Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) Review

Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) Review

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

My background: I am in my final year of college and have used a unibody 15" MacBook Pro for the past 4 years. I am a bit of a tech geek and like exploring the different options out there, but certainly LOVED the premium feel and use of my MacBook Pro, however, it is no longer turning on anymore - so here I am at school without a computer.

I have been using Google's 'Web Apps' for a while and I find docs/spreadsheets to do 99% of what I need. Otherwise I spend most of my time browsing, doing e-mail etc. The one thing I do use is Photoshop, which needs a more powerful machine than a small portable laptop anyway. Since I'm on a tight budget, and can't justify a MacBook Air (which really is not sufficient for much more than browsing anyway) I decided to spring for the Chromebook and get a desktop to use later on.

I am very happy with my purchase, and find my experience to be similar to that of the reviews I have read. The hardware (specifically the excellent keyboard) are really 70-80% of the MacBook experience, with the track pad working very well and the keyboard being equally as good for my uses. This computer is excellent and does not disappoint at all - even when compared to the MacBook family. It is true that the screen is not as nice, but it is very usable, especially when considering the main uses of this computer (browsing, typing, reading articles).

I have no problem with many tabs open and find pages to load completely satisfactorily. They do not load as smoothly as a brand new MacBook Pro - but I do not expect them to. I have not experimented with any video other than casual YouTube watching which has gone smoothly.

I very rarely write reviews, but am so impressed with the value of this machine that I felt compelled to add to all of the great things people are saying.

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

The device I think it's great, maybe according to specifications is not the world's fastest computer, and that made ​​me fear a bit about performance, but I confess that it has exceeded my expectations, very comfortable keyboard, the screen size is ideal for everyday tasks, device is pretty light.

To test processor speed I was playing Angry Birds and only at the beginning of the game I seem to notice some lag, but the rest of the game was pretty good, offline version did not vary much in game speed but obviously improved the speed of initial load and between each stage.

The internet connection is pretty simple and familiar, detects wifi networks available, put the password and go. What surprised me here was that I plugged my Galaxy Nexus via USB, enabled USB tethering and it worked perfectly, without additional configuration or anything. Simply spectacular... but, it works once, next time doesn't work, I don't know why, maybe is a problem with my smartphone's Internet provider, last weeks it doesn't work very well.

Device has also options to configure VPN access, but I failed to connect, maybe I get it later and post the tips.

Specifications not mention it, but on settings menu there are options for bluetooth devices. I did a search on two smartphones, and Chromebook was not discovered, neither smartphones on Chromebook, so it is only a menu for supporting devices.

Applications menu seems simple and precise settings tab is the same way as Chrome browser, with some additional options like Wifi settings, mouse and keyboard, etc..

I must confess that the keyboard looks weird without the function keys, but once you use it you realize that you do not need it. The size and spacing of the keys is pretty comfortable. It has a support for keyboard shortcuts (pressing Ctrl + Alt + /), which seem to be very large, but all of them have a utility that amazes, even you can increase or decrease the brightness of the keyboard, if the device supports it. Although the keyboard is in English you can configure to write with accents, "ñ" and symbols of other languages. Perhaps worst of the equipment are the keys themselves, at first glance seem to be a cheap plastic, the space key when typing sounds somewhat, unlike the other keys, but are soft to press and doesn't have annoying click like other keyboards.

The touchpad is simple, has no buttons but allows simple gestures (special moves with two fingers), which make it quite easy to navigate. The drawback I found is that the touchpad itself is a bit harsh, maybe it's my skin but sometimes at dragging fingers the mouse gives some small jumps on the screen, is not serious but could be better. My wireless mouse was recognized and it worked fine except that I could not set higher speed, the maximum offering is not what I would like, but can be a problem with my mouse, should be tested with other models, but is a matter of taste.

The built-in webcam offers good quality, but unfortunately on a G+ hangout I noticed that ChromeOS is not supported on some options, such as masks and others. It's disappointing, I found a group on Google Groups where a Google engineer acknowledges the problem and says they are looking for a solution, but the answer is dated 2011, I hope to settle it soon.

The built-in speaker sound is great, being located under the machine, in the front, makes the sound heard from everywhere on device, which is fine with me. In fact when I'm writing I am listening blues from my music collection in Google Music and is very nice.

For a hangout I could also see that headphone's jack does not accept the microphone built into the headset from my Galaxy Nexus, which I think is strange because the picture on the Chromebook indicates that accepts headphones and microphone.

Chromebook lights in just 8 seconds (yes, 8, timed), and pressing the menu option to shut down you do not realize and faded (3 seconds off). When off and lift the lid the system turns on automatically, avoid pressing the power button, which I think is a very good idea, as well as opening the applications you had open when turning off. It takes a few seconds (no more than 5) to reconnect and continue with what you were.

When connecting a flash drive it recognizes and displays the files in a small embedded file manager, which also shows a local folder called "Downloads" and Google Drive. It strikes me that when connecting my Galaxy Nexus is not recognized and does not show me the files, however when I connect my LG P500 recognizes the 3 partitions I have (normal internal, second partition for Link2SD and SD card). I think maybe they thought the Galaxy Nexus, being a Google product does not need connect to Chromebook and you can get on the web photos and files directly with native applications (auto uploads), perhaps someone don't like it, but I find some logic and does not bother me.

The battery is fine so far, charge is quick (2.5 hours to charge) and takes about 6.5 hours as promised.

The only thing someone might miss is to have the option to burn CDs / DVDs, but in my case that's no problem, since I have a PC with Linux I can do that.

Regarding the use of the same equipment as simple as a web browser, with all standard options that are expected of a modern browser and we know in Chrome.

Being Chromebook based entirely on web applications I saw the need to look what applications might need as "executable", and so far I have been able to supply all I can think, ChromeOS's help give you several alternatives to common tasks via web. Even I was surprised to find a terminal emulator (telnet, ssh) via Web, which works perfectly.

Incredible is the successful integration of hardware and software included, and the ecosystem of "applications" that has been created and also integrate well, almost without access to the small inner disc, although some seem 16Gb easily reach the conclusion that you do not need much more, considering that everything is designed for use via the web with a few options to work offline (gmail, docs, some games, etc).

In conclusion I think if you are a student, reporter, photographer or any profession that does not need to use Windows applications or business, or just love surfing the web is a great device, with everything you need , and a great price.

At least I'm happy with the purchase and I recommend it

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

First, I'll acknowledge up front that I've evaluated this Chromebook in the context of my kids who go to a school that uses google apps, and my own workplace which has also migrated to google apps as well. Were those factors not in play, I suppose I'd find this machine somewhat less useful.

With this disclaimer out of the way, my bottom line is that I couldn't be happier with this purchase. I have a nice windows laptop, our family has a nice mac laptop at home, and we have ipad, kindle fire and google nexus 7 tablets. With all those choices, I naturally find myself picking this machine up first in the living room. Battery life is great, it's light, and it happens to do well 50% of what I like to do in random moments on a machine at home (the balance of my time I'm using a kindle paperwhite -- also a great product that simply works). My kids seem to be having the same experience with the chromebook as they look to do homework, etc. They are grabbing for this machine first as well.

The same is true, to my surprise, at work. While some apps like powerpoint make me unable to envision actually giving up my laptop for work for probably several years to come, again I find myself naturally using the chromebook most of the time when both are up and running on my desk. The other interesting thing is how quickly my workflow is evolving. I can count on one hand how many times over the past several years I unplugged my laptop and brought it into a meeting. With this new machine, I find myself bringing it into meetings more often than not. I usually don't use it, but it's so light and so fast that it's a subconscious, cost-free decision to take it whether I end up using it or not.

I'd encourage anyone to give this machine serious consideration. If you are in a google apps world, I'd encourage you to give this very, very serious consideration. I have some of the same misgivings others do about living too much in any one vendor's world (in my case, that's become Google), but that vague discomfort noted I'm nevertheless sold.

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

This is a fantastic notebook for a college student on a budget. It starts up quickly, is extremely light and portable, runs cool, and boasts incredible battery life (I've been getting 5-6 hours with a full charge). I was worried the keyboard might feel somewhat cramped because of the Chromebook's small size (I've found this to be a major drawback of other notebooks <13 inches), and was happy to find this was not the case.

