Best Chromebooks Under RM1,500 You Can Buy in Malaysia (Updated 2019)

For under RM2,000 for a decent laptop, Chromebooks have become an attractive option for people considering to get a new laptop.

Especially for light users who don't use heavy photo or video editing software, Chromebooks can be an affordable alternative to more expensive, full-fledged laptops.

If you're in the market for a new Chromebook, you might be asking yourself:

What's the best Chromebook I can get?

This is especially true if you're on a tight budget but still want the best Chromebook for your buck.

Luckily for you, I've spent some time comparing popular Chromebooks so you know which is best for you.

Which is the best Chromebook you can buy for under RM1,500?

Let's find out:

What’s a Chromebook and Who is it for?

Let's get one thing out of the way: Chromebooks are not for everyone.

While on the exterior a Chromebook may look like a normal laptop - it has a full-fledged keyboard, a nice graphic display screen - it's what on the inside that sets Chromebooks apart.

What's the main difference? Let's take a look:

Powered by ChromeOS - Chromebooks don't run on the usual Windows OS or MacOS, it runs on Chrome's proprietary ChromeOS.

The ChromeOS is designed for web apps and won't be able to support  downloaded software like Adobe Photoshop (full-version) on Windows OS or Mac OS, you won't be able to do so in ChromeOS.

Web apps only - Chromebooks are only able to support web based versions of your favorite apps like Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word and so on.

If, for example, you are a heavy Adobe Photoshop user, you should stick with normal laptops.

As such, Chromebooks are best for light users who see themselves using their laptops mostly for browsing and the occasional web application use.

But if you're a heavy user of software like Adobe Photoshop, iMovie, Skype and so on, you won't be satisfied with the Chromebook experience.

Now you know who the best users of Chromebooks are, here are a few more things you need to know about Chromebooks before buying one:

You can only run webapps on it. Chromebooks run on Chrome OS. Chrome OS is quite different from Windows 10 or Mac OS. So you won’t be able to install applications like Ms Office (the Ms Word, Ms Excel, Ms Power Point suite) on it. Instead, to take care of your document needs, you’ll need to run Google Docs, Google Sheets, which all run on the cloud.

You can’t use it for any kind of heavy editing. You can’t install any applications, but you can use cloud programs which you can load on browsers.

App based games only. On a Chromebook you can’t install any PC games. You’ll be limited to app games which you find in the Google Play store.

You’ll need to be connected to the internet most of the time. Most apps on Chromebooks rely on WiFi, and you won’t be fully functional when you go offline.

Low storage space. While normal laptops pack at least 128GB these days, Chromebooks carry a lot less storage between 16GB - 32GB because it is expected for you to store most of your data on cloud storage.

Limited screen size. They are pretty small between 11” - 13” usually. If you want big screen size,

Average cost RM500 - RM1,500. So you can go pretty far with a budget of RM2,000.

Now you know what you’re getting into, let’s take a look at some of the best.

When you spend money on any new laptop, you want one you can use for at least 3 - 5 years before sending it off to recycle.

Below are some criteria we've used to pick out the best Chromebook for this price range (below RM1,500).

We've capped the budget at RM1,500 because we think that above this price range, you really should consider getting a budget laptop instead.

Let's take a look at the criteria we've used for this selection:

Enough RAM to run basic applications. These days you'll want any laptop to have at least 4GB of RAM, even if most of the apps you'll be running will be web-based, as in the Chromebook.

Enough storage. At least 32GB of ROM, but don't expect to get the standard storage of 128 or 256GB that normal laptops get these days, especially for Chromebooks at this price range.

Screen size and resolution. If you love big screens, you will unfortunately be disappointed as most Chromebooks don't go beyond 13". But you can expect at least an 11" screen with a Chromebook under RM1,500.

Battery life. Long battery lives are on of the core features of Chromebooks, so you can expect at least 6 - 8 hours of battery with your Chromebook under RM1,500.

The Acer Chromebook 11 is a no-frills Chrome OS powered Chromebook that's enough to get through all the basic tasks like web browsing and light apps.

It has a 32GB storage and 4GB RAM. 32GB is just enough for some files, but if you want more, you'll need to buy cloud storage, or back up your files on an external hard disk.

Although its 11.6" display can be a tad small for some users, it can be just the right size for people who don't care for big screens. A smaller screen also makes it more portable than large screens. 

It's packed with the Intel HD Graphics 500 - which is nothing to shout about but enough to get through the basic tasks.

A nice touch to this Chromebook is its 180degree hinge screen. So you have some flexibility in terms of how far down you want your screen to go.

For its price of less than RM1,200 (plus a free backpack!), you really can't be looking at a better value Chromebook than the Acer Chromebook 11.

Ideal for students who work mainly on word and internet research based assignments and for people who only use their laptops for browsing the net.

Here are some of the Chromebooks we've compared the Acer Chromebook 11 with and why we've chosen the Acer Chromebook 11 as our top pick over them:

The HP Chromebook 11 comes closest to the Acer Chromebook 11 in terms of its specs and price (also around RM1,200). Like the Acer Chromebook 11, the HP Chromebook 11 has an 11" screen and 4GB RAM. 

But its graphic card is the Intel HD Graphics 400, a notch lower than that inside the HP Chromebook 11. On top of that, its storage space is only half of that of the Acer Chromebook 11 at 32GB.

What's nice about the HP Chromebook 11, however, is its touch screen. If you like this additional feature, it will be a tough choice between the HP Chromebook 11 and the Acer Chromebook 11.

For us though, considering the whole package, the Acer Chromebook 11 is the better choice with more storage and a slightly better graphics card.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 11 is also a popular choice of Chromebook. Placed side by side the Acer Chromebook 11, it has almost identical specs.

Both sport a 4GB Ram, 32GB storage and Intel HD Graphics 500 graphics card.

The main difference between these two laptops from the Acer brand is that the Spin version allows a 360 degree screen hinge, whereas you'll only be able to get a 180 degree turn on the Acer Chromebook 11.

While we can definitely see use for the 360 degree hinge especially for sharing ideas, we think most users will not need this feature.

For an additional RM300 for the Acer Chromebook Spin 11, you will really, really need to make use of the 360 degree hinge feature to make the buy worthwhile.

Otherwise, we think the Acer Chromebook 11 will be a better choice for your pockets!

Chromebooks are a great budget choice for people who use their laptops mostly for browsing the internet and using some web apps like Google Docs, Sheets and other web app friendly versions of popular software.

With Chromebooks, you can expect to play some light games, but heavier games are out of the question as the basic graphic card and RAM won't likely support it.

Our top pick for a chromebook under RM1,500 is the Acer Chromebook 11 (around RM1,200). With a 32GB storage capacity, 4GB RAM and Intel HD Graphics 500 graphics card, it has all the basic features for a smooth web browsing and web app use experience.

If you plan on buying your laptop using Installment plans on Lazada, or 11Street, don't forget to check out our guide on exactly how to do that.

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