I was delighted to see that the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 didn’t skimp on a crappy touchpad. That goes a long way toward improving the experiencing of actually using the laptop on a moment-by-moment basis. I wasn’t annoyed every time I had to click-and-drag or select a bit of text. This one’s biggest weakness is definitely the screen, which is true of just about every cheap Chromebook I’ve tested. The colors are ugly and desaturated, giving the whole thing a sickly green tint. It’s also not the sharpest in the world, as it’s stretching 1920 x 1200 pixels across a large, 16-inch screen. But in terms of usability and performance, the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 is a great value, combining an Intel Core i3 processor with 8 GB of RAM and a 128 GB of storage. For a Chromebook that’s often on sale for $350, it’s a steal.

While we’re here, let’s go even cheaper, shall we? Asus has two dirt-cheap Chromebooks that I tested last year that I was mildly impressed by. The Asus Chromebook CX14 and CX15. Notice in the name that these are not “Chromebook Plus” models, meaning they can be configured with less RAM and storage, and even use lower-powered processors. That’s exactly what you get on the cheaper configurations of the CX14 and CX15, which is how you sometimes get prices down to as low as $130. I definitely recommend the version with 8 GB of RAM, but regardless of which you choose, the both the CX14 and larger CX15 are mildly attractive laptops. You’d know that’s a big compliment if you’ve seen just how ugly Chromebooks of this price have been in the past.

With these, though, I appreciate the relatively thin bezels and chassis thickness, as well as the larger touchpad and comfortable keyboard. The CX15 even comes in a striking blue color. The touchpad isn’t great, nor is the display. Like the Acer Chromebook Plus 516, it suffers from poor color reproduction and only goes up to 250 nits of brightness. It only has a 720p webcam too, which makes video calls a bit rough. But that’s going to be true of nearly all the competition (and there isn’t much).

Of the two models, I definitely prefer the CX14 though, as it doesn’t have a numberpad and off-center touchpad, which I’ve always found to be awkward to use. Look—no one’s going to love using a computer that costs the less than $200, but if it’s what you can afford, the Asus Chromebook CX14 will at least get you by without too much frustration.

Whatever you do, don’t just head over to Amazon and buy whatever ancient Chromebook is selling for $100 for your kid. It’s worth the extra cash to get something with better battery life, a more modern look, and decent performance.

Other Good Chromebooks We’ve Tested

We’ve tested dozens and dozens of Chromebooks over the past years, having reviewed every major release across the spectrum of price. Unlike Macs and Windows laptops, Chromebooks tends to stick around a bit longer though, and aren’t refreshed as often. I stand by my picks above, but here are a few standouts from our testing that are still worth buying for the right person.

Two of Big Tech’s most influential billionaires, Sam Altman and Elon Musk, will go head-to-head in a highly anticipated trial beginning April 27. In Musk v. Altman, a judge, advised by a jury, will ultimately determine whether OpenAI has strayed from its founding mission to ensure that artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits humanity, and the ruling could influence how the world’s leading AI developer controls and distributes its technology. For now, you can learn more about the trial here.

On the Panel

On May 8, a panel of WIRED experts will go live to answer your questions about this consequential case.

• Zoë Schiffer: WIRED’s director of business and industry, who oversees coverage of business and Silicon Valley.
• Maxwell Zeff: a senior writer at WIRED covering the business of artificial intelligence. He writes the weekly Model Behavior newsletter, which focuses on the people, communities, and companies behind Silicon Valley’s AI scene.
• Paresh Dave: a senior writer at WIRED covering the inner workings of Big Tech companies. He writes about how apps and gadgets are built and about their impacts while giving voice to the stories of the underappreciated and disadvantaged.

Ask a Question

Submit all your burning questions about this historic legal battle at WIRED’s next, subscriber-only livestream scheduled for May 8 at noon ET / 9 PT. To leave questions in advance as the trial unfolds, head to the comment section below.

Become a Subscriber

The event will be streamed right here. For subscribers who are not able to join, a replay of the livestream will be available after the event. Not a subscriber yet? Subscribe now to get access to this livestream, plus full access to WIRED.

In the meantime, check out past livestreams on Big Tech and the military, the future of electric vehicles, and more.

A case seeking compensation for approximately 59,000 businesses and organisations using the Microsoft Windows Server operating system in non-Microsoft public clouds is going ahead.

The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has ruled to certify a £2bn legal action against Microsoft over its cloud computing and software practices. The collective action court case, brought by digital markets regulation expert Maria Luisa Stasi, accuses Microsoft of overcharging UK businesses and organisations that use its Windows Server on rival cloud services.

CAT dismissed Microsoft’s arguments against certification and granted a Collective Proceedings Order on an opt-out basis, allowing the case to head to trial.

Speaking to Computer Weekly at the end of last year, Stasi discussed Microsoft’s dominance. “Microsoft is dominant on some parts of the [IT infrastructure] stack and is using this power to impose things that otherwise will be difficult to accept for business users, and the reality is that they can do that because they limit choice for people,” she said.

“For years, Microsoft’s practices have had real financial impact on both public and private organisations. I’m now looking forward to preparing for trial and getting their money back on their behalf.”

In March this year, the UK Competition and Markets Authority announced it would launch a Strategic Market Status investigation into Microsoft, probing its software licensing practices in the cloud market.

The class action from Stasi involves two aspects of Microsoft licensing. The first is pricing abuse of Microsoft Service Provider License Agreement (SPLA) and concerns Microsoft charging wholesale prices for Windows Server under SPLAs that are higher than those for equivalent licences charged to Azure users.

The second is abuse of re-licensing, which is where Microsoft allows organisations with on-premise Windows Server licences to deploy the server operating system on Azure, without the need to pay re-licensing fees. This is not possible if the customer chooses to deploy Windows Server on a cloud service provider that is listed as approved by Microsoft. Re-Licensing Abuse operates by way of the Azure Hybrid Benefit which is granted to the holder of an on-premise licence.

“We are very pleased with the tribunal’s decision, including its confirmation that Dr Stasi’s action should proceed on an opt-out basis, as sought in her application,” said James Hain-Cole, partner at law firm Scott+Scott, which is leading on the case against Microsoft.

“Certification of this claim is a pivotal step in securing compensation for thousands of businesses and organisations,” he added. “The decision illustrates the importance of the regime for UK businesses who, like consumers, require and deserve the access to justice that it was designed to offer. Looking ahead to the trial, we are proud to be supporting Dr Stasi’s efforts to provide access to justice for those organisations that have suffered as a result of Microsoft’s anti-competitive practices, which remains the target of competition regulators around the world.”

In its ruling, the court dismissed Microsoft’s arguments and allowed the case to head to trial. It also concluded that the claim “comfortably crosses the hurdle of having a real prospect of success”.