Lenovo Chromebook 100e (2nd Gen)

Updated on June 23, 2026

Note: The Lenovo Chromebook 100e (2nd Gen) is no longer available for purchase.

The Lenovo Chromebook 100e (2nd Gen) was Lenovo’s entry-level education Chromebook for the 2019 school year, built for the K-12 classroom. A MediaTek M8173C processor and 4GB of RAM sit behind an 11.6-inch screen in a clamshell that puts durability and battery life ahead of speed. MIL-STD-810G-tested construction, a mechanically anchored keyboard that could withstand minor spills, and rubber bumpers protecting the corners cover the ways a student breaks a laptop. The 10-hour battery life carried a full school day without hunting for outlets, and the fanless design kept the machine silent in a quiet room.

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Lenovo Chromebook 100e (2nd Gen) Comparison Chart

	Lenovo Chromebook 100e (2nd Gen)	Lenovo Chromebook 100e (2nd Gen)	Lenovo Chromebook 100e (2nd Gen)
Price	List Price: $159.99 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon	List Price: $209.00 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon	List Price: $349.99 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon
Model number	81QB000AUS	81QB0000US	81QB0008US
Performance Rating	2.6	2.6	2.6
Chromebook Plus	No	No	No
Processor	Quad-core 1.70 Ghz (max 2.10 Ghz) MediaTek MT8173C	Quad-core 1.70 Ghz (max 2.10 Ghz) MediaTek MT8173C	Quad-core 1.70 Ghz (max 2.10 Ghz) MediaTek MT8173C
RAM	4 GB	4 GB	4 GB
Internal Storage	16 GB eMMC	16 GB eMMC	32 GB eMMC
Screen Size	11.6"	11.6"	11.6"
Screen Resolution	1366x768	1366x768	1366x768
Screen Type	Anti-Glare	Anti-Glare	Anti-Glare
Touch Screen	No	No	No
Stylus / Pen	No Stylus Support	No Stylus Support	No Stylus Support
Dimensions width x length x thickness	11.41 x 8.03 x 0.8 inches (289.81 x 203.96 x 20.32 mm)	11.41 x 8.03 x 0.8 inches (289.81 x 203.96 x 20.32 mm)	11.41 x 8.03 x 0.8 inches (289.81 x 203.96 x 20.32 mm)
Weight	2.68 lbs (1.22 kg)	2.68 lbs (1.22 kg)	2.68 lbs (1.22 kg)
Backlit Keyboard	No	No	No
Webcam	720p	720p	720p
WiFi	802.11ac (2x2)	802.11ac (2x2)	802.11ac (2x2)
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.1	Bluetooth 4.1	Bluetooth 4.1
Ethernet	No	No	No
Cellular Modem	No	No	No
HDMI	Full-Size HDMI	Full-Size HDMI	Full-Size HDMI
USB Ports	1 USB 3, 1 USB-C	1 USB 3, 1 USB-C	1 USB 3, 1 USB-C
Thunderbolt Ports	No	No	No
Card Reader	SD	SD	SD
Battery	3 cell, 42 WHr, Li-Polymer	3 cell, 42 WHr, Li-Polymer	3 cell, 42 WHr, Li-Polymer
Battery Life	10.0 hours	10.0 hours	10.0 hours
Fanless	Yes	Yes	Yes
Auto Update Expiration Date	June, 2027	June, 2027	June, 2027

Rugged plastic and 10 hours from the ARM chip

Lenovo shipped several processors under the 100e name: the MediaTek M8173C version covered here sat alongside Intel Celeron and AMD A4 variants, each targeting slightly different performance and price points within the education market. This ARM-based model offered the longest battery life of the group, which suited younger students who forget to charge their devices. The MediaTek chip’s power efficiency meant the 42 Wh battery could reliably deliver 10 hours of use with screen brightness at classroom-appropriate levels.

Build quality focused on surviving student life. The textured gray plastic chassis resisted fingerprints and scratches, while the reinforced ports and mechanically anchored keys meant the device could handle being shoved into backpacks and dropped on desks without immediately breaking. Lenovo rated the 100e to survive drops from desk height onto carpet, and the spill-resistant keyboard gave teachers a few seconds to react when the inevitable water bottle mishap occurred. The materials are inexpensive plastics picked for how much abuse they absorb. Teachers and IT admins deploying these in classrooms should also be aware of the Chromebook magnet trick, where students use small magnets to trigger the lid sensor and put nearby devices to sleep.

At 1366x768 across 11.6 inches, text appeared sharp enough for schoolwork on the anti-glare display. The anti-glare coating reduced distracting reflections under classroom fluorescent lights, which matters more in a room lit that way than color accuracy does. Lenovo left touch out, so this is strictly a clamshell without the tablet mode of a convertible like the Lenovo 300e.

4GB of RAM sets the ceiling on multitasking

Google Docs, light web browsing, and educational web apps run at a usable pace. A modest handful of Chrome tabs remained manageable on the MediaTek M8173C, and the system handled Google Classroom smoothly, booting and resuming quickly enough to keep students on task.

Android apps and heavier web applications ask for more than the chip has. Running Android apps from the Play Store often resulted in noticeable lag, and resource-intensive educational games could stutter. The 4GB of RAM became a bottleneck when students tried to multitask aggressively: having Zoom running alongside multiple browser tabs and an Android app slowed the system down.

The 16GB eMMC configuration left little space after Chrome OS installed, pushing schools toward the 32GB model for the extra space. Neither configuration supported user-upgradeable storage, though the SD card slot provided some expansion capability for students who needed to store media files.

A full-size HDMI port that skips the dongle

One USB-C port handled charging and could support data transfer or display output via adapter, while a single USB-A 3.0 port accommodated traditional peripherals like mice and flash drives. The full-size HDMI port allowed direct connection to classroom projectors and monitors without adapters. Schools needing wired network access could plug in a USB Ethernet adapter since the 100e lacks a built-in Ethernet port.

The 2x2 802.11ac radio connected reliably to school networks, and without Wi-Fi 6 it missed the performance gains that help in the crowded wireless environments common in schools. Bluetooth 4.1 supported wireless mice, keyboards, and headphones. The 720p webcam sufficed for video calls but produced noticeably grainy video in anything less than ideal lighting.

Plan a replacement before the June 2027 update cutoff

Google originally set this board’s AUE at June 2025, then extended it by two years; later policy changes pushed newer devices out to 10 years of updates. The MediaTek model receives Chrome OS updates through its Auto Update Expiration in June 2027. Schools still operating these 100e units keep getting security patches and feature updates until that 2027 cutoff, after which the devices continue to function without further Google support.

Lenovo sold the machine through education channels to school districts rather than consumer retail. Durability, battery life, and low acquisition cost were what a district managing a fleet of student devices bought it for, and the specification sheet was assembled around that: MIL-STD-810G testing, reinforced ports, an anchored keyboard, and a screen and processor cheap enough to keep the per-unit price down.

Owners can keep using the machine for basic tasks, though the 4GB of RAM leaves less headroom each year as web applications grow heavier. Schools and individuals still running these units should plan a move to a supported Chromebook with more memory and a longer update window. Our Chromebook Comparison Chart lets you sort and filter current models by specs, price, and features to find a suitable replacement.

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