The hinge on the ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 may look like your standard 2-in-1 hinge at first glance, but the way it bends back has raised a few eyebrows among new and prospective users. See, on most 2-in-1s, the laptop will sit flat until you fold the hinge flat or back towards Tent mode, but on the C434, something different happens. To demonstrate fully, here's how the C434 looks at in ever hinge position.
0-90 degrees
The hinge folds out from the base of the laptop like a standard clamshell. The base sits flat on the tabletop.
91-180 degrees
The hinge continues to fold out from the base of the laptop rather than from the screen. This causes the laptop to balance between the two silicone feet at the rear base of the screen and two front feet on the base of the C434, raising the keyboard to a slight angle. This continues until hinge between the base and center axis is rotated completely.
You cannot lay the C434 completely flat at 180 degrees. The hinge between the center axis and screen will still be at a 90-degree angle.
181-360 degrees
Once the hinge between the base and center axis is fully rotated, the hinge between the center axis and screen bends instead. At this point, the keyboard and trackpad are disabled and tent mode is enabled.
This continues until the keyboard is rotated completely back into tablet mode. When closing the C434 back up, the hinge between the screen and center axis will fold up completely before the hinge begind folding between the center axis and base, at which point the keyboard and trackpad are re-enabled.
This design might increase the ability for the C434 to hold its angle in Tent mode, especially over time and heavy use, but it also exposes the rear bottom edge of the C434's lid to scratches and damage, especially when used on uneven or perforated surfaces where the laptop sits directly on the edge of the lid rather than the two silicone nubs near the hinge. This shouldn't be a major issue unless you're prone to using your Chromebook on uneven surfaces or prefer a hinge that will fold into a flat line at 180 degrees
This portable powerhouse is light and compact enough to carry everywhere, with a full-sized, backlit keyboard that's a delight to type on and a 14-inch touchscreen that's great for multi-tasking and video-binges.
