This review is from: Samsung Chromebook Wifi (Latest Model – Launched Oct 2012) (Personal Computers)
I’ve owned the Cr-48 for a while, which was a kind of test unit Google sent out to people to beta test the operating system. That came out a long time ago and none of the commercial units have felt good enough to me to justify buying, up until now. They were always a little too expensive, despite the obvious advantages. I purchased my unit elsewhere because I managed to order early from Amazon, but they were unable to get the product to me by the date indicated.
This will be a long review. For those wanting a short summary, I’ll include one at the end.
The software
For those unclear, Chrome OS (which the Chromebook runs) is fundamentally different to a Windows, Mac or Linux-based laptop, desktop or netbook. This is because it runs the web. No native applications exist specifically for this machine. There are apps (sometimes referred to as Chrome apps) but they also work in the Chrome browser.
Because this computer runs what many call ‘just a browser’ it has several advantages, as well as disadvantages when compared to a Windows machine. I’ve chosen Windows for most comparisons here as more people typically use Windows than a Mac or Linux machine.
Security
You cannot install Windows applications (or other native software) on Chrome OS. This means that the computer can operate more securely than a Windows machine simply because the computer knows what should be installed. If something is there that shouldn’t be there, the computer will erase all local data and install a version of the software that’s stored in a secure area. Once you’re connected to the internet, you’ll be updated to the most recent version of the operating system. As your settings, bookmarks and Chrome applications are stored by Google, they are also restored after the machine is reset and you log in. Typically the operating system is updated every 6 weeks, meaning bugs get fixed pretty quickly (important bug fixes will arrive more quickly) and new features are released quickly, too.
Getting things done
This is where the big problem is for some people; you can’t install Microsoft Office, Adobe’s Photoshop or other software packages. You’re limited to software that’s delivered through a website. Most people are perfectly comfortable with using things like Facebook, Twitter and email this way. The web offers some pretty powerful tools, though. For instance, pretty sophisticated image editing software exists on-line, as do audio and video editing tools. Using the massive resources of the internet (typically referred to as ‘the cloud’) means that video editing and other resource-intensive tasks can be made dramatically quicker than doing it locally. Make no mistake though, if you do need something like Photoshop it’s just not possible, unless you use software specifically designed to deliver ‘normal’ software through the web. Companies like Citrix offer products that can do that, but given the additional cost, it’s usually only big businesses that use them.
If you don’t need extremely-specialised software though, there’s a lot available. Google, Zoho and Microsoft all offer tools that will let you create, open and export documents in popular formats, such as Microsoft Office. There are advantages to this approach, too. Google Docs (as an example) allows individuals to use their on-line document, spreadsheet and presentation software free of charge and, even better, you can collaborate with up to 50 people on the same document, practically in real-time. This sort of thing just isn’t typically possible with traditional software. Where it is, it’s likely to be clunkier than a web-based tool as a website just lets you login and work.
Calendars, Angry Birds, finance tools (Sage and QuickBooks are available through the browser) are all also available in this way. It’s worth checking out if the things you’ll want to do are available in this way before ordering a Chromebook.
There are also many off-line capable applications. That is, things that will work without an internet connection. These include Google Documents (editing and viewing) Google Docs spreadsheets (viewing) and things like Google Calendar. Keep in mind though that this is primarily a device for accessing the internet. Without a connection, this device is extremely-limited. Applications delivered through a browser will get more and more capable over time, though.
Other drawbacks
As I’ve said, not everything is available through a browser. Critical things that people take for granted either aren’t available or are very different on a Chromebook. It’s not possible to watch AVI or MKV video files (at the time this was written) for example, without converting them. That’s a big pain for some. Printing is different too, as you can’t just plugin a printer on Chrome OS and have it work. For those that are curious, Google has a service called…
This review is from: Samsung Chromebook Wifi (Latest Model – Launched Oct 2012) (Personal Computers)
Chromebook is my wife’s favourite as of this week! It’s excellent for anyone non-technical like her who just wants to browse and use the web and wants a hassle-free experience, with absolutely minimal local software, auto-updating, excellent full-facility (Chrome) browser, plenty of useful cloud-based apps, and a consistent 10sec (I timed it) startup to which you should add a few seconds for password entry, to reach the active browser stage, and 4 second shutdown. If you don’t much care about not having Microsoft or Adobe functionality (though you can still view Word, Excel and Adobe email attachments) and you are primarily concerned just to access your favourite websites it’s great. No long frequent tedious waits for software update hell to complete (the piece de resistance on Windows e.g. often being the update then telling you to re-boot to finish – oh thanks!), no virus checker hogging the machine, a machine fast enough on start-up to flick it on casually to do a Google search and not have to go away for a slow coffee, a well-designed quiet keyboard, pleasant screen, very light weight (2.5 lbs) slim casing, no fan, no noise, no moving disk, no heat output – good to balance on your lap, seven hour battery life.
