Maximum PC - USA (2022-04)

SPECIFICATIONS

OS ChromeOS

Processor Intel Celeron N4120 Processor

Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 600

RAM 8GB LPDDR4- 2400

Storage 64GB eMMC 5.1

Display 11.6in 768p LED IPS touch screen

Connectivity

2x USB 3.0 Type-A,

2x USB 3.2 Gen

1 Type-C, 1x

3.5mm combo

audio jack, Micro

SD card reader

Battery 42WHrs 3-cell Li-ion

Size 11.4 x 8.0 x 0.8-inches

Weight 2.89lbs

7

VERDICT Lenovo 500e

Chromebook

2nd Gen

MODEL STUDENT Good battery

life; rugged design; affordable.

PROBLEM CHILD Limited local

storage; looks bland; rubbish

screen.

$400, lenovo.com

IF YOU’RE reading this
magazine, there’s a good
chance the Lenovo 500e
isn’t really for you. If you’ve
got kids in your life though,
keep reading, because this
Chromebook encapsulates
the focus on education
Google had when creating
ChromeOS. Plenty of
Chromebooks are aimed at
schoolchildren, so it would
have been remiss of us not to
include one in our breakdown.
The 500e (2nd generation)
is, if we’re being honest,
a bit ugly. The exterior is
rubberized plastic with a
grippy textured finish, which
looks bad but is ultimately
designed for small hands
and a laissez-faire attitude
to hardware safety. It feels
durable; you could throw this
Chromebook into a locker
or backpack without having
to worry about protection.
The 360-degree hinge feels
similarly robust.
Unlike every other device
featured in this article, the
500e doesn’t have an FHD
display. Instead, the small,
11.6-inch display operates just
above 720p, at a resolution of
1366x768. The dark screen
bezel is excessively chunky,

in our opinion, and while color

reproduction and brightness

are okay, this display is

definitely nothing to write

home about.

In terms of internal

components, the 500e

isn’t particularly exciting.

We’ve got an Intel Celeron

processor, a sensible 8GB

of RAM, and a reasonably

powerful battery that

provides decent longevity

given the smaller display;

continuous video playback

at 50 percent brightness

saw the battery give out just

shy of ten hours from a full

charge. The Celeron CPU isn’t

going to win any races, but

ChromeOS is well-optimized

for lower-end hardware so

we didn’t see any noticeable

lagging in everyday use.

One area where the 500e

falls down is the drive; it’s an

eMMC drive with just 64GB

of storage space, the same

as the Acer Chromebook

Spin 513. This being a

Chromebook, you’re expected

to use cloud-based storage,

but for anyone who wants

to store files locally, it’s not

likely to be sufficient. An even

cheaper version of the 500e

exists, with the same CPU

Lenovo 500e Chromebook

but only 4GB of memory and

a measly 32GB of storage.

Both versions come with an

integrated stylus, which feels

comfortable to hold in the

hand; ideal for taking quick

notes in class.

Benchmark performance

isn’t impressive, but that’s

hardly surprising given the

low-powered processor.

Graphical performance is by

far the weakest of the devices

on test here, with WebGL

Aquarium looking a bit like a

slideshow. Simple app games

from the Android Play Store

(now supported on most

Chromebooks) will run fine

but don’t expect much more.

Of course, we’ve got all

the performance needed for

this Chromebook’s intended

purpose. Sixth-grade science

homework will be no trouble

for the Celeron, with simple

tasks (like web browsing and

word processing) being just

fine. It’s perfectly capable of

a bit of YouTube or Netflix too,

although the tiny screen and

lackluster speakers make it a

poor alternative to a TV.

Unusually for a laptop,

the 500e has two separate

cameras. The main 720p

webcam is situated at the

top of the screen, where one

would expect to find it, while a

second 5MP camera nestles

above the keyboard. This

allows the user to take photos

or video while using the 500e

in tablet mode, functioning

as a ‘rear’ camera. Yes, you’ll

look like this writer’s dad

attempting to take holiday

photos with his new iPad in

2010, but it works.

Ultimately, the Lenovo

500e does a good job of

fulfilling its purpose as a

basic, easy-to-use laptop

for pre-college students. It’s

unlikely to appeal to adults

(or even older teens) but it

functions just fine and has the

durability to survive the rigors

of being used by a child. No,

it isn’t exciting, sleek, or

powerful, but it’s fit for the

task it was designed for.

APR 2022 MAXIMU MPC 29