Over the past few weeks I’ve had the chance to use the Samsung Chromebook thanks to Staples. Like most computer users I spend most of my time on the internet and using internet based apps. The Chromebook is the perfect laptop providing me with access to everything I need without anything extra that just gets in the way.
First off, the thing I have come to love about the Chromebook is just how simple it is to use. Like a lot of people I am a Gmail and Google user. Setting up the Chromebook bought took just a few minutes, all I needed to do was connect to my WiFi network and sign in using my Google account. That was pretty much it. I had access to my Chrome browser like I was use to all along, with all my bookmarks and Chrome Apps that I have installed. This was much easier and quicker than trying to setup a regular Windows laptop.
I was worried that I would miss having a Windows or even a Linux operating system on the laptop. Although I couldn’t really think of a good reason why I did have that feeling I would be missing something. The more I used the Chromebook, the more I realized how much I wasn’t missing, No more annoying applications at startup, no more waiting for the computer to finish booting up before I could use it. From off, to on, being able to use the laptop was easily less than 10 seconds, including the 2 seconds to login. I went from wondering what I would miss to find the Chromebook giving me a sense to freedom from the usual laptop experience.
The Chrome Operating System is basically the Chrome browser. It works just the the Chrome browser on any laptop or desktop computer. The Chromebook also gives you a nice app drawer that shows all your installed Chrome Apps from the desktop. The great feature about Chrome Apps is the syncing of apps between devices you are logged into. If you add a new app on your desktop that app will also be added to your Chromebook and vice versa. This is one of the many great advantages that Google brings to the table will keeping everything synced between devices without having to remember to install an app on each device.
Over a few weeks I quickly found the Chromebook to be my goto laptop of choice quickly leaving my, now bulky feeling Asus Ultrabook, behind. With the ease of use and lightweight design my kids quickly found the Chromebook to be their new best friend. My 9 year old was able to open it up and start using it without any help from me. She was able to watch videos she liked on YouTube and play several online games without any issues. This is the first laptop that I trust my kids to use without having to sit over their shoulder and hope they don’t mess something up. With a Chromebook price of $249 at Staples.com it is affordable and provides the best value in my mind for a laptop.
This has been the first Chromebook that I have had the chance to use and any worries I have had before about performance and usability are now gone. This laptop is built with web browsing and the use of Google apps in mind. It clearly shows in how well it performs and excels at just that. The number of apps in the Chrome Web Store is a huge number that is growing everyday. I find it hard to find the need for an application that I can’t find in the app store, and the best part is most are free and overall great apps.
In use I have found the display to be sharp and bright. Speakers provide a decent sound experience that is on par with most laptops. I found the battery life to be better than expected. I would often unplug it in the morning and use it a few hours during the day until the kids came home from school. They would then have a few hours of use and at night the battery would still be around 75% full. It quickly became a laptop that I only charged overnight a couple times a week. I’m still finding neat little features with the Chromebook almost daily as I use it.
For the normal computer user I would see this as a go-to laptop. I had expected this to be a decent laptop but was very surprised to be this impressed with it. I already have a feeling that my next laptop purchase will be a Chromebook.
Chromebook Specs:
- Screen Size 11.6″
- Display Type LED HD, 1366 x 768
- Memory RAM 2GB
- Hard Drive 16GB SSD
- Processor Samsung Exynos 5 Dual Core 1.7Ghz
- Network Card 802.11 a/b/g/n
- Bluetooth Yes
- Operating System Google Chrome
- Extra Features Fast Boot Technology allows you to boot in less than 10 seconds
- Ports 1 x HDMI, 1 x Headphone, 1 x Microphone, 1 x Kensington Lock
- USB Slots 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0
- Media Card Reader 3- in-1 (SD/SDHC/SDXC)
- Webcam 0.3 MP
- Battery Life Up to 6.3 hours
- Battery Type 2 cell/Li-Po (4080 mAh)
- Dimensions 11.4″ x 8.09″ x 0.69″
- Weight 2.43 lb.
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