Samsung Chromebook 2 review

In the last couple of years, Google has attempted to make an incursion into the laptop market with its Chromebook series of devices.

Chromebooks run Google’s Chrome OS, a cut-down operating system where all apps basically operate out of a web browser. They’re designed as a low-cost way to access Google’s suite of web services and apps, as well as their party apps and extensions.

For small businesses, they represent a lower-cost alternative to a full Apple MacBook or Windows tablet for companies that rely on the Google ecosystem.

The platform has also begun gaining some traction in enterprises. In February, Woolworths announced it was shifting its 26,000 employees from Windows to Chromebooks.

Aside from Google itself, a range of hardware makers build their own version of the devices, including the likes of Dell, HP, Asus and Samsung.

Meanwhile, at its Google I/O developer conference, Google announced Chromebooks will soon gain the ability to run Android apps. This is great news for anyone who already uses Android on their smartphone or tablet.

So is it time to shift your business to Chrome? To find out, we’re taking a look at Samsung’s latest model, the Chromebook 2.

Hardware and features

The Chromebook 2 is based on an eight-core Samsung Exynos processor. This includes four cores at 2 GHz for tasks with high performance demands, as well as four cores at 1.3 GHz for when the device switches to save battery life on less intensive tasks.

The screen is a 13.3-inch LED Full-HD display with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels.

It comes in a colour known as “Luminous Titan”. Outside Samsung’s marketing department, this colour is more commonly known as “grey”.

The Chromebook 2 has 16 gigabytes of storage, expandable by Micro SD, along with 4 gigabytes of RAM.

It comes with a HDMI port, allowing you to hook it up to a PC monitor or TV, a USB 2.0 port and a USB 3.0 port, as well as separate microphone and headphone ports.

For WiFi connectivity, it comes with ac broadband (802.11ac) support.

Finally, it has a 4700 mAh battery, which the company claims will give you 8.5 hours of battery life. (Outside a laboratory test, this is likely to mean something like seven hours.)

In the US, it comes with a price tag of $US399 (around $427), although it’s unclear how much it will cost after the imposition of an Australia Tax.

What’s the consensus?

An unusual feature of the Chromebook 2 is Samsung’s choice of fake leather (or ‘pleather’), rather than a more traditional material such as plastic, glass or aluminium, for the exterior.

But Engadget’s Dana Wollman says pleather has its benefits:

It's easy to make fun of Samsung for its apparent leather fetish. I mean, if I wore pleather with everything, you'd laugh at me, too. But, as they say, don't knock it till you try it. Aside from the corny "stitches" lining the perimeter of the lid, the fake leather (available in gray only on the 13-inch model) actually gives the device a premium feel. That's partly because of the resemblance to real leather, but there's something else at work, too: The textured material does a good job masking fingerprints. Scratches, too.

On the plus side, Google’s Chrome OS has grown vastly more capable in recent times:

After three years of incremental improvements, the operating system is finally in a place where you can multitask, as well as do a decent amount of work offline, without the aid of an internet connection. It helps to be able to resize, minimize and move windows, as well as pin apps to the desktop and swipe upward on the touchpad to see all open apps. Gmail and Google Drive support offline access, as do many third-party apps available in the Chrome App Store. Just remember to go through the syncing process while you still have a WiFi signal. Google's G+ Photos app works offline as well, though the editing tools are crude compared to what you'd enjoy on a full editing suite like Photoshop. You can print, too, through Google Cloud Print; keep in mind, though, that not all printers are compatible.

Over at Time, Jared Newman says the screen leaves a little to be desired:

By default, the high pixel density made text a little small for my liking, and I have pretty good vision. Increasing page zoom to 125 percent in Chrome settings made things more readable; it should probably be set this way by default.

Pleather and screen quality aside, in terms of general build quality, JR Raphael fromComputerWorld is impressed:

In terms of build quality, the Chromebook 2 is a definite step up from Samsung's past Chromebook efforts. It's still a plastic-centric construction, but it feels solid and less flimsy than its predecessor (as well as some of the other devices in its class from different manufacturers). It's not at the level of a design-focused system like Google's Chromebook 11—and it's nowhere near the level of a high-end laptop like the Chromebook Pixel, as you'd expect—but for a $320-$400 computer, the Chromebook 2 is reasonably well assembled and pleasant to use.