It's easy to use, intuitive, and the trackpad is excellent (really enjoying the two-finger scrolling). Most everything is run in the Chrome browser, with the Google equivalent of the Office suite and Gmail running offline. Reliance on a wireless internet connection has been widely criticized as a drawback, but with how widespread free wifi and personal hotspots have become, I don't personally have an issue with that.

If you're considering the Chromebook, it's important to understand that it is not intended to be a replacement for a full-size laptop (and certainly not a desktop computer). It's $250, and that's just not its purpose. I'm an art student who also works part-time in web development, frequently running Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Dreamweaver, so for all intents and purposes I'd be considered a "power user." I do not use the Chromebook for those tasks. I do use it for writing, internet browsing, and note-taking, and I can bring it along with me to school. So, if you're looking for extreme portability, good (though basic) functionality, and impressive battery life, this should be an excellent fit.

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

While I was always a fan of the Chromebook concept of an easy-to-use, virus free, and quick-to-start laptop via which you interacted only with web sites (which most of us do most of the time), Google pitched it wrong at first by making the darned things more expensive than PC laptops that could do much more for no more money. Potential users who avoided Chromebooks for this reason were missing the point, but still they stayed away.

With the launch of the new model Chromebook as well as the earlier Chromebox, and with some recent changes to the Chrome OS, I think that the Chromebook's time may finally have come. This is because several things have happened since the first Chromebooks were launched in 2011:

* The Chrome OS has been given a "desktop" style interface, which makes it more "familiar" to traditional PC users.
* The ability to use the Chromebook off-line (not connected to the Internet) to edit documents and to play media files from a USB stick or SD card (or from your Downloads folder) has been improved.
* Windows / Intel "ultrabooks" have come on the market; which has played into Google's hands by raising the price that users expect to pay for a sleek, fast start-up "netbook"... thus making Chromebooks now look more reasonably priced.
* The new October 2012 Chromebook is in any case much more reasonably priced, it looks nice, and it performs well.
* Finally, with the plethora of touchscheen tablets and the introduction of Windows 8, the Chromebook may have found a niche by sticking with the more traditional keyboard + touchpad + screen format.

You don't get a manual with your new Chromebook (or with any computer these days) but The Chrome Book (Second Edition) was published to coincide with the new model Chromebook.

Buy Now

Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch)

Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch)

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (3G, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

First of all, I really appreciate all the reviewers who shared their experience. Both positive and negative reviews provided great insights into an exciting new product with some unknowns. I received the 3G version of Samsung Chromebook 11.6" from Amazon a few days ago, and my experience so far has been very positive. I'll focus on less-discussed topics, i.e. Language inputs, Verizon 3G, Bluetooth, USB ports, and useful Apps for Chromebook.

Language - I write documents in English and Japanese, so the ability to input and switch between the two is very important to me. I'm very pleased with Chrome OS in this regard for two reasons. First, it's easy to add and configure multiple languages and input methods. Go to Settings, add a language, and select input methods. There appear to be more than 50 language options available. Second, it's a one-click operation (press Shift-Alt) to switch between languages. The Japanese fonts are limited at the moment, but for now, I'm very happy with this.

Verizon 3G - Since this is a cloud device and my mobile workstation, the ability to connect both WLAN and WWAN is important to me. I paid the extra $80 upfront (price difference between 3G and non-3G versions at Amazon) for the WWAN capability and 100MB/mo for 2 years included. Activating the Verizon 3G was easy and took about 3 minutes. I was connected immediately at a reasonable 2.4 Mbps download, 0.8 Mbps upload speed, measured by Speakeasy, San Francisco hub. 3G is not supposed to be used when I'm connected to both WiFi and 3G, so in theory I should be able to conserve my 100MB quota while I'm on Wifi. However, as expected, 3G was used even when Wifi was available. Wifi connection sometimes fails or takes a moment to connect/reconnect, especially waking from sleep mode. When that happens, 3G mode kicks in immediately, eating into the allotted quota. To avoid this, disable 3G while using Wifi, and enable 3G only when needed. Enabling/disabling 3G or Wifi is a simple three-click operation.

USB ports - I plugged in a USB mouse (MS 4000), and it worked without any noticeable delay. That was actually a pleasant surprise because I'm used to the Windows behavior that normally takes a few moments of checking and installing drivers. I did not see such delay in Chromebook, that's nice. I also connected my USB drive (WD 300GB) and it worked fine. A folder window popped up with all the content displayed. Both USB and USB 3.0 ports worked just the same.

Bluetooth - I tried my Bluetooth mouse (MS 5000). Unlike USB mouse, I had to go into Settings and configure Bluetooth in order to make it work. Chrome Settings is a one-stop shop for all configurations, so once you get used to it, it doesn't feel like a chore to make changes, unlike Windows . . .

Once enabled and paired a device, the mouse worked fine. However, whenever I turn off my BT mouse or put Chromebook in sleep mode, I have to wait for the mouse to reconnect, which takes about 5 seconds. The USB mouse does not have such delay. My understanding is that this Chromebook does not work with Bluetooth audio devices yet.

Useful Apps for Chromebook - Over the past few years, I gradually transitioned from using MS Word/Excel/Powerpoint to OpenOffice Writer/Calc/Impress, and now to Google Docs/Sheets/Slides. There are increasingly many useful apps, in particular I like LucidChart for diagramming, Pixlr Editor for image editing, and shiftEdit for coding in Perl, PHP, and Javascript.

Chrome Remote Desktop is a very useful tool for Chromebook, works like VNC or pcAnywhere. The response is fast, display is clear, it almost feels like I'm actually sitting in front of my main PC. It was very nice to be able to access Quickbooks, Outlook, and local files that I did not upload, while sitting in a cafe.

Speech Recognizer is a voice dictation app. It makes use of Google Chrome Speech API, wrapped in a simple Google Search-like interface. The Chromebook's built-in microphone works very well for me. I tried both English (USA) and Japanese to dictate, and the recognition accuracy was excellent.

As many of you discovered, the Chromebook is not for everyone. But soon it will find its users and become indispensable for people like me.





I thought this would just be so-so. Instead, it's exceptional and has become my all day. every day machine. Battery life great, fit and finish top notch. Love the instant on, and the extensions and apps for chrome make the thing almost 100% a replacement for a traditional laptop. Around my office they are calling this the poor man's MacBook Air. But I actually like it better than the Air. I just can't believe how inexpensive it is. It just exudes quality.

Right-clicking is a bit tricky. Other than that, wow!

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

I'm not going to go into great detail about the Samsung 11.6" Chromebook in this review. I've read many of the reviews and I can say that there are others that have covered this is great detail already. But I'll throw in my viewpoint on a few items. First, as most have indicated - This isn't a Windows PC, so if that is what you are looking to purchase (or replace), then most likely you'll find a few critical elements missing (oh, such as being able to install Windows Software) that will be a deal breaker. It is absolutely critical that purchasers of this device understand what it is and what it isn't.

So what is it? I like to call it a Web Appliance, because that's where it excels. It's a small computer with keyboard that gets you access to the Internet & Cloud based computing. So can you only use it for Web browsing? No, it can be much more than that if you are willing to move away from the Windows PC paradigm of computing and consider Apps, in particular Google Apps/Docs to do your work. If you are, then this little machine can cover (almost all) web browsing needs, (light) word processing, presentation and spreadsheet work. But you'll be using Google Docs for that effort which isn't MS Office, but for most work is sufficient.

Another sweet spot for me is the simple fact that I have had it with Windows PC, as powerful and capable as they can be, they are optimal for about 6 months.. then the SW hogs takeover and within a year or two your machine is dreadfully slow and needs a full re-format and reinstall of Windows. Then the cycle starts over. BTW, I'm a PC guy - I've only ever had MS Windows PC and still figure I need at least one functioning Windows PC in the house. I use Adobe products (Lightroom / Photoshop) and to do that I still need a full functioning Mac or PC. So devices like the Chromebook don't fully replace those, but sure simplify keeping a family of 6 up and running with basic computing needs and internet access. And moving to Cloud computing and document storage simplify data access and backup.

