ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Review: Big Step Forward

[@robchr]

I bought this Chromebook in February and have been using it for content consumption, web browsing and light Android app development. It's great for heavier tasks that like running Linux apps and Android development which also require a lot of SSD space. You'll not find a better spec'd computer at this price range. I've tried.

[@craigshandworld]

What's the battery life?

[@rayvanchrome]

Another fantastic review. I actually became an ASUS Chromebook fan, because of the reviews of Chrome Unboxed. I started on an ASUS C302 flip, then moved to the C434 (which I still use, say 2+ yrs old now) and I recently acquired the ASUS C5400. And I agree on grey keys and backlight GRRR! :)

[@AndroidDigest]

I think what you said about sales is very important. We've seen the Acer spin 714 on sale for like $500 pretty frequently. I would argue that going to be a better Chromebook overall without sales. But even if they are pretty similar as far as quality, that price point is a little too high. Still a good Chromebook but I don't think it's a good value

[@TH-lu9du]

The Spin 714 on sale is probably sporting the 12th gen Intel Core like this video's Chromebook, and on sale because the Spin 714 with 13th gen Intel Core (Raptor Lake) is already out

[@macemoneta]

It's a great Chromebook. I play local Linux games on it in Crostini, and the performance is great. In addition to the crummy camera, there's only one additional flaw. When you open the lid, it wants to go to tablet mode, which is annoying. You have to open it to about 150 degrees, then back to your preferred angle to get it to switch to laptop mode. Sometimes it doesn't want to switch, so you have to close it and repeat the process. But aside from that annoyance, it's great. Also worth mentioning, it runs cool, even when gaming. If the fan comes on - even in a quiet area - it's hard to hear, it's so quiet.

[@neroetal]

What's the daily usage time on Linux?

[@macemoneta]

@@neroetal I use Linux apps for several hours per day. My wife liked this Chromebook so much, she decided to get one too.

[@mattsanchez4893]

Nice review Robbie, I’ve been waiting for this Chromebook for quite some time and it sounds great, but that price tag is a deal breaker, particularly when up against the other Chromebook gaming laptops out there.

[@RealBillP]

Thanks! I'm looking for a new Chromebook! This one could be my next purchase, If I can find one at a good price!

[@raysaurous]

I bought my open box Chromebook at best buy for $80 and despite all the other fancy computers I have, I tend to use my low-spec HP Chromebook way more than anything else. That 15 hour battery is probably the biggest factor though.

[@MatthewLetendre]

I went with the acer 516 to replace my Lenovo c630 15 inch chromebook and I love it.

[@kris01405]

Same 👊

[@ZackMorris1]

Seeing that Founders Edition Stadia controller, just breaks my heart😢

[@KirbyKlein6]

Me too. They should have let Stadia keep going. Smh...

[@kingof9x]

This thing, matching my stadia controllers, makes me miss stadia. I feel like this was supposed to be the stadia chromebook. The name also reminds me of the cr-48

[@HIHIHJIHIHIH]

Please make a video comparing Chromebook and Android tablet their pros & cons. It's very relevant these time because android tablets are becoming bigger and bigger and more powerful like the Samsung tab S8 ultra and Lenovo tab extreme.

[@eleazerDY]

I would like a video of the real cases of using a Chromebook on the daily Something like a "my favourite chrome os features" or " Chrome os features you didn't know about" kind of thing

[@christill]

In the past I wouldn’t have minded if my laptop was made of plastic rather than aluminium. But now I do care quite a lot. I want as little plastic in my life as possible.

[@Headcase650]

When are we going to get a compartmentalized steam OS on a Chromebook so it can do everything that the steam deck does?

[@macemoneta]

Google dropped the ball. They prioritized AI leaving everything else on life support. Fortunately there are loads of free local Linux games that play great on this machine in Crostini.

[@michaelhappe]

thanks for the video! what about the fan noise?

[@eduardo-cf1iw]

When will Acer Chromebook spin 714 2023 be available for sale, I need that thing, any news?

[@andyH_England]

Not sure how many people buy a Chromebook for gaming? Though this is passable as a premium Chromebook for other use cases. TBH, the Chromebook market is in steep decline, and this does not do a lot to reinvigorate that slump. The issue, or one, is that the market is saturated, and cheap Chromebooks are the sort of device you keep until it breaks. That is a big problem for Chromebook OEMs. I have a Pixelbook Go, and I will not upgrade until that stops working, and hope to keep 7+ years.

[@rassman48]

I got the Asus CB3400 today, I am new to chromebooks, most of my programming life was on UNIX and Linux, so when I switch on the Linux I'll be ok with that, but just thought that I would tell you what my first 1/2 day with it was like as it is from first switch on. There wasn't a lot of setup to do, but I can't have been paying attention because I had switched on the thing where i reads everything on the screen, took me a while to find how to switch that off. I also switched on something where if my phone is near the Chrombook will automatically login. I can't really see a good use for that. I haven't added any apps yet, just trying to get the hang of gestures and how things need to be done in tablet mode. Just learning. But that lit up keyboard, early afternoon in daylight it was fine, as the light dimmed and I turned the room lights on, all of the characters on the keyboard gradually disappeared, just like on your machine. Surely someone at Asus thought to check the keyboard in low natural light. The backlight (which seems to turn on and off on whim) makes no difference, grey letters on grey keys just doesn't work.

