Laptops and tablets are fast replacing the desktops because of innumerable number of benefits and features.
A new laptop was released by Samsung in association with Google wherein it gets powered by Google’s browser based and cloud oriented Chrome Operating System. Let us find the features, pluses and minuses and the target audience for this laptop.
Shift from traditional OS
Google’s intention to shift from a traditional operating system where all the files will be stored in local hard drive to browser based operating where most of the OS files will be stored on the fly (cloud resource) will make a huge difference in the way future computing systems will work.
It is true that you are able to access internet at lightening speeds. Similarly, you will be able to load the operating system at lightning speed and you will be able to upgrade/update the OS seamlessly without your knowledge.
It is true that browser based OS will eliminate the burden of download and installation of new updates as happens with traditional OS like Windows XP, Windows 7, etc.
Chromebook OS comes with Google Chrome browser on a Linux base. Unlike Linux based systems which will run Linux applications, you will run browser based applications on Chromebook.
You should understand the significant downside with Chromebook as you will not be able to access applications like iTunes, Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop and Skype.
Features
Samsung Chromebook comes with an 11.6” screen. It weighs 2.5 pounds. When compared with earlier Chromebook versions, it is light in weight and comes with a different hood. The processor deployed in Chromebook is Exynos 5 Dual (Samsung branded).
It is a low-end processor built on new Cortex A15 design. The laptop comes with 16GB of flash memory.
One SD card and Headphone jack are provided on the left hand side of the laptop. One USB 2.0, One USB 3.0 and one HDMI port are provided on the backside of the laptop.
It comes with a chiclet keyboard (does not have backlit facility) and a big-sized touch pad. You can flip the screen by using your thumb in the scalloped groove.
The display screen comes with a matte coating so that the glare is reduced. Even though it might give you a wide viewing angle, it certainly offers you decent image quality and good brightness.
The touch pad beats out the quality offered by premium laptops. It gives decent audio output. Some of the tapping and swiping operations are similar to Apple styles.
The laptop is slim even though not much in the lines of Ultrabooks. The Chromebook is light in weight and thus, it is easy for students to carry it from one place to another place.
If you would like to store text files, music files and video clips, you can rely on Google Drive. You can take advantage of 100GB space that is offered free of cost for 2 years exclusively for Chromebook users.
You can achieve Page Up and Page Down movements through Alt+Up arrow and Alt+Down arrow respectively on the Chromebook keypad. There should be a way to set the repeat rate or delay time on the keyboard.
Pros
- Decent battery life
- Quick booting of the system
- Affordable price ($249)
- Light in weight
- Fast wake-up capabilities
- 3G connectivity
- Applications and games can be downloaded from Chrome Web Store
Cons
- Not an outstanding hardware configuration
- Sluggish performance
- Caps Lock is not present. Search Key takes its place.
- No right delete key
- No MS Office
Conclusion
Samsung’s Chromebook is targeted for the student community and as a backup for your existing laptop or desktop. Customers can also take advantage of the Chrome’s power by being able to integrate their access to various Google products and services such as Gmail, Google Docs and Google Drive.
It can be counted as a value for money product. Obviously, Chromebook is not the choice of power users as their hands will be tied in waiting for the response from the system.
If you are looking for an alternative gadget which can let you perform operations like making bank payments, reading news, checking mails, checking Facebook updates and watching a video-clip on YouTube, Chromebook is the best option as its booting time is less and you can shut it down quickly.
You can carry it with you wherever you go as it is light in weight. The price is affordable and reasonable.
The setup is pretty much accomplished by entering your Google name, your password and choosing a WI-Fi network. In my case, it took less than 2 minutes until the device was ready to go. The boot time is, by the way, 9 seconds.
Although the chromebook has couple of benefits but the absence of capslock key is strange … BTW nice review Jane !
Another high-tech gadget from Google. I think it will great device for work and entertainment. I wonder how much it cost?
Hi
I just bought a new Samsung laptop it is not a chrome book but is extremely fast loading anything and is running on windows 8 which is a huge step forward from other windows versions about time they came up with some competition for apple.
Thanks lee
From all the info that has been provided, it seems like the Samsung Chromebook is a pretty mediocre device and as described, is best suited for the student community. For a working professional like me, the kind of performance and features that this device is described to have just won’t do.