Negatives: I'm not concerned about things the chromebook never claimed to do. But there are some features that Chromebooks claim to do that they either don't do or don't do well. First - Printing. There is no easy way to print to (most) existing home printers. You can set it up to use Google Cloud print - it does work, but not without it's share of hassles. I do use it that way, but then I have to go to my full featured PC and log into my Google Account. Then it works seamlessly. But if your PC is in sleep mode or off, no go. The print job is queued. (The exception to this is if you have a true cloud enabled printer, then you can print directly. But for most of us that means buying a new printer as our existing printers won't have that capability.) SECOND: Streaming, such as Netflix. On the particular Chromebook device I purchased, Netflix is not supported. This seems to be a big miss by Google. They are working on it and I'm guessing it will get there, but Streaming is the future of media delivery and Chromebooks need to support it as much as possible. Streaming is a Cloud feature, right? THIRD: Keyboard/Mouse - Awesome keyboard physically, but there is a bit of a learning curve on a few items if you've only ever used MAC/PC solutions. But I'll give Google/Chrome credit - if people learn how to use both the onscreen keyboard help or the online help system, help is very much available. You just have to be a bit patient to learn the system.

We've had our Chromebook just for over a month. That's far too short a time period to make any claims as to it's stability or longevity. But our experience in my family has been positive so far. It's working for what I purchased it for. It's small, light, great battery life and works (almost) instantly on startup which means it's great for a quick glace at that email that has that address that you need as you run out the door. If you're looking for that extra device to get on the web, do email, facebook, some light word processing, then I do think Chromebook is a great solution.

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

Admit it - we live in the browser. Except for photo management and music management and a few special programs, Windows PCs are becoming irrelevant to many home users. As Steve Jobs said, PCs are "like trucks" - big, clunky and get the intended job done.

Almost all home computing around my place is on tablets, smartphones and now, this Chromebook. The build is great for a $250 device, the trackpad and its smoothness is *incredible* in Chrome OS - way better than almost every laptop PC I've ever tries (except the MacBook - nothing touches that). The screen is decent and usable, the keyboard excellent and the response around Chrome OS is just awesome.

For a general-purpose PC that does 90% of what I use traditional laptop PCs for, this thing delivers and has the battery life I've always wanted. May get a few more for around the house. Love this thing, and so does my wife. We sold her MacBook Air that she became frustrated with since it was confusing to use and sometimes crashed. She was in LibreOffice or Chrome on that thing almost all the time anyway. So, sold it and nearly paid for an iPad 4 and this Chromebook. So awesome.

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

Ever wonder what all those keys are for that you don't use on the keyboard? Well this awesome Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) does not waste space with these unnecessary keys!

Having said that you will need to learn just a little bit about the new key setup. But the efficiency of the whole Chromebook will make up for it completely.

I have a Google Nexus 7 Tablet (16 GB) But I needed to have full screen view of websites with the full-blown Chrome browser, this Chromebook delivers that.

It is ultra simple to set up. Yesterday I walked into a restaurant with Wi-Fi, opened up my Chromebook and within seconds was online!

Do you ever have that dread of opening up your laptop knowing that it is going to take time to setup and find a place to plug in? You will not with this little machine. I really can do some work for 15 min. close lid and walk away without even having to worry about turning it off.

Battery life. I love the battery life! I haven't even taken the charge cord with me for the past couple of days.

The only negative I would have about this is the size of the screen. Although at the same time that's why I have a Chromebook instead of a 17 inch laptop, I need portability.

As a business tool. I would buy this again in a minute! Saying something happened to it, all I have to do is buy another one login and I'm back in business. This means a lot when you're using it as a business tool.

I love simple, because simple gets done! The Chromebook is a simple and now essential business tool for me.

This is a terrific little device.

Pros:
- Hardware feels very solid
- Keyboard is nice, easy and quick to type on
- Love Chrome OS for a fast, simple experience
- Price!
- Performance - runs well for everything I've done thus far

Cons:
- None yet

I will admit, that the trackpad took a bit of getting used to, but I quite like it now. The two figure gestures are great.

The bottom line - if you're looking for a lightweight, yet powerful web browser based machine, this is it. You obviously can't do everything a Windows or Mac machine will do for you, but if your use case is such that you only need a browser, this is great and won't disappoint! Perfect machine for 90% of PC users.


Buy Now

Buy Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch)

Buy Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch)

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

I am director of a small publishing house. I've been using a $1,000 MacBook Pro 11.6 (Lion) laptop for over a year, with the Chrome browser, Gmail, and GoogleDrive as my online backup for laptop-based files of importance. I got accustomed to the trackpad (I switched the scrolling direction) and haven't used a mouse since I got my Mac. I do book production and cover design on it, sitting in the living room recliner (too far from an electrical outlet to use the adapter) but the battery runs down pretty quickly.

I wanted this Chromebook as a second machine for starting and ending my day: browsing and doing the cloud-based work I have to do, like accounting in Wave, managing social network-based marketing, ordering books, searching for cover art, reading manuscripts in Submittable, handling email, etc. My Mac with Adobe CS5 is essential for the actual book design and production, so I basically reserve its battery now for that.

What is amazing to me is how similar this Chromebook keyboard is to my MacBook Pro. The only time I realize I'm not on my Mac is when I hit what, on the Mac, is the caps lock key but on the Chromebook pops up apps. (There is no caps lock key on the Chromebook; supposedly you can press both shift keys at the same time to effect caps lock, but I guess I don't have the right touch because I can't get it to work.) Another slight difference is in how click and drag works; on the Chromebook, you hit the trackpad with your thumb, then drag.

Those who have already gotten accustomed to using Google-related commands for email, clearing the cache, and the like will be good to go without any learning curve. Chrome extensions and apps, of course, work as expected. (I am SO glad I had the prescience to realize a year ago that I definitely wanted to shift to a cloud-based approach!)

Now, a word about the quality of the monitor. I find the type on the screen to be MORE readable than on my Mac. It is much crisper and high-definition. The colors don't match between the two computers, but I'm not sure it's the Chromebook's fault. The Chromebook does seem to be able to sense how to adjust brightness based on the conditions of the room, which is helpful. Sometimes, however, my eyes start smarting, something that happens when I'm working on the Chromebook, but not on the MacBook Pro. I don't know what accounts for this. The sound is better on the Chromebook than on my Mac, especially if I use good headphones. When watching a movie, the color is a bit washed out compared to the really garishly brightly colored sets, but I prefer that.

I'm probably more of a power user when it comes to the user end of a computer, but I don't try to get in and hack things like some people do. Developer mode, need for static IP address, etc., I'm clueless about. But this is a well-built, fast, mostly no-fuss, low-cost and very light-weight piece of work with a long-lasting battery, which is exactly what I wanted. That I also got a seamless experience shifting from one machine to the other for a quarter of what my MacBook Pro cost? That's priceless!

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

Chromebooks are a new concept in personal computers and it's important that you're aware this isn't a "normal" computer. However, if what you need to do is limited to working in a web browser and you want a high-value computer (inexpensive), these are superb for a number of reasons:
- On a windows/mac laptop if you lose it you're almost certainly losing some data/customization. With a chromebook you can buy a new one, login and you're back to normal. You could easily mix up your and your kid's chromebook and not notice with the exception of stickers.
- You need not manage software. I'm a software engineer and it drives me nuts having to apply updates and patches and troubleshoot why I can't delete files in windows, etc. These problems are just not there on a chromebook.
- Guest computer. Not something I thought I'd care about, but it's really nice to be able to hand this to someone visiting. It's on your network and they can login with their own account or use the guest mode. A friend of mine was really amazed when his various chrome plugins and bookmarks appeared.

On the downside:
- Chromebooks are not extremely fast. However, the battery life is excellent and it's quite inexpensive which make up for it. Perhaps if they are popular enough faster versions will emerge. I have no problem playing YouTube in full screen, but compared to my primary computer (a high eng macbook pro; over 10x the price) it feels somewhat sluggish.
- There are specific things you expect a computer to do which won't work, or which will need some special hardware or effort. For example:
- Printing. You _can_ print, but will need a "cloud-ready" printer which you probably don't have OR will need to print via another computer which has cloud-print software setup.
- Legacy software. You can't use any software that you'd install from media. Basically anything that this computer will do needs to be in the operating system (chromeos, which will improve over time), or software which is implemented as a web application. The capabilities of this kind of software is improving as well but you're not going to be able to run things like quicken, word, photoshop, etc. You can likely find web-variants of this kind of software but it will be different and likely more limited than what you're used to -- at least for awhile.

