IPS LCD Panel
IPS screens have better viewing angles, higher contrast ratios, and richer color reproduction. Chromebooks with IPS screens cost more but they are worth it if you want a beautiful screen. Samsung makes Chromebooks with the most amazing IPS screens on the planet. Samsung blows away the competition. Second to Samsung IPS screens are HP, Dell and Asus. Acer makes mediocre screens but their Chromebooks are usually cheaper than the rest. Go to your nearest Walmart and see for yourself. If you want a Chromebook has an IPS screen, make sure it specifically states it in the product description.
TN LCD Panel
TN panels have poor viewing angles, dull/washed-out feel, and usually come in a matte finish. TN panels also make it difficult to notice subtle color differences on web pages. Chromebooks with TN panels are priced lower than Chromebooks with IPS panels because of the lower cost of production. Aside from a lower cost, benefit of TN panel is they feel faster because they have a faster response time. If a Chromebook description does not specify "IPS" then it is most likely a TN panel. Acer is famous for making budget Chromebooks with a TN panels.
Screen Finish
Cheaper/budget Chromebooks have a matte finish paired with a TN panel while premium/higher priced Chromebooks tend to have a glossy finish paired with an IPS panel. The benefit of a matte finish is no glare/reflection of your surroundings, but the drawback is lack of crispiness and lack of beautiful rich color feel.
1080p Vs 720P
720p represents 1,280 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 720 pixels down the screen vertically. 1080p represents 1,920 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 1,080 pixels down the screen vertically. A full (HD) High Definition 1080p screen has more pixels than a 720p screen and thus shows more detail and looks sharper, especially with motion-intensive content such as sports. 720p Chromebooks will upscale video to 1080 so you can still enjoy high quality video. While 1080p screen Chromebooks show more detail and look better overall, those Chromebooks are best suited for 14-inch and 15-inch screens. If you buy a 13 inch Chromebook with a 1080p you'll need to adjust the text size for doing lots of reading as the text is small by default and will strain your eyes.
Screen Sizes
The size of your Chromebook (and the inconveniences that come with it) will primarily be dictated by the size of the screen. For example, the Acer C720 has a 11.6 inch screen (measured diagonally) and this allowed for a relatively compact laptop. But a drawback was the slightly smaller than normal keyboard they had to cram due to smaller frame size. Chromebooks at 13-inch and larger have regular sized keyboards. A larger screen also adds other challenges such as less portability. 15 inch Chromebooks do not feel portable as they are not comfortable to carry around everywhere. My sweet spot for Chromebook screen size is 13 inches. I was in love with the size of the (13 inch) Toshiba Chromebook 2.
Touch Screen
The more expensive Chromebooks are now being equipped with touchscreens and those usually fold back so you can use the Chromebook like a tablet. This is not a feature that I look for in a Chromebook and did not use it when I owned the Asus Flip C302. The lowest priced Chromebook with touchscreen capability is the Acer Chromebook R11 at $289 new. You can also find it certified refurbished for $219 on Amazon here.
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