Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) Reviews
Great computer at just about any price. Although Chrome OS has some
limitations 99% of computer users wont ever notice them. If you mostly
browse the internet and watch movies then this is the computer for you.
Its light with a great battery and an amazing keyboard. The build
quality could be slightly better but I think if treated right this
computer should stand the test of time. As I'm writing this I have
about ten tabs open, while playing pandora and I've yet to experience
any lag. The OS is easy enough to use it only took me a couple of
minutes to get the gist of everything. It makes me wish I had never
bought my tablet, I highly recommend this product.
I've had mine for about 2 weeks now and can heartily endorse the Samsung
Chromebook (SC). I make my living off the Internet and was working
within 5 minutes of taking my SC out of the box. I can't add anything
more than all the previous posters have so I'll leave a few tips &
tricks:
ALT + backspace is the delete key
If Hulu is jerky set Hulu to HIGH, not HD or AUTO. Netflix is on the way. YouTube works fine.
The
screen is fine - gets better with use. If you stand to either side of
the SC or hang from your chandelier you can't see the image but I don't
stand to the side and I hate chandeliers so I sit in front of all my
devices and in that position the screen on the SC is fine. It would be
nice if Sammy or Google would add a contrast slider as that would bring
out the image.
I never liked standalone progs so have been in the
cloud before it was named the cloud. I put everything up on Google
Drive and it all seems to work fine - films stream okay on the SC, music
sounds good, images look cool, docs appear as they should. Put Google
Drive on all your devices and you'll have global access to all your
stuff. I haven't used SD cards, thumb drives, etc on the SC as I'll
either temporarily copy something over (like a film I want to watch on a
trip somewhere) or leave it on the Drive.
Sound is good - I
think the SC has a spatializer because it gives a surround sound effect
out of 2 small speakers. Sound is really good with headphones or through
a speaker system
A light touch on the touch pad works for me -
real gentle. Once you get used to using 2 fingers for certain options
you'll be zipping around.
Connection to WiFi was instant for me -
I know some have had problems. I set up my printer connected to my
Windows desktop on Google Cloud Print a few months ago during an idle
moment so was pleasantly surprised when I was able to print immediately
from my SC.
It's cute but it's plastic so keep that in mind if
you're going out & about and don't leave it anywhere it can be sat
on. My Sammy netbook could probably take being sat on, my Sammy
Chromebook - well, I think not, so be warned.
That's all I can
think of. The SC is a fabulous new way of computing for those of us that
live online and don't need exe progs. I can't recommend it highly
enough. Enjoy yours.
The Chromebook combined all the desired features of a laptop for travel.
The battery life is a solid 6 hours and the size is perfect for an
airline seat. Even more delightful is the Chrome OS. It boots up in
seconds and connects you directly to your Google account in the Chrome
Web Browser. Email is easy and documents come up for your work directly
in the Web Browser. The screen is bright and the keyboard is superb,
even for long typing sessions, far superior to any tablet or smart phone
keyboard. At 2.4 lbs it is a delight to carry and tote. The Case Logic
Netbook Sleeve is highly recommended as a well padded case. Otherwise,
the Chromebook fits nicely in your average briefcase.
The
technical details are even more impressive. The Exynos 5 system on a
chip dual core ARM processor is low power and fast, 32 nm technology
similar to a chip that would be used in a smart phone. This provides
long battery life. The Chrome OS is easy to use, based on a Linux
kernel, again similar to an Android Smart phone. So basically the
Chromebook is a smart phone transformed into a laptop with a great
screen and keyboard. The virtue of this is that the Chrome OS is
constantly monitored for cyber attacks by Google and routinely updated
when you log in, without requiring separate anti-virus software. It is
such a relief to be free from Windows updates and free from the constant
need to purchase and update anti-virus software.
The model I
bought contains 3G mobile networking built in for $75 extra. This
feature was well worth it and includes one year of data service at 100
mBytes/month with extra bandwidth available prepaid without contract
through Verizon at $35 a month for 3.5 GBytes. This allows you to login
and start working even if no WiFi is available.
Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch)
More
affordable than Apple's iPod Touch(!), the Samsung XE303C12-A01US
Chromebook will likely become the game-changer in the MacBook Air/Wintel
Ultrabook category of personal computing. This Chromebook has achieved a
remarkable market position when one considers the combination of its
competitive price-point, seamless cloud-based performance and battery
life, and appealing hardware design that makes even the $999 low-end
MacBook Air look like a massive rip-off.
Yes, Samsung's XE303C12
does not (yet- see Gmail Offline) run well-known applications from its
local storage, and privacy may be a concern with its cloud-based storage
of user data. But this gain in convenience usually comes at some
reduction in security, especially in the new paradigm of cloud
computing. The convenience gain: data backup and operating system
maintenance procedures are now automatic and free-of-charge, and damage
or theft to your computer will not result in major data loss. Just
change your Google password and buy another reasonably-priced $249
Chromebook and your worries are minimized. Of course, more secure
computing alternatives will always have its adherents, but for general
users (students, digital immigrant family members, tech-savvy children),
this Chromebook will provide a welcome relief to the premium hardware
"tax" that comes with most of Apple's popular computing products.