I've also owned an earlier Chromebook, the cr-48 and while the "matte black" finish of that unit had it's charm, the Samsung is superior in every way that matters.

In summary: If you understand the limitations and benefits of this model you'll be extremely pleased with ChromeOS and the Samsung chromebook.

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

As I am typing this review with this product I can say that I absolutely love it! It is absolutely perfect for my needs. I'm not a "tech geek" or anything but I definitely appreciate being able to have a laptop which is extremely lightweight and so easy to bring with me just about everywhere. As a college student, this compact device is better than having a tablet as it is compatible with certain programs which the tablet I have is not. It is just as convenient, but more useful to me.

I love how simple and quick everything is. Start up is within seconds, no loading screens, no nonsense. Log in and go. Also, shutting down is only seconds as well. My previous laptop had issues with shutdown and I couldn't close the screen until it was completely shut down or else it would interrupt the process. That usually took a few minutes. With the Chromebook, it's click, shut, and go. And shutting down rather than just closing saves battery life, even though that really is not an issue. While being used, it's currently calculating I have 90% battery left which adds up to 7 hours and 12 minutes. This is just great!

With the exception of getting used to the placement of the keys on the keyboard (slightly different from a standard keyboard) I really enjoy how quiet typing is. I can sit and work on emails or papers in the library or at night without disturbing anyone because the keys aren't making a loud ticking noise as I am typing.

Another feature, which was a huge selling point as I have had issues in the past, is the lack of fan and moving parts. It is very frustrating to have a laptop which can't be placed in your lap because it gets too hot. This laptop is always cool, which the exception of one spot which is barely lukewarm.

Getting use to the smaller screen and type was an adjustment at first, but there is a setting feature which allows you to enlarge the type on a page without having to zoom into the screen which I like.

Essentially, the Chromebook is great! It takes a little bit of getting used to but the adjustment only takes a short time. I'm sure there are some other things I haven't discovered and I haven't had a chance to get a good look through all of the apps available. The only small complaint that I have is the inability to stream on Netflix. I guess it's not compatible with the OS yet but they're working on it. But it's only a small complaint because I can use my tablet to watch Netflix and in that case I'm able to work on the laptop while watching movies and shows considering both of them are small and don't take up too much space.

Overall, I am very happy with my new "toy." I've been bringing it with me everywhere I go!

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

For $250 I got a thin, light weight laptop with a real keyboard with a full featured browser. This Chromebook is quicker and has smoother video playback than the original Samsung Chromebook, which I bought a year and a half ago. Granted if you are a gamer thus requiring high performance graphics this is not a laptop for you. But if all you do is surf the web (email, news, Facebook) and stream video the Chromebook is perfect. Plus, with Google docs you can do most of the common Microsoft Office tasks. For about two years now I have used Google docs exclusivity for all my office needs. Also, if you need to share what you are working on with someone using Office, you can export and import from Office to Google docs. The best part is Google docs is free... with Microsoft you have to play for Office, Windows, plus the cost of a more expensive computer, which will be outdated in 3 years. Again for $250 you can not beat this. Finally, you get 100GB of Google drive storage for free for two years (a value of $5 / month).

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

So, the chromebook pixel came out today, and honestly I don't get it. Unless Google has something crazy planned for I/O in May, the Samsung series 3 is what you want. This value proposition is unbeatable. You're getting a shockingly high quality laptop for 250 dollars.

Build
It looks absolutely excellent. Many reviews rave about it's lightness, and I was somewhat worried it would feel too light, to the extent of feeling cheap. It's almost perfect.

Keyboard
Some will love this keyboard, I think it doesn't have quite enough resistance, but it's nice enough and gets the job done. I'm a little spoiled coming from a mechanical keyboard.

Trackpad
Big enough, quality enough, responsive and has good two finger scrolling. A little loud on clicks, but if that's an issue, you may just become a tapper and not a clicker.

Display
From reading the reviews I thought the display would be horrible. In reality I think it's quite excellent. I prefer a matte display, and this one is a perfectly fine matte display with enough brightness and enough viewing angles.

Battery life
One of the prime selling points of this device, and for me almost any other. The battery life on this computer is superb. Much better than my nexus 7, much more capable too. Even with decent brightness, it seems like this thing lasts forever compared to my windows 8 upgraded pc.

What it boils down to is, what are you looking for? Honestly, when was the last time you were on a PC and not connected to the internet? What applications do you use that aren't available online? Have you tried experimenting with chrome webapps to see if there is an adequate alternative out there to your favorite offline application? I've found that everything I need and more is available as a webapp and have been impressed with the level of capability available online for free. It's truly amazing. I highly recommend this product as well as the chrome OS. Very impressed.

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Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) Reviews

Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) Reviews

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

I hunted for this Chromebook at Bestbuys all over Texas and finally managed to get my hands on one.

First Impressions

As I opened my Chromebook up for the first time I was pleasantly surprised by the well laid out keyboard. The spacing of the keys is a nice touch and reminds me greatly of a Macbook. Once I pressed the power button I was greeted with the login screen in under 10 seconds which is quite astounding. I could get on the internet within seconds of powering on the Chromebook and came with about 50% charge straight out of the box.

Software

The Chrome OS is basically the Chrome browser on any computer with a few slapped on features to actually make it a functioning OS. It has the standard WiFi settings and Bluetooth enable feature of most laptops and other than that the OS is pretty restricted. It has apps which can be downloaded from the Chrome web store, but the portfolio is quite small. It has an even thinner offline apps portfolio. The Chromebooks truly shine when they are connected to the internet and without it are very limited in capabilities. Google Docs typed while offline conveniently sync to the Google ecosystem the next time the internet is accessed. It comes with built-in virus protection, but I remain skeptical of the prominence of the feature as for how long can it keep up with the times.

Design

The Chromebook comes with 1 USB 2.0 port, 1 USB 3.0 port(which is greatly welcomes for the price), 1 HDMI port, a headphone/mic port, and an SD card slot. It comes with 16GB of SSD storage and 100GB of Google Drive online storage. The Chromebook resides as fan less due to the processor being one that typically resides within tablets and smartphones. It uses the all new dual-core Samsung Exynos 5250 which is based on the all new A-15 ARM architecture, but do not be fooled by its two measly cores because it can wipe the floor with all current gen quad-core tablet and smartphone processors. The processor was mainly designed with smartphones and tablets in mind and is extremely power efficient which is prominent in the battery life. Those less tech savvy could easily mistake the device for a Macbook when they haven't seen the lid. The camera on the device for video chat is not HD, but does get the job done. The Caps Lock key is gone and replaced by the Apps Drawer button button which quickly allows one to access all of their apps. Although, this key can easily be remapped back into it's original state as the Caps Lock key. I personally have favored the Apps Drawer button for quick access to all my apps. The device is extremely thin in nature, but is only allowed to be so by the hinge which protrudes from the top. The device is light and can easily be carried with one hand. The screen picture is decent at best and the screen does not get too bright. The speakers are sadly at the edge of the Chromebook underneath and can easily be muffled.

Battery Life

While on the go I have managed to achieve 6-7 hours of battery life. To my surprise I found out that it only used a 2-cell battery. To those unaware, a typical Windows laptop utilizes a 6-9 cell and strains to reach such a feat that the Chromebook has achieved. The Chromebook has gotten quite hot on me as I used video services such as Netflix and Amazon Instant Video while charging the device, but this was to be expected.

Performance

While using the Chrome browser I have noticed that it does stutter while over 8 tabs are open due to its low 2GB of ram. This was to be expected and I do not suggest keeping other tabs open while doing anything that utilizes the flash player such as video streaming. Other than that there is not much to say as the entire Chrome OS centralizes itself around the Chrome web browser. It connects pretty quickly to my WiFi network as soon as I open it. While on the go I use my phone as a mobile hotspot which allows me to use the Chromebook practically everywhere so I am always connected to the internet and never hinders the constricted Chrome OS.

