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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Elevate Your Cooking Game with the Dalstrong 8-inch Gladiator Series ELITE Knife

I bought this knife five years ago back in 2018 when I started to work seriously in the restaurant kitchen. I slowly realized the difference between cheap grocery store knives and good quality knives. I quickly fell in love with this knife and I don't think I'm replacing it anytime soon.

The Dalstrong Chef Knife - 8-inch Blade - Gladiator Series ELITE is a professional-grade chef's knife that is perfect for chefs of all levels of experience. It is made from high-carbon German steel that is incredibly sharp and durable. The blade is also hand-polished to a satin finish, which makes it easy to clean and maintain.

The knife has a full tang design, which means that the blade runs the entire length of the handle. This gives the knife excellent balance and control. The handle is made from black G10, which is a highly durable and non-slip material.

The knife also comes with a sheath, which is perfect for storing and transporting the knife. The sheath is made from high-quality materials and is designed to protect the knife from damage.

The Dalstrong Chef Knife - 8-inch Blade - Gladiator Series ELITE is pretty sharp and brand new. The blade is hand-polished to a 16-18 degree angle per side, which gives it a razor-sharp edge. The knife can slice through even the toughest cases of meats and vegetables with no problems at all.

The knife is made from high-carbon German steel, which is renowned for its durability. The blade is also tempered to a hardness of 56+ Rockwell, which makes it even more durable. The knife can withstand heavy use in a professional kitchen environment.

The knife's blade can retain its edge for an extended period. This is due to the high-carbon German steel and the hand-polished trim. The knife will not need to be sharpened as often as other knives, but I always use a honing rod before and after every use or whenever I switch from cutting meat to veggies, the honing rod is a must for me in my kitchen. It has a complete tang design, which gives it excellent balance and control. The knife is also relatively lightweight, which makes it easy to maneuver.

The handle is made from black G10, which is a highly durable and non-slip material. The handle is also ergonomically designed to provide a comfortable grip.

The knife comes with a sheath, which is perfect for storing and transporting the knife. The sheath is made from high-quality materials and is designed to protect the knife from damage.

Overall, the Dalstrong Chef Knife - 8-inch Blade - Gladiator Series ELITE is an excellent chef's knife that is perfect for chefs of all levels of experience. It is sharp, durable, and easy to use, this knife can take a beating and will last a long time. The knife is also backed by Dalstrong's satisfaction guarantee, so you can be sure that you are making a wise investment.

This is my Dalstrong 8-inch Gladiator Series ELITE Knife after five years of everyday restaurant kitchen abuse. It is really durable, reliable, and retains its edge for a long time.

You can buy the DALSTRONG Chef Knife - 8-inch Blade - Gladiator Series ELITE

Ka Tato's Corner October 26, 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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