Microsoft
Office fans will be delighted to know that limited web-based versions
of Word, Excel, and Powerpoint programs can be used free-of-charge
through the Chrome browser using the free (for the first 7GB) SkyDrive
storage service. Ah, the free benefits of the cloud computing era! Will
this emerging low-cost personal computing paradigm spell the end of the
Apple/Microsoft business model dominance? It remains to be seen, but I,
for one, am grateful in beginning my investigation and eventual
investment in Google's open-source, low-cost, innovative ecosystem that
facilitates the development of 21st century digital skills for the
overall empowerment of the masses...and yes, I am writing this review on
my new Samsung Chromebook!
To begin with, I'm currently typing this review on my Chromebook, which
I've only owned for about 24 hours at this point. Still, in the last 24
hours, I've found this computer to be everything that I thought it would
be. My expectations for this were that it would be a very good second
computer (I have a four year old MacBook which is still in good working
condition, though its diminished battery life makes it impractical to
take places), and those expectations have been met and exceeded.
The Good:
-This
laptop is just as thin and light as I thought it would be. It's very
easy to carry around in my messenger bag, and feels solid enough to
survive any bumps my bag might have. Its portability was a very
important factor in my decision to purchase this laptop, and it has been
absolutely on point with my expectations. It's half the weight of my
MacBook and probably a third of the weight of my work laptop (which I
have to carry to and from home on a daily basis), so it's actually quite
a delight to not have to carry around something that heavy.
-The
keyboard is large enough to type on with relative ease. I'm a bigger
guy, and sometimes typing on a laptop can be a chore for me, but I don't
find this to be any more difficult than my MacBook (which was $900
more). However, for what I need this for (I'm returning to school in the
fall for my doctorate, so a small and portable computer to take notes
on is essential for me) it is perfect. I've even used it to take notes
on a call at work today, and the keys are relatively quiet and my typing
wasn't disruptive to my call today at all.
-Getting used to using
only Chrome Apps (even coming from someone who used Chrome before) has
taken a brief time to get used to, but now that I'm a little more
familiar with the operating system, I find it to be very user friendly
and entirely intuitive. Plus, with all the apps and extensions that are
available in the Chrome Web Store, it's possible to customize it to
where it fits my needs and desires.
-I've moved most of my music from
my MacBook (almost 3,000 songs) into the cloud, and I've had no
problems listening to it on my Chromebook. The speakers being on the
bottom do make the sound a little muffled when it's resting on my lap,
but I have a lap desk that I used with my MacBook often and when it's
resting on that, the sound is great. The speakers are quite loud when
they are at full blast,and so I have no issues hearing anything. I've
watched a few videos and they are just fine as well.
-The screen is
very similar to both my work computer and my old MacBook, so I don't
have the same point of reference that some other posters have. For me,
it's almost exactly what I'm already used to, so I have no issues at all
with it. It's bright enough for me even in high light environments, and
works fantastic in low light settings. It is a little smaller than I'm
used to, but I knew the size going into this and it's not an issue
either.
-Battery life has been good so far. I did charge it a little
today while I was at work, but I've been working and playing around on
it for about two and a half hours now, and the battery meter says that I
still have over three and a half hours left to go, so this is in line
with the six hour per charge estimate that is given. I'm sure if I
decreased the brightness I could save a little more battery life, but
I'm pleased with the level of illumination and it's worth it to me to
sacrifice the extra battery time.
-Getting the 100gb of free cloud storage was entirely painless.
-As
other people have posted, the boot time is incredibly fast. Switching
between users (I have seperate personal and professional Google
accounts) is also painless and quick.
The Bad:
-The trackpad
is not something I'm used to. I don't know if it's just that my other
laptops are older and have less sophisticated trackpads, but I had to
disable the touch to click feature (I kept accidentally clicking things
while I was trying to scroll) but at least that's a feature that's
available. Also, the trackpad requires a much lighter touch than I'm
used to (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's something to
consider if you're used to having to apply a modicum of pressure to the
trackpad on other laptops). It's taking some getting used to, but I
worry that switching between machines will make this a little more
difficult for me.
-That's about it (for me at least).
Bottom Line:
There
are parts of this laptop that I haven't fully explored yet, but I've
found it to be everything I wanted it to be and more. Again, I'm not a
power user, so for me this is perfect for the things I need it to do.
It's easily portable, super easy to use and it's fast and responsive.
Overall I rated this five stars because it has met and exceeded my
expectations quite nicely. If you're looking for a second computer (one
to just keep around the couch or take with you on trips) this is an
excellent investment, particularly for the low price.
You should
definitely think about getting one. I know that these have been
impossible to get lately (getting mine was an ordeal to be sure, and I
actually purchased it from Best Buy after getting a three to six week
waiting period after trying to order from Amazon) but it's worth the
effort.
Not sure why people publish negative reviews for this amazing little
laptop. Yes it runs on the cloud. That is not an issue. I bought two of
these for my kids. The printing via cloud was easy to set up. My son
uses his in class to take notes. This machine is very portable and light
to carry around. Boots up lightening fast, no virus software to worry
about and no updates that interfere with your productivity.
The kids do their homework fine and use it to play games and whatever. We are fans!
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