Final Thoughts

It is a great 2nd computer and for those that only need to use the web browser and type up documents. It has helped me complete assignments while away from hope and is a great on the go computer. That said, the Chromebook is also extremely limited on its capabilities while it is not connected to the internet. For a quick preview into the Chrome OS, open up the Chrome web browser and ask yourself, can you live solely within the browser and a few offline apps? In my opinion, for the price, it can't be beat.

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

my wife has a macbook air which set me back over a grand. i could not pay that much again but i also wanted a light and easy to use machine for myself. i also wanted it to be very thin with a solid state HD. well, this thing is awesome and all for $250. the only concern i had was if i could use it offline. when i realized that i could, i was thrilled.

for 90% of what i do on my notebook, it does for little money PLUS takes up little space in my bag PLUS is light weight.

I've used it for three hours and I already am used to it fully.

can you tell im very happy :)

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

I got this because the add on's appeared to make it a value. And I like Chrome. We travel a fair bit and most of our travel needs can be handled by this machine. When I got it, I found it was like other reviewers had mentioned. Up and running in less than 2 minutes with a 75% charge even though they say its not charged.I was disappointed when I could not get Amazon Prime unlimited videos on it, then with a little searching it appeared to be an Amazon issue, not Chrome. Today it is fixed for me and everything works. If you use Gogo inflight and google drive, then the price to you will be about $20 to buy this device. I just got back from a trip to DC and the 1 segment price for gogo at a value price was $10 for 3 hours. I was on my 11" mac air. This device appears to come with 12 GoGo passes to be used before 2015 (12 x $10=$120). It also comes with 100 gb of Google drive. Google drive is $5 a month for 100 GB of storage. So if you put the 12 GoGo passes ($120) and two years of google drive 100 gb a month ($120) that makes this machine cost $20. You can do the math for yourself if you do not think you will use either google drive or gogo. After using my mac air for 2.5 hours, and now using this machine to write this review, the feel is similar. I like it. YMMV.

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

The Samsung Chromebook (Series 3 - late 2012) is a pretty great device, only if you can operate on the web alone. Offline capability is fairly weak, consisting of a few offline sync systems and limited media playback. The design is very sleek, the screen isn't amazing but it is a fairly high quality panel and 1366x768 @ 11.6" is a decent pixel density. Speakers are pretty mediocre, but I wasn't expecting much. The processor in this is ARM based, a Cortex-A15 PoP SoC, the Exynos 5250. This means that the processor is very efficient and the device is dead silent, requiring no fan. It's also very capable, all things considered. Videos and web browsing may not be as smooth as an iPad in many cases. All in all I feel like the hardware is a steal at $249, but Google wants you to live in their ecosystem. If you can't do that, it's probably not for you.

Keyboard shortcuts are extremely helpful for getting around, but not necessary. There are lots of features to take advantage of, but it only took me a couple of minutes to set everything up the way I wanted. Much like Android 4.0+, it seems like the OS was designed to suit a power user, but at the same time be very friendly to a simple user of the device.

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

Can't add much more technical details - plenty of people have covered it. However, want to make clear to people considering this purchase: know what you are buying. You cannot run Windows applications and if you need to, get something else. Personally, I was already entrenched in the Google web apps - have used GDocs exclusively for a couple of years. If you work on several devices, GDrive is the easiest ever. My last netbook was an Asus. I consider this along the lines of a netbook as it is lightweight and inexpensive. It has a perfect size for my older eyes in comparison to my netbook- it seems much bigger. It works great. No, the screen is not the absolute best. No, it is not made of aluminum, but it feels as sturdy as any laptop/netbook I have owned. For 250 bucks, this is looovely! I am very happy with this purchase.

For teachers - you can run Power School by downloading an extension called RNDR. Download your gradebook. Go to your downloads and click on the http link, not the download. It will open the RNDR page and then the gradebook - it is a bit slower opening, but then works the same. I'm sure there are other java apps that people need to use and this extension should work. If there is one that you need to use a lot, google the name and chromebook and you can confirm if it works from posts.

I want to reiterate- buy this expecting a netbook with a bigger screen and great form factor. This is not a cheap Mac, nothing like it. You are not going to have popping images on this little laptop, but you can get work done and feel confident that if you lose it, it gets stolen or your kid drops it down the stairs, you are not going to lose all your work nor cry due to your loss.

Have fun, everybody.

Editing to say a few more things. After using this for a couple of days, I like it more and more. The keyboard is great. Took me a while to get use to the two finger scrolling on the track pad and was concerned about that, but now it feels normal. Going between my Nexus 7 and this, I was a bit worried about the resolution and mat screen on this, but again that has proven to be no big deal - the mat screen is better for working in sunlight by far. There is a slightly more yellow (not like yellow-yellow, just not that bright white of Nexus/tablets) to the screen that concerned me, but again, even that seems to make more sense for extended typing, etc - it is just not as bright/straining on your eyes.

Also, the desktop sharing app works GREAT! Full screen and I'm practically using my Ubuntu desktop on this thing. Love that!

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

From the time this product was announced, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. A laptop revolved around a web browser with 1000's of apps is a genius idea and to put at $250 price tag with it made it even better.

The second I opened the box, the thin and light form factor for the 11.6" Chromebook really wowed me. It's clearly not built like a MacBook but it honestly looks really nice and feels solid. The keyboard feels very nice and I don't see any lag while typing. I also really enjoy the search, back, forward, full screen, and switch windows buttons built in to the keyboard. They're very useful. The screen looks good. It's not great but I still enjoy watching videos and movies on it. As you may have heard, the viewing angles aren't great. The colors get skewed if you're not right in front of the device, But how often are you going to be watching a movie at 60 degree angle? While were still in the hardware department, the trackpad feels nice but I wish it were better. I'm a very fast scroller and sometimes it doesnt keep up with me. There is a setting to make trackpad speed faster and that helped alot but it's still not perfect.

The Chrome OS software is beautiful. It's everything you already have in Chrome on you're current computer but everything is integrated. The startup time is ridiculous and the ability to let your friends sign in to their account knowing they can't access your data is awesome. All browsing is smooth and effortless. There's an app or plugin for pretty much anything you would ever need. The Google Docs are a perfect alternate for Microsoft Office which I've been using for at least 5 years.

Two problems I've faced that I really hope to see fixed asap is that there is no ability to upload music to Google Music and Xfinity TV online doesn't play. However, that is Xfinity's fault. It's not like there's a plugin that the Chromebook can't get, it's that Xfinity doesn't support this version of Google Chrome yet. The inability to upload music to Google Music is because Google wants you to buy everything on the Play Store but we know that's not going to happen. You can download music and listen to it on the device itself but I can't figure out a way to get it to Google Music yet.

All in all, its a really awesome device that I think everyone should try. Save you're money, get a Chromebook and sweet tablet and you'll be all set.

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

The review of many products is misguided and off base because of a lack of understanding as to what the review should be. If your buying an SUV you want to know how well the car performs carrying, cargo and maybe off road functions; you do not care about zero to sixty times or the like. Its a classic mistake. Same for the Samsung Chromebook. I bought one and love it...because it does what I expected and needed. I do not care that its not good at large files, or spreadsheets, or playing movies or games. I wanted a light weight, simple, easy to use, device that would let me search web news sites, look up information, and read email. And do it all with no complex BS. The Chromebook does all those things and very well. If you want a machine that is just a delight to use for simple things, this is it. Get one and enjoy. Oh, and please don't review it as if it was a $2,000 PC. This thing is simply wonderful for the simple needs and us simple people.


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Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) Reviews

Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) Reviews

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

I have purchased many, many, many things from Amazon however this is my first time I have placed a review.

I will make this short.

This machine is amazing for $249.
The keyboard is the best keyboard I have ever used.
The touchpad is awesome.
The speakers are loud. Not what an audiophile would appreciate however my 3 year old can hear his youtube stuff in a room with other noise.
I like to use multiple browser windows versus a single browser window with mutilple tabs. I have 10 windows open with each having maybe 2 to 4 related tabs and I have no slow down at all.
The quality is very good and solid.
The screen is plenty bright.