Two relatively minor gripes – Firstly, the printed user guide supplied is inadequate for the inexperienced user, particularly regarding touch-pad and keyboard use, and sadly lacking is the vital info that pressing the off button for 8 seconds rather than the normal 4 seconds will unfreeze a frozen machine, The internet based Samsung user guide exists which tells you all this, but is not immediately easy to find for a new user. Secondly, no Netflix support yet, but believed to be on its way.
Otherwise a very good experience, and we are both still very pleased with it after a few weeks heavy use (including plenty of BBC iPlayer).
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Samsung Chromebook Wifi (Latest Model – Launched Oct 2012) (Personal Computers)
I’m very satisfied with this Chromebook. Why ? 1- It boots up in less than 10 seconds,not 60 like most laptops. 2- There are no “Daily Updates” because the system updates itself and is ready when you switch on. 3- I can’t get any viruses on this Chromebook and so I’ll save money on anti-virus software and hassle. 4- The Chrome browser is lightning fast. It blitzes along. 5- I can store all my stuff online ( in the cloud) … all my letters, spreadsheets, presentations…in Google Drive using Google Docs. I’ve been given 100 Gb for free, forever. No more Micros**t Office. 6- It has a 16 Gb hard drive and also two USB slots for storing my stuff on memory sticks, memory cards or external hard drives. 7- The full-size keyboard and trackpad are very comfortable and responsive. 8- There is a reader for my SD and SDHC cards. 9- The sound is very good from the speakers ( not ” tinny”) and the webcam is good too. Not fabulous but good. 10- It is very quiet and so I can listen to quiet music and not hear the laptop whirring. 11- I love it…….and I think you will too. I would NOT buy it if you want to play games on it but if you want a VERY fast laptop to search the internet and type letters and spreadsheets and one which is hassle free …..no updates, no waiting, no viruses, no problems….THIS IS IT !
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Nearly Perfect,
I’ve owned the Cr-48 for a while, which was a kind of test unit Google sent out to people to beta test the operating system. That came out a long time ago and none of the commercial units have felt good enough to me to justify buying, up until now. They were always a little too expensive, despite the obvious advantages.
I purchased my unit elsewhere because I managed to order early from Amazon, but they were unable to get the product to me by the date indicated.
This will be a long review. For those wanting a short summary, I’ll include one at the end.
The software
For those unclear, Chrome OS (which the Chromebook runs) is fundamentally different to a Windows, Mac or Linux-based laptop, desktop or netbook. This is because it runs the web. No native applications exist specifically for this machine. There are apps (sometimes referred to as Chrome apps) but they also work in the Chrome browser.
Because this computer runs what many call ‘just a browser’ it has several advantages, as well as disadvantages when compared to a Windows machine. I’ve chosen Windows for most comparisons here as more people typically use Windows than a Mac or Linux machine.
Security
You cannot install Windows applications (or other native software) on Chrome OS. This means that the computer can operate more securely than a Windows machine simply because the computer knows what should be installed. If something is there that shouldn’t be there, the computer will erase all local data and install a version of the software that’s stored in a secure area. Once you’re connected to the internet, you’ll be updated to the most recent version of the operating system. As your settings, bookmarks and Chrome applications are stored by Google, they are also restored after the machine is reset and you log in. Typically the operating system is updated every 6 weeks, meaning bugs get fixed pretty quickly (important bug fixes will arrive more quickly) and new features are released quickly, too.
Getting things done
This is where the big problem is for some people; you can’t install Microsoft Office, Adobe’s Photoshop or other software packages. You’re limited to software that’s delivered through a website. Most people are perfectly comfortable with using things like Facebook, Twitter and email this way. The web offers some pretty powerful tools, though. For instance, pretty sophisticated image editing software exists on-line, as do audio and video editing tools. Using the massive resources of the internet (typically referred to as ‘the cloud’) means that video editing and other resource-intensive tasks can be made dramatically quicker than doing it locally. Make no mistake though, if you do need something like Photoshop it’s just not possible, unless you use software specifically designed to deliver ‘normal’ software through the web. Companies like Citrix offer products that can do that, but given the additional cost, it’s usually only big businesses that use them.
