Thanks for touching on Linux support. Yours is the first review I've seen that mentions it! Probably a bit of a niche feature, especially for buyers of this device, but it's good to know it works and is decently performant.
As of this writing, I'm surprised to see only you, Android Digest, and Chrome Unboxed made a review of this new ChromeOS tablet. I know most tech reviewers don't care much about ChromeOS, but this tablets needs some real attention, at least in the right hands.
I'm a fan of small tablets that can be a laptop as well. I had a Surface Go tablet, more powerful but not very good battery life. I now have a Duet 3, (the previous gen of this tablet). ChromeOS has a better tablet UI then Windows and the Play Store. I took my Duet on a 2 week work trip to Canada and it was perfect. I just needed something simple to pay bills, email, and watch YT. I already had to pack my full sized work laptop and didn't want the bulk of travelling with 2 laptops. At home I mostly us it as a tablet and have an older Lenovo CB I use docked as a desktop. If you use Google Services Chrome OS is quite capable.
Heyo fello Linux guy here, highly recommend chrome os, especially for a tablet I think it is the perfect OS, it's got a great blend of mobile first elements pulled over from android, as well as a desktop chrome browser and a Linux VM, allowing you to get real work done or run lighter programs in tablet mode
I have to say, i had both of the previous generation ones (the 3 and the 5) and I found the form factor much more compelling in the 13" format, that's where the fact that it's chromeOS and not android, and the whole desktop/keyboard experience, is really a buch better experience. It's a bit disappointing that it doesn't appear we'll see the equivalent of the duet 5 this time around.
These are great little devices as a second computer/tablet for media consumption. I have had several variants and they all worked well for web browsing, watching videos, and light office tasks. The biggest issue I have had is the keyboard cover and kickstand. These make it difficult to use as a laptop if you don't have a hard surface to work on. The current version with the angled kickstand is probably even worse. I would love to see a lightweight clamshell variant around 2 lbs or less in the 10 - 11" size.
Agreed, I found convertible hardwork on lap, I had the Duet 3 + 5 and returned the as it was a floppy nightmare. Currently have a 8" Android tablet - the maximum size bothering with Android, the Duet 3, Samsung Chromebook 13" due to the rigid hinge is essential on your lap, and a work related Windows laptop.
A solid second device, but pay a bit extra for the 8GB version, especially if you are keeping it for the long term. The 4GB version is more for someone like my mum who only uses a few apps, although she prefers an iPad for its simplicity.
I'm just curious if we can see some benchmark scores between the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 and Kompanio 838. I know benchmark scores aren't everything, but it can give some idea of how fast the new chipset is.
It's not true that none of the streaming apps support HD playback on Chromebooks. The Prime app supports HD playback as do many of the others. I believe Netflix is the only one that doesn't.
What I use Linux primarily for is Firefox full desktop. Google is getting a bit nasty with ublock origin. I have the Duet 3 got it last year , is there a reason to upgrade to this? The only niggle I have with my previous model is it doesn't tolerate too many Firefox tabs open. It is my travel laptop. At home I use a Samsung Chromebook as it's easier to move around house and use on your lap with a rigid keyboard hinge. I used to use Android for my 11 tablet (Huawei Mediapad M5 10.8) but found ChromeOS better for larger screens, plus as you stated, ChromeOS offers so much more including Linux. On Android I use UserLAnd to use command-line Linux apps. So really this Duet 11 is arguably the only device you need, add a large monitor on a hub with keyboard+mouse at a desk and you've got a nice all-rounder.
I owned the prior version of this and sold it because it was just so slow, I hope this one fares better, but those were some pretty low processor scores so I’m doubtful
ChromeOS so long as you get the 8GB 128GB is a good all-rounder general purpose, with Android and Linux there's little it can't do. I use Android for media player, Linux for Firefox, Libreoffice, Gimp.
@@TheOutsider840 you bet,, even so apart from the "Chromebook plus" which has to have 8GB,, many Chromebooks around still only use 4GB,,, the chromebrowser can stop tabs and other methods in an attempt to reduce memory use... (( unlike a PC chrome books don't have virtual memory swapped to disk ,, the future ??))
you say LOW COST yet its $350,,, do you mention if its 4 or 8GB ram & how much flash storage . the Duet 3 ,, the one before the 11 ,,, looks identical ,, costs less at $270 and comes with 4 or 8 GB ram the difference is presumably the CPU ,,, does it have Ai processor built into the chip ??
@@LonSeidman ok I apologise,, you say the kbd is tiny,, if you place it over a standard kbd,, its the same size ...the qwertop text typing area Cnet say " The one I tested came with 8GB of memory and Lenovo's USI Pen 2 for $400. ",, you say $349 ??