This thing is a crazy good deal.

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

Do you really need to spend $1,000 on a MacBook Air (and yes, I have one)? If you don't define yourself by a brand, then I think the answer is, maybe not.

The differences? While the Chromebook may be plastic vs aluminum, the keyboard is very similar. I'm not a display snob so I find the Chromebook's screen fine. To use an automotive analogy, the Chromebook screen is more Nissan than Mercedes in quality, but it is incredibly functional. We use computers for email, research, bill pay and homework. All of those tasks can be done on the Chromebook very easily. Each person can have their own cloud account and personalized the experience simply by logging in. Writing and data entry is quite easy with the great keyboard. You can't do that on a tablet unless you buy a separate keyboard. You may find installed programs that reside on your MacBook Air that haven't yet been replicated on the web, but there aren't many.

If you have tons of stuff on your hard drive, you'll have to train yourself that the hard-drive is now in the cloud. But heck, many of us have used Dropbox for years. I also have 4 back-up storage drives that I've used every time we moved stuff from one computer to the next. Now some of those are failing. The cloud solves storage more elegantly and effectively than an external hard drive.

For email, I recently redirected our custom family email domain to Google, and find the Gmail interface with our custom email address quite fantastic.

Another issue folks may face is music management. While Apple dominated that market for years, the cloud has changed the concept of music storage and play. Stream it on your phone or you computer from the cloud and get the music off your desktop. With Amazon Cloud Player and Google Play you can free yourself from the other expensive music options.

I'm not bashing Apple, and working at a online software company I used them as an example of great design. I've also owned 8 Apple computers over the past 10 years. Yet, with the Chromebook you get a get a great cloud experience and can save the $800-1000 dollars. That will be big market driver for a generation who find money somewhat tighter than in the past. It also seems like the perfect new category of computer for businesses that have employees doing sales, customer support, and order management.

I'm impressed. The Chromebook is light, more functional than a tablet, less expensive than a laptop and easy to use. It's a Cloud-Powered "Laplet" (Laptop / Tablet).

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

Although it took a little getting used to, I have quickly become attached to my Chromebook. I use my Mac for hours every day for work, and of course it is my favorite. My Chromebook however, has quickly become my "anything but design or coding" computer. I've had no issue with the lack of native apps or programs, as I can quickly pop open Chrome Remote Desktop and have my Mac in full screen.

The keyboard is fantastic, and feels very familiar to anyone using a modern Apple keyboard. It's very thin, fast, light, and sturdy. The screen is not the best, but it is certainly not bad either.

For the price, this will be one of your most redeeming impulse buys ever.

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

Just got my Chromebook this afternoon. I've fiddled with it nonstop for about 5 hours and have come away quite pleased. First let's describe what this is: a cheap laptop to browse the web and send a few emails while using a lightweight Linux based, Google developed OS - Chrome OS. Having said that, I sent some emails, I browsed the web non-stop, watched a 1080p video, configured a couple VPNs, connected to 5Ghz 802.11n and did a speed test on my home network, and listened to Pandora nonstop, all while having it unplugged (after a full charge of course) to see how the battery held up. Here's what happened.

Web Browsing - Great experience, web pages loaded fairly quickly and I was able to keep upwards of 7 tabs open in Chrome without many problems. I left Pandora running the entire time I was browsing. This would cause some weird issues where Pandora would stop playing, I would have to click on the Pandora tab and it would reload the whole tab, and then start playing again. I replicated this 3-4 times. I found that closing a couple tabs made Pandora behave a little better. Probably a symptom of having such a resource light laptop, but that's to be expected - especially at this price.

Speakers - The speakers themselves are pretty bad. You can turn them all the way up and just not really think they are turned all the way up. They fire directly into your lap, so the sound is absorbed quite easily by pants or blanket material that is in the way. Having said that, they would be more than adequate to watch a movie in bed or listening to music as long as you aren't looking for a hi fidelity experience.

Battery life - I left it unplugged for about 2.5 hours, listened to music, watched about 5 minutes of a movie file, watched various YouTube clips, did some configurations of the OS itself, and did a couple speed tests, all while web browsing non-stop. Under this pretty intensive work load I was left with 64% battery life left. My calculations tell me this would give me a 6.5 hour battery life. That is exactly what Google and Samsung claim, and I can live with that. Very impressive, especially for being such a light and thin device.

Wifi Speed - I connected to my home 802.11n access point, using the 5Ghz radio, and was able to attain 30+ Mbps download and 20+ Mbps upload speeds using speedtest.net. Pretty great, I don't think the wifi speed will ever be a bottleneck for me.

VPN - I was able to configure multiple VPN connections after a few hiccups. I confirmed these connected were working by checking my IP address location using [...]. Configuration was relatively painless and Chrome OS seems to support OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec + PSK, and L2TP/IPSec + User Certificate options.

User Accounts - The Chromebook supports multiple user accounts, which is cool. However there seems to be some usability issues. I signed in and set up the VPN connections, sync'd my Chrome extensions and messed around. Then I let my wife log in with her account and things got weird. It prompted something about using a different password for her than last time (this was her first time ever logging onto a Chrome OS device). Then I logged her out (it doesn't support account switching) and logged back in under my account, it gave me the same error about using a different password than last time I logged in (it was the same password I used the first time) and then I noticed my VPN connections were gone, and I opened Chrome to find it was syncing my extensions again like I had never done it before. However my background and user icons were what I had set them to earlier. Also, my wife and I both use two factor authentication (TFA) with our Google accounts. Logging in to the Chromebox will prompt you for a TFA code after entering your username and password, however there is no "trust this computer" option as there is with Windows machines and even certain Google applications within Android. This is a convenience vs. security issue, however it should be up to the user whether or not they trust the computer they are signing in to.

Keyboard and Trackpad - Both work just fine, the keyboard is a little small but it is very usable and the trackpad is great. You get used to two finger scrolling in a minute even dragging is easy to do.

Screen - The screen is small, and the resolution isn't great. The viewing angles are also not great. Definitely a big concession to the price.

Charger - The charger has an absurdly small connector. I have personally ruined two laptops because the power connector became loose when connecting. I will definitely have to be careful with this.

Overall I am very happy with my purchase. I know that Chrome OS is a work in progress and I look forward to seeing the improvements over time, just like Android, and Chrome, and all the other wonderful things that Google does. I hope Netflix support is added soon (they promise that it is) and that the large influx of Chrome OS users from this devices give Google reason to work even harder on fixing the bugs and adding features. If you know what you are buying, both in the software and hardware, and realize you are paying $250 for it, you will be pleased too.

P.S. I would pay another $50-$100 to add a back-lit keyboard and a better screen. Hopefully there will be some more tiers of Chromebooks coming out soon.

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

(since this Chromebook was sold out on Amazon, I bought it at my local Best Buy)

Here are my initial thoughts:

Starting it up was a breeze. The computer had to update the system, which only took a few minutes. I then signed in to my google account and I had all my emails, documents, and music waiting for me in the cloud. It is as simple as they advertise it to be.

THE HARDWARE:

First thing you notice: It is so light! Absolutely perfect for traveling. I was very impressed with how smoothly the laptop opened. It opens and closes very fluidly - a problem I've had with previous laptops. The keyboard is a dream to type on. It exactly mirrors that of a Mac keyboard - both in looks and in overall feel. I bought this laptop primarily for writing, so this was a huge deal for me. The trackpad is okay. Multi-touch works fine. The size of the trackpad is great. The problem: when you 'click' on the trackpad it makes an unusually loud noise. I've had to learn to tap-to-click just to avoid the noise.

As another reviewer pointed out: there is 'give' on the edge of the palm-rest. If pressure is applied to the area right of the trackpad a slight clicking noise occurs. It is not a major problem, but it does show a minor flaw in the build quality.

The speakers on this device are rather poor. The bass sounds muffled and the higher-pitched audio sounds tinny. Part of the reason they sound like this is because the speakers are located on the bottom of the device...however, they sound poor mostly because they are cheap speakers. Thankfully, the Chromebook comes with a headphone jack.

