Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch)
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!
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.
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.
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
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