Chromebooks were introduced as a cheap way of carrying out day to day tasks without having to spend money on a more bloated operating system. This demonstrates how Chromebooks have bloated in price for what they actually offer.
The new Samsung Chromebook Plus in particular. It's all last gen tech (and even just i3 at that), no touchscreen at a very premium price (£650/$850). As you say, increasingly the Chromebook market seems to be exploiting the lack of knowledge of casual users
The two other designed-in benefits are relatively long battery life (and fanless!) and constantly backed-up cloud storage which eliminates risk of lost work. For reporters, the ability to to simply and quickly Powerwash and reinstall when crossing borders is quite helpful.
@TheOutsider840 I just got a Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus 14" 2 in 1 for $410. Coming from a six year old Samsung 12" 2 in 1 Chromebook. So far so good. I didn't really bother to learn much when I had the Samsung. In two days I've gotten more into the Lenovo Chromebook than six years with the Samsung. The Samsung stopped getting updates over a year ago, the Lenovo will be getting updated till June 2032. Seems well made, hinges are solid, display is more than adequate. Battery life is good and charging is fast. Bought it from Amazon so I've got thirty days to decide to keep it or not. I know they go on sale for around $350. I'd love to find one at that price. If I found an Acer spin 714 on sale, I might switch. But I'm getting attached to the Lenovo, lol.
For this BS price A refurbished Intel/AMD x64 or even a NEW low end one, will be HIGHER VALUE and run everything VS this joke which is basically just a web browser in a lid.
Fanless x86 tablets at $349 that lasts 10 hours? Please provide a list. Refurbished can be a huge risk, though: tablets are notoriously hard to repair.
I switched from the Mac to the Chromebook six years ago and never looked back. I love the simplicity. And it developed into so much more than a web browser on some hardware. I do respect that it might not suit your needs though. That's the beauty of choice.
I understand your argument but I actually think it's OK. The main USP of this device is its ultraportability. For $350 I think it's OK when you consider it's bundled with the keyboard, pen and has the flexibility of being a 2 in 1. It would be very useful for me as a casual user who's going to be travelling extensively.
Yes, refurbished is cheaper. You can get this model for a cheaper price if / when you find a refurbished one of this, too. Although $350 for a new one is pretty good, I'm not going to kid myself. If you want more than browse and Android apps, you also have Linux to run apps.
CORRECTION Lon: The Best Buy SKU, in the US, is a 4GB model WITHOUT THE STYLUS. You mentioned you reviewed the Best Buy model and said it comes with the pen, and later said yours was 8GB of RAM. This is the Lenovo Website exclusive for like... $399. Best Buy is $20 less with NO PEN, and half the RAM. EDIT, Correction #2: The ChromeOS version of Minecraft is the Bedrock version, ported for ChromeOS and costs $19.99 for new purchases. If that account bought the Pocket Edition that is Android's version for $6.99, they get the ChromeOS Bedrock version, that supports Realms too, for $13.00.
Thanks for touching on Linux support. Yours is the first review I've seen that mentions it! Probably a bit of a niche feature, especially for buyers of this device, but it's good to know it works and is decently performant.
Full Firefox is a useful alternative to Chrome - containers and Google is getting icky about ad-blocker extensions.
I love how portable the Lenovo Chromebook Duet is with Mediatek Kompanio 838 chipset being a bonus!
Glad to see Lenovo brought a 16:10 ratio to the Duet!!!
I never thought I'd consider buying a Chromebook. Just a few years ago, they were little more than a browser. It's amazing how far they've come! 🤔
As of this writing, I'm surprised to see only you, Android Digest, and Chrome Unboxed made a review of this new ChromeOS tablet. I know most tech reviewers don't care much about ChromeOS, but this tablets needs some real attention, at least in the right hands.
I'm a fan of small tablets that can be a laptop as well. I had a Surface Go tablet, more powerful but not very good battery life. I now have a Duet 3, (the previous gen of this tablet). ChromeOS has a better tablet UI then Windows and the Play Store. I took my Duet on a 2 week work trip to Canada and it was perfect. I just needed something simple to pay bills, email, and watch YT. I already had to pack my full sized work laptop and didn't want the bulk of travelling with 2 laptops. At home I mostly us it as a tablet and have an older Lenovo CB I use docked as a desktop. If you use Google Services Chrome OS is quite capable.
Can i run window excel?
@@jaydlonewolf6375 if you have a Microsoft 365 subscription yes.
@@jaydlonewolf6375Yes, although Google Sheets will be sufficient for most people.
I travel full-time and bring a HDMI cable/ dongle/mouse and plug my Chrome tablet into a TV. A 3-in one device, tablet, laptop and desktop!
@@jaydlonewolf6375 " yes ",, windows 365 has the web versions of windows office,, so " yes "
The display on the Lenovo Chromebook Duet is stunning, especially paired with a Kompanio 838 chipset.