The screen is nothing incredible, but for the price, it works perfectly. Hi-Def youtube videos look very Hi-Def. Pictures look vibrant. The matte display makes it easy to work in high light. It's definitely not retina-display quality, but again, for the price it's quite good. The webcam is awful. It lags, the picture quality is terrible. To me, the webcam itself seems unnecessary. The 6.5 hours of battery life is relatively correct. I wish that the battery lasted longer, yet, as with most of my complaints, given the price it is completely understandable. The computer barely gets warm. I've had laptops get so hot that they melt the plastic and yes, I had to put the computer ON ICE! The Chromebook has no moving parts, thus no fan, thus it stays very cool and quiet.

THE 'SOFTWARE':

Being my first Chromebook I was wary of an OS that was primarily based around the web. But thus far, I've found that it's nothing too different from a regular computer, just that your hard-drive is in the cloud. The 'Cloud' does concern me, however. There are privacy issues and security concerns that linger in the back of my mind. I'm hopeful that Google will continue to follow its 'Don't Be Evil' slogan AND that they make sure the cloud stays secure.

And to the people saying that you can't do anything offline with this Chromebook: there are 16gb of space on this computer solely for offline activity. You can take movies, photos, documents, music on the go and play/edit them without needing a web connection. There are a slew of offline programs in the ChromeStore.

The interface is exactly what I have been looking for in a computer for years: a smooth, uncluttered, and simple UI that looks nice. I hate files on the desktop and a menu-bar on the top or bottom of the screen. ChromeOS is elegantly simple and allows you the ability to keep everything perfectly organized and clean.

There is a drawback to the simplicity: google's offline music app is TOO simple. I would love a designated program that is devoted to organizing my media files located on the 16gb hard-drive. I hope this feature is included in future updates.

*If anyone from Google reads this: There is no way to get rid of the 'For quick access, place your bookmarks here...' box on the 'new tabs' page. I don't use bookmarks, and I find the box to completely interfere with the simple look of the interface. Please find a way for us to remove this bar*

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Overall, for the price, this is an incredible computer. The hardware is far more than what you'd expect for $250. The keyboard is wonderful, the trackpad and screen are nice. The OS is simple yet powerful. This computer is not meant to be a replacement for a tablet or a primary computer. This is a computer for people who want a simple OS, a physical keyboard, all at a nice price. It is perfect for web browsing, emailing, and writing documents. It suits my needs perfectly. If Google/Samsung continue to make top-quality products like this I will surely stay a loyal customer to them.

5/5

UPDATE (11/13/12):

I've noticed, in the last few days, a lag in the speed of the chromebook. When I first got this chromebook the internet was lightning fast - now, even after I shut it down and restart it, it is very slow. I was hoping this was just a problem with my internet, but the internet is still lightning fast on my imac. Also, it is starting to get slow when I open documents.

The battery life is very consistent, 6-6 1/2 hours of time is enough for two or three days of casual web browsing and writing.

I LOVE the cloud: I'm still grateful that I can open a doc in the chromebook, and see that very same document on my iphone and/or imac in seconds. I'm still bummed that the onboard music 'app' is so bare-bones. It's irritating when you're away from your internet and you have to rely on the 'folders' app for music organization. I watched an Mpeg-4 movie (located on an SD card): Every 4 seconds the video seemed to speed up and then slow back down to normal speed. It's a very odd glitch that I hope was remote to just that one file (though when played on my imac it did not have this problem).

I'm keeping my review at 5 stars because this is still one very powerful computer for the price. It's simple to use, fun to have around when watching television, great to travel with.

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Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) Review

Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) Review

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

Not since the early 1990's have I considered using a different OS other than Windows. But today is a new day and after many years of having my explorer freeze up or the constant update notification, I was ready for something else! I've dabbed in Linux and apple but Linux felt unfinished and Macs are simply over priced for the extra benefit. Here comes chrome OS at a price of $249 for a laptop that looks much more expensive and performs well.

Here is the deal. Chrome OS is not windows so do not expect it to work like windows or do what windows does. Chrome is simply a web based OS that allows you to use Chrome store apps, which are essentially web apps. Yes you can do this in windows and in fact you will be able to do everything this computer does in Windows, but windows has too much bloat. You need more computer to run as smoothly in windows and again, the updates, the virus scans, malware, and so on is still prevalent in all windows.

Most web apps are free which comes as a benefit of leaving windows behind. Like android you will find that most webapps are free to use. I'm not a person who can't afford to buy programs but why buy them when you can get them for free? These web apps are cute, awesome, and some of them you would never have discovered if it wasn't for the chrome store, and that's the beautiful thing about chrome. Chrome lets you venture out of the grip which is windows.. We are already locked in the business world to using windows, this allows you to at least personally free yourself from the Pc world.

Why would you buy this over a tablet? The tablet is an amazing device. I have a galaxy tab for myself and an ipad for my 2 year old daughter and without a doubt they are wonderful devices to consume information. You can scroll through Pulse flawlessly, read the news easily, watch videos laying down in the comfort of your bed, and consume just about anything the web has in store for you. The key word is CONSUME. The tablet is great to consume but try writing something like this review, a blog post, create a spread sheet, edit a video, or you get the point. This Chrome book and all Pc's in general are great to produce things and not just consume the web. All in all you can produce things much easier on this device than other platforms in the same price point and with its lightweight design take it anywhere you need to take it. After buying this laptop my galaxy tab sits by my nightstand as a reader because now I can produce and consume easily in this chromebook.

Finally the cloud is the reason many say this chromebooks fails and the reason to purchase. To use the cloud you have to be connected to the internet and this chromebook feels limp without the internet. But wait a minute, I have tethering on my phone, wifi in my house, wifi at work, my business, and most places I eat also have free wifi. The reality is I can have internet anywhere I want with my phone or super high speed just about anywhere else I find my self with free wifi all around us now days. I would say that you really should have tethering on your phone to not feel constraint on this device. When is the last time you were without your phone? Now comes the best part of the cloud and chromebook. Chrome OS almost forces you to use the cloud and this is not such a bad thing. Too many times you will find you have double files, copies of thing here and there, and basically you get a new computer you lose some of that info, with the cloud all you will need is one copy and it will always be with you. It's a permanent hard drive for all your devices. No more emailing yourself spreadsheets or docs, you will simply turn on your computer and continue your work right where you left off. No more losing those beautiful photos you took on your old phone, store them once in the cloud and those memories will be with you always. Forcing you to use the cloud and get use to a new habit is not a bad thing once you see all the benefit and experience the ease of having one hard drive connecting all of your devices. Thanks for reading and as a 20 year Windows user I'm excited about finding something that brings us back to the simplicity of productivity.

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

I've been living with my Chromebook (CB) for a few days and without going as deep as some here, here's some bullet points:

Amazing form factor - almost identical to an 11 inch Macbook Air but personally I prefer the feel of the plastic - I feel similarly about my Samsung Galaxy S3 over an iPhone too.

So light and small compared to my HP DM4 or really anything but a tablet.

Instant start up into Chrome OS is a convenience that now makes jumping on my W7 laptop a frustrating experience.

Keyboard is phenomenal. At my desk I use a full size Logitech keyboard but I find going the the CB keyboard very natural.

Trackpad is up there with the best in the business.

Screen - decent - its no retina display but does the job and I like the matte finish.

Build quality - really good. Yes there's a little give if you push hard enough on the shell and keyboard but quality is way beyond what you would expect for the price.

Chrome OS. - I am deeply embedded in Google Apps for email / calendar / contacts / web browsing and do about 90% of my work in the Chrome browser so I am loving the simplicity of the Chrome OS and CB.

MS Office etc - I do a lot of work in Powerpoint and some image and layout work with Adobe CS. Unfortunately at the moment the CB is not going to replace my Windows laptop at my desk but I can use Chrome Apps and Office Online apps in a pinch for some of that work if I need to on the road.

Chrome Apps - I suggest spend some time checking out the Chrome App Store. There is everything from enterprise to productivity software and a ton of entertainment and games.

Music - subscribe to RDIO or Rhapsody and with a wifi connection your music needs are covered.

