HP Chromebook - 15-de0021cl: A Sleek and Reliable Laptop for Chrome OS Lovers

 

Today I'm writing about my HP Chromebook  Model:15-de0021cl. This Chromebook was released by HP  in the summer of 2019, around  four years ago. It is a laptop with 15.6-inc touch screen, an Intel Core i3, 4GB of RAM, and 128 GB of eMMC storage. 

Hardware Specification:

• Product number: 6MX43UA
• Product name : HP Chromebook - 15-de0021cl
• Microprocessor : Intel® Core™ i3-8130U (2.2 GHz base frequency, up to 4 GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, 4 MB cache, 2 cores)
• Chipset : Intel® Integrated SoC
• Memory, standard : 4 GB DDR4-2133 SDRAM (onboard)
• Video graphics : Intel® UHD Graphics 620, Integrated
• Hard drive : 128 GB eMMC
• Optical drive: Optical drive not included
• Display : 15.6" diagonal FHD IPS BrightView micro-edge WLED-backlit touch screen (1920 x 1080)
• Wireless connectivity : Intel® Wireless-AC 7265 802.11ac (2x2) Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® 4.2 Combo
• Expansion slots: 1 microSD media card reader
• External ports : 2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C™ (5 Gb/s signaling rate, Power Delivery 3.0, HP Sleep and Charge); 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A (HP Sleep and Charge)
• Minimum dimensions (W x D x H) : 35.8 x 24.6 x 1.79 cm
• Weight : 1.81 kg
• Power supply type : 45 W USB Type-C™ adapter
• Battery type : 3-cell, 60 Wh Li-ion
• Webcam : HP Wide Vision HD Camera with integrated dual array digital microphone
• Audio features : B&O, dual speakers
• Operating System :  Chrome OS

The  HP Chromebook  15-de0021cl is a budget friendly laptop, that offers excellent performance. It is powered by a Intel Core i3-8130U (2.2 GHz base frequency, up to 4 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 4 MB cache, 2 cores), 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which is still a lot even in today's standard and a Full HD Display. 

What I Like:

• The build is nice. Feels sturdy and durable
• Full HD display
• Good Performance
• Long Battery Life
• Touchscreen Display
• 2 USB-C and
• Supports Power Delivery 3.o
• Supports Google Play
• Supports Built-in Linux Box
• Compatible with most USB-C Laptop Docking that Supports the PD protocol
• Micro SD Card Slot

What I don't like:

• I find it a little heavy

Overall, the HP Chromebook 15-de0021cl is a good choice for students, budget-minded users, or anyone who just needs a laptop on the go that can handle everyday tasks. It is a good value for the price and offers good performance for its specs.

I'm an Android Phone user, and having Google Play on my HP Chromebook allows me to install and use the same apps I have on my phone. I also have Linux Box enabled so I can install desktop apps like Mozilla Firefox, Brave, and Libre Office.  One upgrade I made was to get the HP Thunderbolt Dock 120W with HDMI Adapter, Universal USB-C Docking Station, this lets me use my HP Chromebook with Dual Monitors, an external keyboard, and a mouse, I can hook it up to my switch via RJ45 ethernet wired connection.

Recommendation:

After having two Chromebooks, the Thinkpad 13 Chromebook and this one the HP Chromebook 15-de0021cl, I think, for now, I wouldn't be getting any Chromebooks, not for a long time. Unless Google removes the update limitation, Google makes Chrome OS Flex available to End of Life Chromebooks. My Thinkpad 13 Chromebook stopped getting updates last July, and this Chromebook will stop getting updates in the summer of 2025. I feel that Google must still support older hardware, just like in Windows. At least with Windows-based computers, I can install a Linux distro on older computers seamlessly. Also, the prices of Chromebooks are getting expensive, and none of the hardware is upgradable (cannot add ram and replace ssds). So for now I won't be buying any Chromebooks

Ka Tato's Corner November 23, 2023

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Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Chromebook Review - Celeron 3855U, 4GB RAM, 16GB eMMC

My Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Choromebook will be seven years old this coming December 2023, although it doesn't get updates from Google anymore, it's still as reliable as it was when I bought it back in 2016.

The Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Chromebook is a budget-friendly Chromebook that offers good performance and durable build quality. It is powered by a Celeron 3855U processor, 4GB of RAM, and 16GB of eMMC storage. This configuration is sufficient for most basic tasks, such as web browsing, checking email, video/movie streaming, and using online productivity apps.

