The new Chromebook is a device that might be easy to lose in the shuffle of electronic gadgetry that surround us. The device is well made, very useful, and attractive even at first glance. But almost immediately a very serious question arises: why should anyone buy yet another gadget. And even more importantly another gadget that looks like a mini laptop. Most people these days own at least a full-size laptop, some type of tablet, and maybe a mini laptop (often referred to as a netbook). Additionally very interesting small footprint but full performance laptops do exist such as the Apple Air. And the Chromebook suffers from a major limitation, at least it appears that it has a major limitation at first glance, it must be connected via Wi-Fi.
The original Chromebook did not attract many consumers because it was virtually useless if you did not have access to Wi-Fi. The new Chromebook however addresses this issue to some degree. Files can be stored and applications can be used without access to the Internet and synchronization between the local machine and the cloud is immediate and automatic once a WiFi connection is established.
I must admit I had very little interest in purchasing a Chromebook but now it has become my primary device to take away from the office or the house when I visit any location that might require me to utilize a computer. How did this change of heart happened? It is very simple I started using a Chromebook. Wi-Fi is readily available in most places these days and as long as I have cellular service I can share my Internet through my phone with any device. This was a big hurdle for earlier versions of the Chromebook: hotspots were not as prevalent even as recently as a year ago. More importantly however through Google documents I have access to all the tools I might need in order to make presentations or jolt down a few notes or share pictures. I do not need Wi-Fi to perform these tasks and this immediately makes the Chromebook more attractive.
Once you start using this little machine however you cannot help it, you will be amazed! It simply works flawlessly.There two versions of these machines: one made by Asus that utilizes a traditional hard drive and one made by Samsung utilizing a solid-state drive. The Asus version costa $199 and has more onboard storage capacity, whereas the Sunsung version costs $149 and has a smaller overall storage capacity.
While arguably subjective the Samsung is better built and reminds one of Apple’s designs. It appears more modern and progressive than the Asus. Storage however can be readily increased by adding a secure digital card of any size. Therefore the limitation of internal storage is not a deal breaker. The Samsung is lighter and has much longer battery life. Lastly because the Samsung does not need intercooling fans or external cooling abilities so not only does it run quiet but also it does not get hot. Without any internal moving parts the actual jolting that is simply unavoidable doing travel makes Assumption the clear choice for a portable computer.
An immediate objection might come once someone looks at the specifications of the machine. We are so used to multi core processors operating at very high megahertz speeds that the Chromebook frankly appears to be at best anemic when one is looking just at the specs. What we can easily forget is that we need powerful machines to run woefully power hungry and poorly written operating systems and programs. Once you start using the Chromebook you will find out that even with what appears to be very weak specifications the Chromebook simply outshines everything else you might use. In the month That I have been using it not once did it take than one or two seconds to be ready to use. And not only is it really fast at startup but it completes most every task really seamlessly and without any hesitation. In addition to composing documents and presentations I watch movie clips and have enjoyed viewing pictures in this little machine. If you travel in an airplane frequently this computer is a dream come true. The small footprint allows you to deploy it even in the tiniest of airplanes and it's screen allows you some privacy. Rather than glossy Samsung has opted for a matt screen with a fairly narrow angle of view which makes your screen virtually invisible to most people that might be seated around you. An additional benefit of the screen is that it is actually quite visible outside even in direct sunlight.
The keyboard is full-size and includes some very intriguing keys including a search key and a screen resizing key that become very useful once you get accustomed to using them. I have yet to find a website that does not display well or anything on YouTube that does not play correctly. You can install applications from the Google play store to enhance both the productivity and the entertainment value of this computer.
So what is the problem with this computer? Why does it not occupy the number one selling position among all other portable computers? The answer is surprisingly simple and surprisingly difficult to address. One must first use these machines in order to appreciate them. At first glance there is nothing compelling about the Samsung Chromebook. It looks nice but that's about it. And unlike Apple products while the Chromebook is very good-looking it does not make one to simply want to buy it even if there's no real identifiable need to do so. The problem here is that the machine is understated and does what is designed to do very well but It does not compel a person to want to purchase it simply by looking at it - that presents a marketing problem for Google.
I strongly endorse this computer especially for people that like to be mobile and travel either for work or for pleasure. I routinely use an own and several portable computers to include tablets made by Apple, Acer, Asus or other manufacturers. The moment that this little machine became available to me however all other devices have been left behind every time I left the house or the office.
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