Kids - I set up my kids Google Accts and am happy to hand it over and let them log in without having to worry about any of my files / settings etc. In fact I'm probably going to buy them each one for the holidays.

As a second computer for traveling or running out to meetings this is a no brainer for $250. Also great for using on roadtrips for the kids to watch movies or play games - just load up an SD card or USB stick with media.

My hope is that the cheap price and Google Apps for Education means that more schools get computers in the hands of more pupils. Definitely a game changer.

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

A review of the new $ 249 Google Chrome Book

Google has introduced a new portable computer - they call it the perfect additional computer - and I see it as a paradigm shift in the role of a portable computing device.

The new Samsung Chrome Book has an 11.6-inch full color display. It weights 2.42 lbs and is .7 inches thin. It has a battery life of over 6.5 hours and runs on a Samsung Dual processor with 100 GB of online Google Drive space. It features a web cam with USB and HDMI ports and is Bluetooth compatible. It runs the Chrome OS, which means it has Google apps built in, and is priced at $249.

I think it's one of the most remarkable product introductions I've seen in my 35 years working in the PC industry.

This new Chrome Book re-defines what a portable computer can do and how it can be used, and is completely based on the concept of Cloud Computing . It works right out of the box, has no moving parts, and has built-in anti-virus protection.

Google has created a complete infrastructure for cloud computing; Google Chrome browser for surfing the web, Google email, online google docs application software compatible with MS Office apps, google drive to store whatever documents you want in the cloud, free downloadable apps such as google voice for phone calls and video conferencing with webcam, and dozens of other applications. And of course the Google Search Engine. All the software you need is in the Google Cloud.

I've had 5 portable computers over the years and I bought each one to be an additional computer to my office computers. But now you don't need a bulky expensive laptop computer with a big hard disk and Microsoft Office installed on it.

I had also bought an IPad as a possible new portable computing device. Trying to use my Ipad for email and type on the glass was maddening. I couldn't get it to print as I didn't have an Apple Airprint compatible printer, and I was shocked to learn that I could only buy music and media through Apple Itunes.

I could easily print to any of my printers with the Chrome Book, it has a great real keyboard, and I can buy anything from anywhere - Amazon or whatever vendor I can get the best prices from.
Placed side by side, The Macbook Air and The Google Chrome Book look almost like twins in design, keyboard and screen size.

With the Chrome Book, I can surf the web, watch Youtube videos, play games, check my email, video chat, make free phone calls, and If I want to create a letter or a spreadsheet I just use Google docs and I can store them online in Google drive. If there are files on my main computers I want to be able to access with my Chrome Book, I can upload those files to my online Google drive, and be able to access and edit them.

The new Samsung Chrome Book defines the new world of Cloud Computing and provides virtually everyone easy access to this world at an astoundingly low price. I also feel that many people could use this as their only computing device.

For Raw Bytes, this is Frank Delaney
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This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

This computer is not meant to be a desktop replacement. It is not for everyone, either, as Google's ad states. However, it is a computer that can be utilized by many people. I'll talk about the following aspects of the computer in this review: 1. Keyboard 2. Trackpad 3. Screen 4. Performance 5. What can people use it for in general? 6. Price, build quality and wrap-up

1. The keyboard on this computer is absolutely marvelous. As you may have guessed, I'm using it to type this review. The keys are spaced very evenly, and there is a reassuring *click* that makes old mechanical keyboards look like dinosaurs. One minor detail many people will notice: there seems to be no Caps Lock here. It has been replaced by a search key. However, Google is quick to tell us that we can still access the key by pressing Alt-Search. Also, no number pad, but computers of this size can't really have them due to space constraints.

2. I will always keep my mouse handy because I'm not much of a trackpad person. However, that's not to say that I'm going to do you readers a disservice and not review an important aspect of the Chromebook. This trackpad parallels the one on my dad's MacBook Air. In case that's not clear, it is the best trackpad you will get at this price point (more on that later). Suffice it to say that using it is a fluid experience that will leave all but the pickiest among us satisfied.

3. This is a 1366 x 768 matte screen. What does this mean for consumers? Let's just say it's not the best screen out there. For that, one must look no further than an iPad 4 or a Nexus 10 (both are more expensive). Once again, it's a matte screen (for more on that, look up matte vs. glossy screens on Google, Yahoo, or Bing). No dead pixels so far, videos are fine, but remember that this is a relatively small screen, so it may well be hard on your eyes. I myself am 18 years old and have decent vision, but some who will consider this should be aware that it is imperative to try to go to a local Best Buy and use it for several minutes. Rest assured, however, that the display on this computer is great for what it's supposed to be.

4. This may well be the most important section for some of us, myself included. This computer has what's called an ARM processor. It is one of the most powerful ARM processors currently available for consumers. These processors mean no fans, no noise, but possibly worsened performance. Let's look at all three of those points: it is true that there are no fans or hard drives or other moving parts of any kind in this device, and it really doesn't make any noise. As for actual performance, with just 2 GB of RAM advertised, and probably less actually available for the user, try not to open more than roughly eight to ten tabs at once. I'll be more specific: if YouTube is running, music will be choppy almost all the time if anything, and I mean anything, is loading. If Google can fix this through one of their every-six-weeks software updates, then great, but if not, know that this is what you get at such a low price point. Oh, and by the way, as for games, your mileage may vary. What I mean is that you can go ahead and try to play your favorite browser-based games, but some games will run slowly, while others will run smoothly. If you wanna play chess on the Chromebook, be my guest; I doubt it'll lag.

5. Also an important section, obviously. Chromebooks are not for everyone, as I noted before. Let's review what you can and can't do here first: you CAN create documents, slideshows, spreadsheets, and even forms that can be posted online for others to fill out (awesome feature by the way, try Google Forms, even if you don't have a Chromebook). You CAN have a calendar here with appointments and all that jazz (Google Calendar), and you CAN have reminders as well. You CAN do many things even when there is no Internet connection: documents, slideshows, spreadsheets, music, MOVIES (not YouTube videos), games that support offline play, among other things. I think it's adequate to say that Chromebooks have come a long way in terms of being able to use them offline. Moving along, you CAN'T play any games that are not in the browser (examples are World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, etc). You CAN'T use Skype, Facetime, Photoshop, or any program that has no browser mode. Off the top of my head, some more prominent examples of this include writing code for computer programs, but if that's what you do, then you probably already knew that.

6. It only costs $249 plus applicable taxes. I think that this is great. Half the price of the iPad but it can do everything that the iPad can, and it has a larger screen and a keyboard to boot (it is a laptop, after all). Also, let's not forget that this device looks almost like a MacBook Air. It's thin, light, and sleek (boy, are those words overused). It looks great in my eyes. Sure, the iPad has a much, much, sharper screen, but it's more expensive. This is the perfect workhorse/plaything/do-it-all-except-non-browser-stuff device. I'd say buy it, but before you do, do what I did: try to justify it to yourself. Don't say, "Do I want/need this device?" Instead, say, "Will I use this device for enough things to justify buying it?" The price point is low enough that many of you could do no wrong in buying the Chromebook, so go out and get one if it'll be useful to you.

This review is from: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) (Personal Computers)

I had bought the Samsung 550 (and have reviewed that too). I've been very happy with the 550, but when this new version was released at only $249 I couldn't resist buying it (I'm married to a geek, so you can never have too many gadgets around the house).

Here's what I love about this laptop - it's incredibly thin and light. However when you use it it feels big - the keyboard is a full-size one (the keyboard on the 550 is great too, but this is better) and the trackpad is huge too for a laptop this size. An improvement over the previous version is the trackpad surface - it's very smooth (almost feels like glass)which makes scrolling a breeze. Overall, the hardware is great and it looks really good (especially for the price tag)

I was not expecting any surprises with the software since my old 550 has the latest features (thanks to automatic updates). However I was pleasantly surprised by the speed of the new 550 - it boots up quickly, pages load really fast too and all in all it's great to use. There are also a few new add-ons that are an improvement as well - apps that create a Google Doc, Slide or Spreadsheet with one click, as well as a new Camera app that's a lot of fun. I hope Google releases these for my old 550 too.

All in all, I'm very happy with this laptop and highly recommend it - great features and usability for an amazing price. A great Christmas gift idea!

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