the OS and youll be good to go. If you want to get to the update ASAP you can simply follow my directions below to where I added the "NOTE". 2-13-17: My Flip 2 downloaded an update to the Stable Channel, and when I applied it with the restart I no longer had access to the Play Store or any of my Android apps. I have posted my issue on several Chromebook/Chrome OS pages/groups and hopefully I will have an answer as to what is going on soon. Original Review: I wasnt going to write a review for this Chromebook, but after reading the lone 1 star review, I felt it necessary to set things straight about how easy it is to get Android apps on this machine right now (2-5-2017). Unfortunately, the 1 star reviewer was making a very simple and unfortunate mistake in his/her efforts to get the Play Store on his Flip 2, and I tried to help him in the comments on his review. As far as the machine itself, the Flip 2 is one of the finest Chromebooks I have ever used, and I have used/owned/own more Chromebooks than I can remember. I personally use a 2015 Pixel LS, an HP Chromebook 13 G1 (Core-M7), and this Chromebook Flip C302CA. If youre willing to wait just a bit longer, and if you dont want to change channels on your Flip, Chrome OS Stable version 56 should be coming out very soon and it should have the Play Store, but if you want the Play Store today, and all of those Android apps, heres how you get it. Chromebooks can run 3 different versions of the Chrome Operating System and those versions are referred to as "Channels". By default, your Chromebook will run on the "Stable" channel which is exactly what its called: Stable. If you want to be a little ahead of the curve and run a future stable version of Chrome OS you can switch your Chromebook to the "Beta" channel. It isnt as bug free as the stable channel, but I very rarely encounter problems while running on "Beta", and Ive really enjoyed using Beta with Android apps on my Chromebooks since they first became available. The last channel is the "Developer" channel. I dont recommend developer since it can be quite problematic at times, but it is an even further look into the future of Chrome OS than the Beta Channel. To get Android apps right now, you need to first change to the Beta Channel, and its incredibly easy. You go to the settings by tapping the clock (status area) in the lower right corner of the screen and then tapping the little gear (settings) in the lower left corner of panel that has popped up. The "Settings" panel will open and you next need to click on the blue colored "About Chrome OS" link thats at the top of the panel. This opens the "About" panel and here you need to tap on the blue colored "More Info..." link thats just below the "Check for and Apply Updates" button. (NOTE: now that Play Store is on the Stable channel you only need to click the "Check For and Apply Updates"). You should now see an expanded version of the "About" panel with a "Channel" section. It will show what channel you are on, and there will be a button available that says "Change Channel". Tap the change channel button and select the Beta channel in the new panel that pops up. Once selected, the machine will download the Beta channel version of Chrome OS. It shouldnt take all that long (maybe a couple minutes) and when its done you will be prompted to restart to install the update. After the restart you should notice a new Play Store shortcut on the shelf (the bar at the bottom of the screen). It looks like a white briefcase with the Google Play logo on it (and is not to be confused with the Google Play shortcut that is completely different). Simply tap this shortcut, and the Play Store setup process should begin. If for some reason you do not see this app you can search for it in the launcher (tap the circle in the lower left side of the shelf). If it isnt there you may have to go back to the settings and enable the Google Play Store. Once youre all set up it may take a while before apps you purchased for other devices will show up as being free for you to download, and I also recommend doing a quick restart once you have the Play Store all set up just to kind of reload/refresh everything. If you want to go back to the Stable Channel once the Play Store is available you need only to do the same procedure again. However, when you go from Beta to Stable (or Developer to Beta) this change will require a Power Wash which basically sets your machine back to factory. Before you move to a more stable channel its important to back up the files in your Downloads folder into your Cloud Drive as they will all be deleted during the PowerWash. Chrome OS syncs your settings to the cloud, so when you log in after the switch things should basically go back to how you had them minus any features not available in the more stable version of Chrome OS. I hope this review is a help to people, and I also hope that it isnt needed for much longer and that we get the Play Store on the Stable Channel. This Flip 2 really is a fantastic Chromebook, and the ability to run Android apps only makes it better! Please feel free to comment with any and all questions you may have, and Ill be happy to answer.

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I originally purchased this at the beginning of April after about a week it stopped charging (would receive "low power charger" connected message and not charge). Tried the troubleshooting steps...hard reset (refresh+power), left it plugged in, left it unplugged, etc, but couldnt get it to charge. Tried the charger with other devices and it worked fine. I ended up returning it. I decided to try for another one, which I received towards the end of April. After about a week, ran into the same exact issue, and tried the same exact remedies as above (that have been recommended on here and elsewhere). Still wouldnt charge. And now this one is being returned. After reading through the comments I see that this issue is occurring for a lot of other people as well. Is this a known defect that ASUS refuses to acknowledge? I know that they have been replying to comments on here to send it in for repair but that almost seems like they knew this was going to be an issue and prepared themselves to receive numerous units to repair. Thankfully for both of these purchases I was still within the return period and was able to send back to Amazon (considering in both cases they stopped charging quickly). But that doesnt leave me with much confidence in ASUS and a highly rated Chromebook that was supposed to be "one of the best", especially when I found myself with the same issue on the same model...twice.

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I was SO excited to buy the ASUS Chromebook, as I have had 2 other Samsung Chromebooks, and bought some for my grandchildren. But this Asus, who offered SO much & rated over 4 stars, turned to a black screen, just over a month after I received it. Lo and behold, I hadnt read quite ALL of the 1* reviews: the worst was a teacher who had ordered so many for her several classes and said " I think the problem is with the motherboard. If you hold it just right, and dont move it, it works fine." Shes trying to figure out what to do. That made my decision to return it & NOT replace it. Too many have tried to fix it, only to not get it back months later, and then have it break AGAIN, when it was no longer under warranty. Thank you helping me though this Amazon. Asus, has a horrible reputation. Read ALL the reviews~

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I absolutely love this beyond any computer/tablet device I have purchased in the last 10 years, trust me, Ive bought a lot of them along the way. With the power of the internet and all the online productivity products the simplicity of this is fantastic. The addition of the play store puts the device into a sweet spot no other device can come close to matching. Ive been in IT support for over 15 years and have seen a lot of products come and go. What I have learned is an appreciation of simplistic technology, in aesthetics and use, Apple was really onto something in their approach with their i-devices. I no longer desire to tinker and tweak and fidget with my technology, I just want it to function and remain reliable. . . this Asus Chromebook fits the bill. Cant say enough about my love of this Chromebook.

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