It’s been barely a month since I wrote [The Perplexity of Modern Laptop and Tablet Choices], and here I am again.
That’s right — the same person who confidently declared “I’ll stick with the Fydetab Duo for now” at the end of that article is now sitting in front of an HP Chromebook X11 typing these words.
The essence of human nature is “it smells so good” (after swearing off something). My essence is tinkering.
The Fydetab Duo’s Fatal Flaw: Weight
Let me cut to the chase: the Fydetab Duo is a great device, but it’s better suited as a great laptop, not a great tablet. Calling it a fatal flaw is a bit unfair too — this is a common issue with all 12-inch devices of its kind (the same goes for the 12-inch Thinkpad X2). 700 grams. It doesn’t sound that heavy on paper, but once you actually try holding it, you’ll realize it’s a weight that easily fatigues even both hands.
Due to a change in my work situation, I now genuinely need to use a 2-in-1 device as a proper tablet on the subway. But the weight made it really hard for me to use the Fydetab as a tablet, hence this round of tinkering.
Target Locked: HP Chromebook X11 vs Lenovo Duet 11
Since 700g won’t work, what would be acceptable? I thought back to my first ChromeOS device, the original Lenovo Duet: 450g. The feel of holding it was pretty good, so let’s go with that spec! I quickly locked onto two targets: HP Chromebook X11 and Lenovo Duet 11.
Both are Chromebook tablet 2-in-1s, weighing in at the 500g class. The HP X11 is a 2022 model with a Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 processor; the Lenovo Duet 11 is relatively newer, with an MTK Kompanio series chip.
My first choice was the Lenovo Duet 11 — newer, presumably better performance, and I’m more familiar with Lenovo’s product line. So I opened up Xianyu and started searching.
Then I went silent.
The Duet 11’s availability on Xianyu is heartbreakingly scarce — basically non-existent. To make matters worse, the few stores that do carry it list the Lenovo Duet 11 and Lenovo Duet EDU G2 interchangeably. While their specs are essentially the same, the EDU G2 runs an education-oriented system after all, and I was worried about weird issues. So… I gave up.
HP Chromebook X11: Yesterday’s Chromebook, Today’s Bargain
My attention turned to the HP Chromebook X11.
Honestly, I had some concerns about Snapdragon-powered Chromebooks. I’d looked into ARM-based Chromebooks before, and Snapdragon devices seemed to have all sorts of little issues — Linux apps not running, graphics driver problems, updates getting mysteriously delayed…
But then, it’s really cheap… An 11-inch, 500g Chromebook with a touchscreen that works as both tablet and laptop — for under 1000 RMB. Back in the day, it was this same kind of pricing that led me to buy a Pixel 2017 to play with…
I checked the AUE (Auto Update Expiration): this X11 still has 3 years of update support left. That means I’ll get ChromeOS security and system updates until at least 2029. For a sub-1000 RMB device, a 3-year lifecycle is more than worth it.
I bought it.
First Impressions
A week in, here’s what I think.
It really is usable handheld. At 500g, reading papers and checking Multica task status on the subway — it handles the job.
Battery life is decent too. The unit I picked up has 92% battery health, and a full charge easily gets me 5-6 hours.
The 11-inch screen is noticeably smaller, but it’s not unusable. The resolution is lower than the Fydetab Duo’s 2K, but since I use a 1080P monitor most of the time, I’ve developed a strong tolerance for pixels…
The device’s width is just about right for the Mokibo keyboard, so even without the backplate, the Mokibo can prop it up — saving a bit more carrying weight.
Finally, being a commercial product, Bluetooth actually works properly. With the Fydetab Duo, I couldn’t use the Bluetooth keyboard and headphones at the same time. While I don’t have that many meetings… you still need it when you do…
Overall, no complaints so far. The only pity is that by the time I bought it, the LTE version was nowhere to be found, so my data SIM card is sitting idle.
Looking Ahead
I shouldn’t speak too soon. I’m enjoying the X11 for now, but I still have my eyes on the Lenovo Duet 11 — it has better performance and longer support… too bad the price is too high… But the X11 still has 3 years of support, so maybe in 2 years the Duet 11 will flood the second-hand market…
