Samsung Chromebook review

Samsung's Chromebooks have been priced in the $500 range with a build quality a step above what most netbooks have to offer. As you might expect, now that the price has been slashed to $249, it feels slightly cheaper than the last-generation Series 5 550 -- but only slightly. With the exception of the palm rest, which used to be made of inlaid metal, this has the same look and feel as the Chromebook we reviewed earlier this year.

Once again, you're looking at a lightweight machine built from matte gray plastic. The whole thing feels compact, at 2.5 pounds, and because it has a smaller display (11.6 inches versus 12.1) it's significantly lighter than the last Chromebook, which weighed 3.3 pounds. The island-style keyboard is just as comfortable, and the trackpad is similarly large. It was a nice package when it cost $500, but it's really nice now that the MSRP has been lowered to $249. You simply won't find a netbook this nice for that little money.

The new Chromebook is thinner, too, at 0.8 inch thick, but that thinness means Samsung's Chromebook has gone back to not having an Ethernet port. (It was missing from the OG model, but was added in the one that went on sale earlier this year.) The inability to use a wired internet connection could be a problem in computer labs, where Chrome OS devices have proven popular, though we suspect mainstream consumers won't care. Look closely at the edges and you'll also find an SD card reader, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, HDMI output and a 3G SIM slot. As ever, the bottom of the device is sealed, so that you can't easily mess with the battery, storage or RAM.

Given what the Chromebook is -- an inexpensive, ultra-mobile device for people who prefer physical keyboards -- Samsung really can't get away with offering a shoddy typing experience. After all, back when Chromebooks cost $500, they were priced in line with both netbooks and tablets. If the keyboard were uncomfortable, there'd be little reason not to get a cheap PC instead, or use a tablet with either a touchscreen or keyboard case. The typing experience mattered then, and it matters today, even now that the Chromebook is priced less than most netbooks and tablets.

Fortunately, the keyboard is as good here as it ever was, despite the fact that this smaller model has a little less room to fit all those buttons. The individual keys have a pleasantly soft finish, and all of the major buttons (Enter, Backspace, et cetera) are amply sized. As on other Samsung PCs, the keyboard is a bit shallow, but the learning curve shouldn't be too steep: we were typing at a brisk clip minutes after setting it up. Additionally, we appreciate the shortcut keys in the top row, which allow you to refresh pages, switch tabs and page forward or backward with the press of a button.

The best thing about the Chromebook's 11.6-inch, 1,366 x 768 display is the matte finish, which means screen glare won't get in your way the next time you're watching a "Modern Family" marathon on Hulu. Still, a matte finish doesn't necessarily equate to wide viewing angles. Push the display forward and the screen will wash out, making it very difficult to read text or follow along with a movie. The brightness is also lower than it was on earlier Chromebooks: 200 nits compared with 300. Neither of these things should be deal-breakers; you'll just want to futz with the angle before settling in to work with the Chromebook on your lap.

With steep price cuts come trade-offs, and we're not just talking about the build materials. Whereas Samsung's first two Chromebooks ran dual-core Atom and Celeron processors, respectively, this third-gen model moves to a fanless design with an ARM chip -- specifically, a dual-core A15-based Samsung Exynos 5 Dual (5250) SoC. Paired with it are 2GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in flash storage, 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth. In the absence of any quantitative benchmark scores, this is the best way we can describe the performance: it falls somewhere between the original Atom-based Chromebooks and the current Celeron-equipped Series 5 model.

The system didn't have any issues playing back 1080p content in YouTube and Hulu. Still, use it long enough and you'll notice some slight delays in response time, even when you're doing things like opening new tabs. Another problem: Netflix streaming isn't yet supported for this device. A Google spokesperson issued the following statement: "We're working closely with Netflix and support will be coming soon. Once ready, your new Chromebook will be auto-updated with Netflix support." While we don't have any reason to doubt Google is working on it, this will nevertheless be a disappointment to many folks unboxing an early unit. -engadget.com