The ThinkPad 13 Chromebook has a 13.3-inch HD display with a resolution of 1366x768 pixels. The display could be more sharp, but it is bright and clear enough for most tasks. The viewing angles are also good and in cases I need a second display, I connect my usb-3 AOC e1659Fwu 15.6-Inch Ultra Slim 1366x768 Res.

This Thinkpad Chromebook although old, came with two USB-C and supports the PD or  Power Delivery over USB. I'm able to use my  USB C Laptop Docking Station with Dual Monitor, which I bought from Amazon. with this tiny docking station, I'm able to have two additional monitors and additional USB-3 ports, RJ45, and two DisplayPort. You can read the short review that I wrote here.

This Chromebook has a comfortable keyboard like all Thinkpads with good key travel and feedback. The trackpad is also responsive and accurate.

This ThinkPad 13 Chromebook has a good battery life. It can easily last for 8-10 hours on a single charge. This makes it a good choice for students, mobile professionals, and anyone else who needs a laptop that they can use all day long.

Pros:

• Good performance for a budget Chromebook
• Durable build quality
• Long battery life
• Comfortable keyboard
• Responsive trackpad
• Supports Google Play and Android Apps
• Supports Linux on Chromebooks
• Two USB-C Ports
• Supports the PD or  Power Delivery over USB

Cons:

• Not ideal for demanding tasks
• The display is not particularly sharp
• Stop Getting Updates June 2023

This Thinkpad Chromebook 13 is durable, and has a good build quality like any ThinkPad, after more than six years, the battery still holds a good amount of charge at 8 hours. I still use it here and there, but because of limited storage capacity and lack of new and latest updates from Google, I only use it for occasional browsing and some YouTube streaming.

Ka Tato's Corner November 01, 2023

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USB C Laptop Docking Station with Dual Monitor

 This is the GISSMO USB C Laptop Docking Station with Dual Monitor. It quite small for  a docking station with this many features, 13 in 1 Triple Display, USB C Hub Multiple Adapter with 2 HDMI, VGA, RJ45, 10Gbps USB C/A 3.1, 100W PD, USB 3.0/2.0, SD/TF, for Dell/Surface/HP/Lenovo Laptops.

Specification:

• PD (100W) - Power Delivery over usb
• 10Gps USB-C 3.1 Gen 2
• 2 USB-A 2.0
• 2 USB-A 3.0
• 1 USB-A 3.1 Gen 2
• 2 HDMI 4K30hz
• SD/TF -104Mbps

Pros:

• Small and light perfect for travel
• Easy to carry, No power cord neeeded.
• Uses my computers USB-c Power Delivery

Cons:

• If laptop/computers does not support the PD Protocol, all HDMI and VGA port won't work. It will only serve as a USB hub.

This is a great mini docking station, plenty of ports to extend you needs.  I wasn't planning on buying this, but it was on sale for only $18 on Amazon, it was a really good deal compare to $69. I read some of the negative reviews before I bought this. I think most of the problem stem from their laptop not having a PD or Power Delivery over USB. This mini docking station connects to a laptop via USB-C, if the laptops usb-c does not support the PD protocol, external monitors would not work. In my case, I tried this on my HP Chromebook 15 which support USB-C power delivery, and it work flawlessly, I also use it on my older Thinkpad Chromebook 13 that also supports USB-C power delivery and it worked. It also works with my Thinkpad T490 that also has the Type C PD Charging Port for power delivery and thunderbolt 3 /4 / USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 / USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 to support multiple-display and it didn't have any problem. However it did not work on my son's ASuS laptop, ASUS VivoBook 14 Model # F1400EA-SB34. To be specific if the USB-C of  your laptop does not support the PD Protocol, external monitors won't work. This mini docking station will just serve as usb hub and card reader.

Recommendation:

I like this  GISSMO USB C Laptop Docking Station for it's size, lots of ports and functionality. If you have a compatible device this will serve as a great mini docking station for a home office setup with multiple monitors. I don't use this in my home office because I already have a dedicated Lenovo ThinkPad Ultra Docking Station for my thinkpad T490 and I also have the hp usb-c power dock for my HP Chromebook 15. I use this mainly on the go and I keep it in my bag. 

If you are in the market for a USB c mini docking station, I can highly recommend this, just make sure your device meets the requirement, read the entire description and make sure your device is supported.

Get the GISSMO USB C Laptop Docking Station with Dual Monitor here on Amazon.

Ka Tato's Corner October 04, 2023

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