If you don’t need extremely-specialised software though, there’s a lot available. Google, Zoho and Microsoft all offer tools that will let you create, open and export documents in popular formats, such as Microsoft Office. There are advantages to this approach, too. Google Docs (as an example) allows individuals to use their on-line document, spreadsheet and presentation software free of charge and, even better, you can collaborate with up to 50 people on the same document, practically in real-time. This sort of thing just isn’t typically possible with traditional software. Where it is, it’s likely to be clunkier than a web-based tool as a website just lets you login and work.
Calendars, Angry Birds, finance tools (Sage and QuickBooks are available through the browser) are all also available in this way. It’s worth checking out if the things you’ll want to do are available in this way before ordering a Chromebook.
There are also many off-line capable applications. That is, things that will work without an internet connection. These include Google Documents (editing and viewing) Google Docs spreadsheets (viewing) and things like Google Calendar. Keep in mind though that this is primarily a device for accessing the internet. Without a connection, this device is extremely-limited. Applications delivered through a browser will get more and more capable over time, though.
Other drawbacks
As I’ve said, not everything is available through a browser. Critical things that people take for granted either aren’t available or are very different on a Chromebook.
It’s not possible to watch AVI or MKV video files (at the time this was written) for example, without converting them. That’s a big pain for some. Printing is different too, as you can’t just plugin a printer on Chrome OS and have it work. For those that are curious, Google has a service called…
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|Excellent cloud-connect device for a no-hassle experience,
Chromebook is my wife’s favourite as of this week! It’s excellent for anyone non-technical like her who just wants to browse and use the web and wants a hassle-free experience, with absolutely minimal local software, auto-updating, excellent full-facility (Chrome) browser, plenty of useful cloud-based apps, and a consistent 10sec (I timed it) startup to which you should add a few seconds for password entry, to reach the active browser stage, and 4 second shutdown. If you don’t much care about not having Microsoft or Adobe functionality (though you can still view Word, Excel and Adobe email attachments) and you are primarily concerned just to access your favourite websites it’s great. No long frequent tedious waits for software update hell to complete (the piece de resistance on Windows e.g. often being the update then telling you to re-boot to finish – oh thanks!), no virus checker hogging the machine, a machine fast enough on start-up to flick it on casually to do a Google search and not have to go away for a slow coffee, a well-designed quiet keyboard, pleasant screen, very light weight (2.5 lbs) slim casing, no fan, no noise, no moving disk, no heat output – good to balance on your lap, seven hour battery life.
Two relatively minor gripes – Firstly, the printed user guide supplied is inadequate for the inexperienced user, particularly regarding touch-pad and keyboard use, and sadly lacking is the vital info that pressing the off button for 8 seconds rather than the normal 4 seconds will unfreeze a frozen machine, The internet based Samsung user guide exists which tells you all this, but is not immediately easy to find for a new user. Secondly, no Netflix support yet, but believed to be on its way.
Otherwise a very good experience, and we are both still very pleased with it after a few weeks heavy use (including plenty of BBC iPlayer).
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|Fab for fast web surfing and research,
I’m very satisfied with this Chromebook. Why ?
1- It boots up in less than 10 seconds,not 60 like most laptops.
2- There are no “Daily Updates” because the system updates itself and is ready when you switch on.
3- I can’t get any viruses on this Chromebook and so I’ll save money on anti-virus software and hassle.
4- The Chrome browser is lightning fast. It blitzes along.
5- I can store all my stuff online ( in the cloud) … all my letters, spreadsheets, presentations…in Google Drive using Google Docs. I’ve been given 100 Gb for free, forever. No more Micros**t Office.
6- It has a 16 Gb hard drive and also two USB slots for storing my stuff on memory sticks, memory cards or external hard drives.
7- The full-size keyboard and trackpad are very comfortable and responsive.
8- There is a reader for my SD and SDHC cards.
9- The sound is very good from the speakers ( not ” tinny”) and the webcam is good too. Not fabulous but good.
10- It is very quiet and so I can listen to quiet music and not hear the laptop whirring.
11- I love it…….and I think you will too.
I would NOT buy it if you want to play games on it but if you want a VERY fast laptop to search the internet and type letters and spreadsheets and one which is hassle free …..no updates, no waiting, no viruses, no problems….THIS IS IT !
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|