Best Buy has this Lenovo IdeaPad Slim Chromebook for less than half price. Should you buy it?

There are plenty of tech products out there. Some are great buys offering excellent value, but others aren't. Most fall somewhere in the middle.

Unless you have the means to buy one of everything, you have to decide if something is the right fit for you. That can be hard; the companies making them will tell you that you need one to make your life complete, people who got a lemon or just didn't like it will say the product is garbage, and reviewers simply can't cover everything.

Often, it's good to take a step back and see what you're going to get inside that pretty package. Was it worth what you paid for it? Will you get enough use from it to justify the purchase? Or maybe you should hold off and see what's coming next.

We can't make those decisions for you, but we can tell you what we think and maybe where you should start your decision-making process.

Should you buy a brand-new Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook for just $189?

It usually sells for $399, but Best Buy really wants you to save some money even though Black Friday is long gone. It's not a terrible idea but is a great deal.

The Pros

The IdeaPad Slim 3 is not the end-all be-all of Chromebooks. It's not the best at playing games, nor does it have the greatest display you've ever seen. But it's super portable, and the battery seems to last forever.

It has insane battery life. The battery charges nicely and quickly, and once full, expect it to be there for you all day long. This one is a battery life champ!

Ultra-portable. The hint is in the name: Slim. The IdeaPad Slim sacrifices some amenities in order to be uber-portable and light, coming in at just 2.8 pounds. It's going to fit in any backpack or carry-on bag.

It has a big screen. You would expect a Chromebook designed to be light and easy on the battery to have a small display, but the IdeaPad Slim has a 14-inch FHD display. It's also a touch-screen!

The cons

Nothing is perfect, and there are some things to think about before you fork over your money for an IdeaPad Slim 3.

It has 4GB of RAM. It's capable, but just. You can do anything a Chromebook is capable of doing with 4GB of memory, but you can't do too many things at once. Watching a video or playing an Android game is no problem, but don't do both for the best experience.

It has 64GB of storage. That's not too bad, but it might be limited depending on what you're looking for. The real issue is that you can never change out the embedded storage to add more

It's already two years old. Like your phone, there is a limited support lifetime for Chromebooks. This version of the IdeaPad Slim should be supported by Google officially until 2032, so there is still plenty of life left in it.

The trackpad and keyboard aren't going to amaze you. They're more than adequate, but with this one being perfect for things like online school work or for a student to carry to class, you'll be spending a lot of time using the trackpad and keyboard. They could be better and more responsive.

My verdict

So should you buy the IdeaPad Slim 3?

Ask yourself do you want or need something easy to carry with long battery life for getting any sort of work done? Or do you need something cheap yet capable for homework and business away from your desk?

If you said yes to either of these, this is perfect for you. It's not the Chromebook for the showcase, but it is a workhorse that will last you all day. When you can get one this cheap, it's a really good deal if you need it.

Save 53% ($210)

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook: was $399 now $189 at Best Buy

This is what Chromebooks were originally meant to be: Portable, capable, and cheap.

Lenovo has built a lovely little workhorse that may not excel at playing games or goofing off, but if you need something simple to get some work done, it's a perfect buy at this price.

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