[@cg-ny9078]

Hi! Could you please explain how to adjust the backlight on the keyboard? It's so hard to see in my classroom! I tried to find a keyboard skin, but so far Amazon doesn't have any skins that are compatible.

[@matthewingerson]

You can adjust it by pressing and holding the "Alt" key, and then use the two Screen Brightness keys in the top row of the keyboard. Hope this helps.

[@Thumbszilla]

The biggest flaw it has is an unbelievably dim backlit keyboard. Its fine though in DARK rooms.

[@Brandonlmclean810]

Hey chrome unboxed can you make a full tutorial or review on the Acer chrome os chromebook 512 laptop if you could itll be helpful to me. Ill appreciate it

[@bobsimmons1470]

Bezels are all like... "WE'RE BACK BABY!!!"

[@APBusinessAndMore]

Hello everyone About the noise? How is silent?

[@cozypillowx2476]

My work uses this chromebook and the mouse is faulty. Ive used trackpad, bluetooth and wired. After about 4/5 hours of use, the mouse scrolls up and never stops. It gets worse when you attach an external monitor.

[@superangrybrit]

A nice convertible for a ChromeOS Minecraft review. 😉

[@masisan4036]

still reminding the galaxy chromebook..

[@M_Cfanf]

How do u get a backlit on the keyboard? I tried pressing altr + increase brightness but it’s not working😭

[@lekevenable]

I dont understand why you bashed the cx55 that much, its almost the same à little better resolution 12th gen instead of 11th but I3 vs I5 ... smaller screen ... white instead of black ... not much to say about when the CX55 is 500$ ( cad )

[@ObiNOne]

Yeah I think my CX55 is pretty good and way more affordable

[@rknekkanti]

Nice review .. can it be updated Chromebook plus ? Only camera is not compatible with Chromebook plus OS

[@coolbasset]

This is what I was thinking. If it can't upgrade to Chromebook Plus because of the webcam it's $900 e waste.

[@Yalishanda4]

I also want to know 😮

[@matthewingerson]

No Chromebook Plus. Just went on sale for the first time. Still not worth it.

[@kqh123]

Not having a 1080p webcam means it doesn't qualify as Chromebook Plus/ for Chromebook plus updates. too bad

[@bob8409]

Would you suggest this or the regular cx34 that is about to launch?

[@GucciedUp]

Just bought the regular CX34 at half the price of this. Very impressed by it.

[@bob8409]

@GucciedUp how is the fan noise and heat? That is my biggest worry. And where did you get one? It's not available on asus website. I was looking for the 16gb ram 512gb storage version

[@GucciedUp]

A little bit of occasional fan noise. No heat issues so far. Wasn't planning on buying as wanted the Vibe, but was heavily reduced on Amazon UK.

[@bob8409]

@GucciedUp in the US there is no price listed yet. Not available. But I was thinking of picking it up instead of the vibe if it was cheaper. And thanks for the heads up. I may go that route instead. Been trying to find something cheaper than a MacBook air around the same size and weight without going windows to replace my original lenovo duet. And these two seem to be the trade off of weight for power

[@pablobrown3152]

Good review but the price is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too high for a 14 inch touch screen.

[@PaceyPimp]

I want these specs in a 15” or 16" is there anything with these specs in a larger size?

[@matthewingerson]

At the 15-16" screen size, there are no other Chromebooks with the same processor as the Asus Vibe CX34. The closest other model is the Acer 516 GE, and the processor is better, but it doesn't have a touch-screen. Hope this helps.

[@PaceyPimp]

@@matthewingerson No i need the touch screen and the yoga hinge

[@thomasraukamp]

Danke!

[@Shabbir-A.]

what is the AUE for this Chromebook?

[@TrendsFreak-mz3dp]

price is 769$? then why we dont buy a intel corei7 laptop ???? price is strange

[@kernellpanic]

is the i7 model available?

[@muhammedmuhasinpn]

All I need to know is whether its available in India, does chrome os support Putty & Terterm. Someone reply.

[@cozypillowx2476]

Can u connect it to an external monitor and keep it closed?

[@thomasraukamp]

Yes, up to 4k.

[@cozypillowx2476]

@@thomasraukamp ty

[@rknekkanti]

Nice review .. can it be updated Chromebook plus ? Only camera is not compatible with Chromebook plus OS

[@thomasraukamp]

@@rknekkanti No, it can't.

[@hirschcola1]

For me, gaming Chromebooks somehow don't make sense, as a normal Chromebook the device is quite expensive but looks good. I wish there was a Chromebook that was capable of running SteamOS with the performance of Steamdeck. As a causal gamer with a strong background in productive office use, a Chromebook like this would be my dream configuration, and I'd be willing to pay for it. However, a Chromebook with a focus on cloud gaming is not an incentive for me, because I always need a fairly high data volume and a connection with low latency. I can have that at home, but then I can also use any old PC. The device is fine as a high-end Chromebook, but the grey keyboard would bother me a lot.

[@thopkins2814]

At $799 I could buy a much better laptop and install Chrome OS Flex.

[@techbulb3440]

My thoughts exactly

[@8020Alive]

Price is so wrong for this unit.

[@Raminra-eb8gu]

Super ekran

[@therockt11]

First🎉

[@alexketchup2818]

2nd 🎉

[@cryengine_x]

lay off the cheeseburgers robbo

[@bobsimmons1470]

After what, nearly a decade chromebook's still suck. Let's give Google another decade. Perhaps they'll get it right