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The legitimacy of Chromebooks isn’t in question, but for an everyday laptop it’s a tough sell sometimes. Sure, the price is great, but is it good for streaming the NCAA Tournament? Is it fast enough to use in the office for that presentation? Can I comfortably give it to my kids without hearing nothing but complaints?

You’ll be without Minecraft for the kids, but for almost everything else Chromebooks go all the way. The only piece lacking has been quality, or more specifically high-quality and high-performance, which the Acer Chromebook R11 has, but not at the finesse of, say, a good Windows laptop. That’s where Toshiba's 2016 Chromebook 2 comes in.

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The 2016 version of the company's Chromebook 2 comes with a better, brighter IPS display, a faster Intel Core i3 processor, and improvements all around. It’s the Chromebook to take home to your parents, the Chromebook to lounge around when the TV isn’t working, the Chromebook that goes the distance for just about everything. Without installing Linux on it.

A screen made for movies

Image: James Pikover/Mashable

Compare any Chromebook's screen with a Windows laptop or MacBook and the difference is clear instantly: Chromebook screens are crappy. They tend to have thick, matte screens, usually with basic LCD technology so the colors are muted, the brightness is lacking, and the resolution is low.

Thanks in part to the faster processor, the Chromebook 2 has a full 13.3-inch HD display. The 1,920 x 1,080 resolution panel is bright and glossy, and uses IPS tech, the same you’ll find in most high-end laptops and computer monitors today. Picture quality is great, so you’ll get a good fix of House of Cards Season 4 in 1080p, even in the bright of day.

The HD display is one of the best I’ve ever seen on a Chromebook outside of Google's high-end Chromebook Pixel 2. It doesn’t matter if you’re streaming video or just reading up on the latest GOP polls with some false sense of hope; the clarity, brightness, and accuracy of the screen is enough to say skip the tablet, this one is just as good, and there’s a keyboard to boot.

Productivity through power

The Chromebook 2 even shines next to the color-correct Philips Quantum Dot Color IQ, a color-correct display. Now that’s quality. Image: james pikover/mashable

As if an incredible display wasn’t enough, the Chromebook 2 has a faster 2.1GHz Intel Core i3 dual-core processor powering everything, along with 4GB of RAM.

Intel Celeron processors are standard for Chromebooks, but the benefits to the beefier Core i3 is immediately noticeable. The Core i3 has more power, which means better performance across the board, even if it hurts battery life.

On the right is the audio jack, USB 3.0 port, and HDMI. Note the hard lines, which make the Chromebook 2 look very sharp, not pointy.

In the workplace, or in front of the TV, the challenge with using a Chromebook is connecting to a second monitor. Whether you’re trying to stream Game of Thrones to your Chromecast or finishing up that late document on a larger screen while multitasking, the slower Celeron processors on other Chromebooks hit snags regularly, especially if you’re fortunate enough to use higher-than-HD resolution secondary displays, like a 4K TV, for example.

The Chromebook 2 will run hot, but, oh, will it run well. Plus, in front of a second monitor you’ll have the luxury of a power cable, or if not you’ll need to. Displaying video to another display is a power-hungry task and the Chromebook 2 never buckles, even under the weight of several dozen tabs. Of course, heavier web apps will weigh down on your productivity, but by and large this laptop takes it all in stride.

Quality comfort, though not best in class

The keyboard and trackpad are both good, and the backlight is great, but there’s no way to adjust the backlight! Image: James Pikover/Mashable

The standout features of the Chromebook 2 certainly take the cake, and the rest of the bundle supplements it very well, though if you’re looking for the best typing experience and best trackpad experience, there are better alternatives.

Toshiba’s keyboard has solid low-profile keys that aren’t too clicky and aren’t too smushy, but they aren’t quite as good as the Acer R11 or even the Windows-based HP Pavilion X2. The trackpad is decent with a solid glass cover, but the sensitivity is a bit off and the button is surprisingly hard to press. And for whatever reason there’s no way to adjust the keyboard backlight. Not great for night streaming.

Then there’s the laptop body itself, which has a stucco feel that’s good to grip and also great for keeping dirt off. The edges of the frame are somewhat sharp, so if you keep your wrists firmly on the laptop it’ll be a bother. None of these are major flaws.

Even with the more powerful processor, battery life is worse...it hovers around seven hours per charge, or four hours if you're only doing HD video streaming.

One solid Chromebook

The clamshell frame has an ice-blue color that’s easy to grip and that’s thick, but not too heavy at 2.9 pounds. Image: james pikover/mashable

Without dipping into the crazy price of Google’s own Chromebook Pixel, Toshiba’s latest is an absolute keeper. It’s not just the good processor or pretty display; the balance makes for a really phenomenal laptop.

The 2016 Chromebook 2 is fast, sleek, has a gorgeous screen, a very good battery life, and it does it all without a serious flaw that should stop anyone from buying it. The $400 price tag may be more than typical Chromebooks, but it's still easier on the wallet than a Windows laptop or a MacBook. In fact, there are plenty of bulkier, worse Windows-based laptops that are more expensive.

So whether you’re looking for a solid extra machine for the home or one that can be used for work without hassle, Toshiba's 2016 Chromebook 2 is one of the best options. No strings or regrets attached.