Samsung Chromebook
There is something unnerving about moving from one operating system to another. I recall when I was starting to use Windows more and more after having been exclusively a Mac man I often felt frustrated about how it worked when in reality it was a combination of how I expected it to operate and what Windows actually did. Also, sometimes no matter which OS you’re using a computer will conspire against you with every byte in its black plastic or anodised aluminium heart to make your life a misery. Years later I’m so middle of the road about the Mac vs. Windows thing that I really couldn't care less, though I use a Mac more often.
Moving to a computer that doesn’t really have an operating system in the sense that I’m used to is a whole other level of weird. I had a moments pause when I decided to get the Chromebook, I’d seen the first look ‘reviews’ and nosed through the specs, but could I convince myself to get one? Turns out that the price helped move that decision along. £229 for an 11.6in laptop that’s got a full size keyboard and 6 hour battery life. Paramount though, was something very tiny that appeals massively to me: totally silent operation. There’s no fan in this laptop and I don’t know why, but that is one thing that really got me when I took my first look.
Yes, I could live with all the specs and if in six hours or six days or six months I decide that it wasn’t for me I would have only wasted £230. My MacBook would, I’m sure, welcome me back with an open lid. I plan is to use the Chromebook as a replacement for my MacBook and see how I get along with ‘just a browser’ I think I’m already managing given that just a few minutes after the Chromebook was delivered I began writing this.
This is going to be a proper review of all aspects of this machine, but I can tell you now right here a mere 300 words in I already like it.
The Laptop
Given the recent court battles between Apple and Samsung I suppose you might expect that Samsung would steer clear of anything that looked remotely like an Apple product, but, um, it hasn’t. Open the Samsung Series 3 Chromebook up and well it looks very much like a MacBook Air. Not exactly and with a few more rough edges than the precision engineered Apple laptop, but I think you’d have to be very generous to Samsung indeed to even imply that they’ve put all their own design work into this machine.
Despite the appearances however, this is no MacBook Air I’ve used a MacBook Air and though the Samsung is nearly as pretty it’s not quite got the bone structure. The hump of the hinge and the plastic case are giveaways, the power brick is ugly too. Now, before you go running off to your respective corners, a few justifications. The MacBook Air is much more expensive than the Samsung so the rough edges are only to be expected. Samsung has got the price vs. looks balance right and this laptop feels sturdy and has a quality finish that is impressive given its price tag. If you’re in the Apple corner, the Samsung isn’t made of aluminium and it’s basically the same weight as the 11in Air too. Precision engineered is not a term you could use for the Chromebook, well-built and sturdy is, though.
You get a USB 2 and a USB 3 port in addition to an SD card expansion slot and HDMI port all of which work. Lovely. On this model there is a cover where a SIM card might sit and tantalisingly PC World do sell the Samsung in a bundle with a data SIM from 3, however, it seems that on this device it’s just a dummy. Bummer. There’s a rubber seal in place that just won’t budge and I expect that the 3G bit isn’t there even if you manage to un-bung the hole. I’ve emailed Google PR to see if they can shed any light on why PC World are shipping with a 3G SIM, but I’m yet to hear back.
The keyboard is excellent, there’s no simpler way to put it. I’ve used all sorts of keyboards from clicky-clacky ones to flat scrabble tile type and the one on the Chromebook is excellent. I think if you type a lot you can get a feel for a keyboard in a relatively short period of time. You notice how many mistakes you’re making and having to go back and fix or you get a ‘feel’ for the keys more easily and this is certainly a keyboard that I almost instantaneously liked. From the first line to here (and I’m sure to the end of this post) the Samsung keyboard has impressed.
The LED backlit 11.6in screen is excellent too. It is somewhat like being thrown back five years in that it has a matt finish rather than gloss, but my god what a wonderful time we had back then. It was all puppies and roses, teenagers were respectful, teachers knew how to educate our children properly and no baddies ruined it for everyone. My spectacles may well be rose tinted, but I like the non-reflective screen on the Series 3. I know people like to whinge on about viewing angles and colour purity, but from my point of view, ie sitting in front of the thing typing it’s a really good screen. Sure, if you want to sit over there diagonally behind me and read the screen it’s not as good, but then that would make you a weird and truly edge case user. It’s not the sharpest screen I’ve ever seen, but it’s good. I watched some iPlayer on it too and that looked very good.
Trackpad; Good, but this is where the Samsung copies Apple starts to fail a bit as it’s the pad on the Chromebook isn’t as smooth as that glass beauty on the Air. That’s not to say the Samsung trackpad is poor in fact it’s really good in comparison to many I’ve used, but in the inevitable comparison with its brother from another manufacturer it feels a touch like a plastic copy. Before anyone runs off crowing I reiterate that it’s a good trackpad, but not quite as good as the one from a computer that’s much more expensive. In all other aspects the trackpad is perfect. Nice clicky action, two finger click for a right click and if you’ve arrived from a recent Apple machine you can even turn the scrolling motion upside down to match.
NOTE: Weird side point that keeps catching me out. Every so often I go to hit CTRL + S I never realised just how ingrained that had become in my typing. Anyway, moving on to the other stuff that you might find important.
The SD slot leaves the card sticking out a bit, which is a shame, but hardly the end of the world. The camera works as do the speakers but engage your ‘not expecting miracles’ brain before getting yourself too excited.
This thing uses a processor - it has a processor with a silly name that I’ll have to look up on Wikipedia. 1.7GHz dual-core Samsung Exynos 5 - it’s low power and unlikely to zip through any video rendering tests any time soon. Even so, it handled fullscreen iPlayer and none of what I’ve attempted to so has felt sluggish or even remotely slow. Naturally, I’ve been typing and web browsing so it’s hardly processor intensive stuff. I’ll need more time to assess precisely how well the processor performs
I’ve been using the Chromebook for all of a few hours now and in hardware terms at least I’m incredibly impressed. That this thing cost £230 just blows me away in one of those “do you remember when an iPod cost this much” sort of old fogy way. The keyboard is a joy and anyone that knows me will tell you that getting an opinion like that out of me is a triumph. I rarely like anything, it’s a side effect of my Yorkshire upbringing.