I never considered ChromeOS but very interesting how you poinyd out Linux compatibility - now I will consider it.
Heyo fello Linux guy here, highly recommend chrome os, especially for a tablet I think it is the perfect OS, it's got a great blend of mobile first elements pulled over from android, as well as a desktop chrome browser and a Linux VM, allowing you to get real work done or run lighter programs in tablet mode
ChromeOS always has Linux compatibility. After all, it was originally a Gentoo distro.
@@farishanafiah8461 yes but in the past it was complicated. Had to muck around with crouton and dual booting a chroot environment for xubuntu
I have to say, i had both of the previous generation ones (the 3 and the 5) and I found the form factor much more compelling in the 13" format, that's where the fact that it's chromeOS and not android, and the whole desktop/keyboard experience, is really a buch better experience. It's a bit disappointing that it doesn't appear we'll see the equivalent of the duet 5 this time around.
I bought the Duet 3 and Duet 5 and retuend the 5 as I found it floppy annoying combination. Samsung 13" chromebook and the Duet 3 for me.
Keep up the great work and I fully support an Ellie takeover of this channel.
These are great little devices as a second computer/tablet for media consumption. I have had several variants and they all worked well for web browsing, watching videos, and light office tasks. The biggest issue I have had is the keyboard cover and kickstand. These make it difficult to use as a laptop if you don't have a hard surface to work on. The current version with the angled kickstand is probably even worse. I would love to see a lightweight clamshell variant around 2 lbs or less in the 10 - 11" size.
Agreed, I found convertible hardwork on lap, I had the Duet 3 + 5 and returned the as it was a floppy nightmare. Currently have a 8" Android tablet - the maximum size bothering with Android, the Duet 3, Samsung Chromebook 13" due to the rigid hinge is essential on your lap, and a work related Windows laptop.
Lenovo has this new tablet called the Lenovo Tab Plus. It has 8 JBL speakers and a built in tablet stand! Hope you review that one sometime.
A solid second device, but pay a bit extra for the 8GB version, especially if you are keeping it for the long term. The 4GB version is more for someone like my mum who only uses a few apps, although she prefers an iPad for its simplicity.
I'm just curious if we can see some benchmark scores between the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 and Kompanio 838. I know benchmark scores aren't everything, but it can give some idea of how fast the new chipset is.
can't find the 8GB version anywhere, only the 4GB
This vs iPad 9 which is better for media watching?
As a duet 3 owner, is this worth an upgrade?
It's not true that none of the streaming apps support HD playback on Chromebooks. The Prime app supports HD playback as do many of the others. I believe Netflix is the only one that doesn't.
What I use Linux primarily for is Firefox full desktop. Google is getting a bit nasty with ublock origin. I have the Duet 3 got it last year , is there a reason to upgrade to this? The only niggle I have with my previous model is it doesn't tolerate too many Firefox tabs open.
It is my travel laptop. At home I use a Samsung Chromebook as it's easier to move around house and use on your lap with a rigid keyboard hinge.
I used to use Android for my 11 tablet (Huawei Mediapad M5 10.8) but found ChromeOS better for larger screens, plus as you stated, ChromeOS offers so much more including Linux. On Android I use UserLAnd to use command-line Linux apps.
So really this Duet 11 is arguably the only device you need, add a large monitor on a hub with keyboard+mouse at a desk and you've got a nice all-rounder.
Does Netflix app support full HD playback?
((skip >> 7m 30s,, he dose mention this ))
How is the sound volume of the tablet? Loud enough?
I owned the prior version of this and sold it because it was just so slow, I hope this one fares better, but those were some pretty low processor scores so I’m doubtful
8:18 speed
Any confirmation of supporting multiple screens, ideally dual QHD and MST... :(
covered in the video!
Is this one of the chromebooks that supports Steam, downloading and playing games from your library?
No but the one I just reviewed last night can do that.
This actually sounds like a pretty good deal. Is ChromeOS okay now though?
@@GreenSkinGentleman nowadays it is extremely great it is comparable to Windows 10
ChromeOS so long as you get the 8GB 128GB is a good all-rounder general purpose, with Android and Linux there's little it can't do. I use Android for media player, Linux for Firefox, Libreoffice, Gimp.
Does Android apps run smoothly on this device?
How many years of updates available for this tablet?
Watch the video :)
i believe its 8..10 years,,
My chromebook got full updates for almost 4-5 years then 2 security 2017 - 2023 but lost access to Android by 2024).
13:52 ten years is longer than i got
PS,, amazon prime were selling Duet 3's with 4 GB ram and 64 GB flash for £139 uk pounds ... a bargain
Yea I'm not sure about that. 4GB RAM will be redundant pretty quickly.
@@TheOutsider840 you bet,, even so apart from the "Chromebook plus" which has to have 8GB,, many Chromebooks around still only use 4GB,,, the chromebrowser can stop tabs and other methods in an attempt to reduce memory use... (( unlike a PC chrome books don't have virtual memory swapped to disk ,, the future ??))
having said that Mozilla Firefox in Linux , and android app & some browser tabs are sill possible in 4GB
It's a crime to sell a computer with only 4gb of ram in 2024. Honestly 8gb of ram is already a bottle neck when it comes to running a 2 to 3 apps
What better this or the duet 3
@@nerfy09 this is better by far. Make sure to get the 8GB RAM variant.
can use AI features?
I believe the android Gemini app & web page should be avilable to ordinary users,, chrome os v 129 might even put a Gemini button on the " shelf "
@@matthews4159 thx bro just grab one it comes with that amazing ~!
you say LOW COST yet its $350,,, do you mention if its 4 or 8GB ram & how much flash storage
.
the Duet 3 ,, the one before the 11 ,,, looks identical ,, costs less at $270 and comes with 4 or 8 GB ram
the difference is presumably the CPU ,,, does it have Ai processor built into the chip ??
Watch the video all the specs were discussed
@@LonSeidman ok I apologise,,
you say the kbd is tiny,, if you place it over a standard kbd,, its the same size ...the qwertop text typing area
Cnet say " The one I tested came with 8GB of memory and Lenovo's USI Pen 2 for $400. ",, you say $349 ??
Google is reportedly ditching Chrome OS for Android, so these Chromebooks will hit the clearance isles soon.
According to who? ChromeOS is a major part of their business.
7:10 Is that your son?
Chromebooks were introduced as a cheap way of carrying out day to day tasks without having to spend money on a more bloated operating system.
This demonstrates how Chromebooks have bloated in price for what they actually offer.
The new Samsung Chromebook Plus in particular. It's all last gen tech (and even just i3 at that), no touchscreen at a very premium price (£650/$850). As you say, increasingly the Chromebook market seems to be exploiting the lack of knowledge of casual users
The two other designed-in benefits are relatively long battery life (and fanless!) and constantly backed-up cloud storage which eliminates risk of lost work.
For reporters, the ability to to simply and quickly Powerwash and reinstall when crossing borders is quite helpful.
@TheOutsider840 I just got a Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus 14" 2 in 1 for $410. Coming from a six year old Samsung 12" 2 in 1 Chromebook.
So far so good. I didn't really bother to learn much when I had the Samsung. In two days I've gotten more into the Lenovo Chromebook than six years with the Samsung. The Samsung stopped getting updates over a year ago, the Lenovo will be getting updated till June 2032.
Seems well made, hinges are solid, display is more than adequate. Battery life is good and charging is fast. Bought it from Amazon so I've got thirty days to decide to keep it or not. I know they go on sale for around $350.
I'd love to find one at that price.
If I found an Acer spin 714 on sale, I might switch. But I'm getting attached to the Lenovo, lol.
For this BS price A refurbished Intel/AMD x64 or even a NEW low end one, will be HIGHER VALUE and run everything VS this joke which is basically just a web browser in a lid.
go away.
Fanless x86 tablets at $349 that lasts 10 hours? Please provide a list. Refurbished can be a huge risk, though: tablets are notoriously hard to repair.
I switched from the Mac to the Chromebook six years ago and never looked back. I love the simplicity. And it developed into so much more than a web browser on some hardware.
I do respect that it might not suit your needs though. That's the beauty of choice.
I understand your argument but I actually think it's OK. The main USP of this device is its ultraportability. For $350 I think it's OK when you consider it's bundled with the keyboard, pen and has the flexibility of being a 2 in 1. It would be very useful for me as a casual user who's going to be travelling extensively.
Yes, refurbished is cheaper. You can get this model for a cheaper price if / when you find a refurbished one of this, too. Although $350 for a new one is pretty good, I'm not going to kid myself. If you want more than browse and Android apps, you also have Linux to run apps.
CORRECTION Lon: The Best Buy SKU, in the US, is a 4GB model WITHOUT THE STYLUS. You mentioned you reviewed the Best Buy model and said it comes with the pen, and later said yours was 8GB of RAM. This is the Lenovo Website exclusive for like... $399. Best Buy is $20 less with NO PEN, and half the RAM.
EDIT, Correction #2: The ChromeOS version of Minecraft is the Bedrock version, ported for ChromeOS and costs $19.99 for new purchases. If that account bought the Pocket Edition that is Android's version for $6.99, they get the ChromeOS Bedrock version, that supports Realms too, for $13.00.
As noted in the description there will be a $349 version with pen and keyboard likely dropping tomorrow.