According to PC Pro, a major downside is the speed of Samsung’s Exynos processor, especially when compared to devices powered by Intel processors:

Performance is disappointing as well. We've become used to the snappy performance of Intel's Haswell-class Celerons in recent Chromebooks, but inside the Chromebook 2 is an ARM-designed, Samsung-manufactured Exynos 5420 SoC… It doesn't wake up quite as quickly from sleep, taking two or three seconds each time you open the lid before the screen comes alive. And once you have more than a handful of tabs open things begin to slow down further. A result of 659ms in the SunSpider JavaScript benchmark shows it isn't as fast in a straight line as Intel's processors, either, with the Dell achieving 323ms.

Should I get one?

Increasingly, whether or not you should use a particular device depends on whether you prefer Google’s, Apple’s, Microsoft’s or Amazon’s apps or services. If your business relies on Microsoft Office 365 over Google Docs, or you choose to use an iPhone over an Android, there’s little need to look at this device.

That being said, a sluggish processor and perhaps screen issues aside, this looks like a decent option for any business that relies on the Google ecosystem.

Acer C720 Chromebook Has the Power of a Real Laptop

Acer wants you to know that its Chromebook can beat up your Chromebook. The company just launched its C720 Chromebook, which packs a fourth-generation ("Haswell") Intel Core i3 processor — the same kind of chip you'd find in a "real" laptop.

Until now, almost all Chromebooks used mobile processors such as those from Samsung or Intel's Atom line (the big exception being the Google's Chromebook Pixel, which has a third-generation Intel Core i5).

The Acer is the first in a new line of "high performance" Intel-powered Chromebooks, first announced back in May.

With a Core i3 chip on board, the C720 should address one of the most common criticisms of Chromebooks: the lack of ability to multitask. With several browser tabs open — such as a YouTube video, a social network and other cloud-based services — a Chromebook's performance can often slow to a crawl.

The Haswell processor is better equipped to handle that kind of use, while also providing good battery life: The C720 is rated to last 8.5 hours. And there's another speed bonus: booting up the laptop takes a mere seven seconds, the company says.

Although storage doesn't matter as much on a Chromebook, since Chrome OS is almost entirely cloud-based, the Acer has 32GB instead of the usual 16GB. The 11.6-inch display has 1,366 x 768 resolution. Ports include USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 as well as HDMI for connection to an external monitor.

Acer is releasing two versions of the C720 with 2GB or 4GB of RAM, priced at $349.99 and $379.99, respectively. That's about $100 more than the average Chromebook. Clearly, there's a premium for performance.

Correction: The correct model number of Acer's new Chromebook is C720, not C270.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

Asus C200M Chromebook Review

Overview

• PROS

  • Amazing battery life
  • Sturdy, sleek build
  • Very portable and quiet
  • Good ChromeOS experience

• CONS

  • Relatively weak processor
  • Poor screen
  • Limited ports

QUICK TAKE

The Asus C200M Chromebook delivers a quality ChromeOS experience, excellent portability, and amazing battery life at a good price.

Quick Specs

11.6-inch 1366x768 LED display 2.1 GHz Intel “Bay Trail” Celeron processor 2 GB DDR3L RAM 16 GB SSD, plus 100 GB Google Drive subscription for 2 years 802.11ac wireless networking Bluetooth 4.0 1x USB 2.0 1x USB 3.0 HDMI port 3-cell 48 WH Lithium ion battery 2.5 lbs Price: $249.00 Build and Design Asus’s first foray into portable ChromeOS devices is impressive to look at and hold. While it is a tiny bit thicker than the Acer C720at 0.8 inches versus 0.75, the Asus C200M is lighter than any other 11-inch Chromebook we’ve reviewed up until now, at 2.5 lbs versus the Acer’s 2.76 lbs or Dell’s 2.9 lbs. This is due in part to the Asus C200M lacking a fan, thanks to its low-power Bay Trail processor. Overall the computer is well-balanced and easy to hold even in one hand. A sleek black and silver body and gentle, upwards-curving chassis give this computer serious aesthetic appeal over many other Chromebooks such as Dell’s or Toshiba’s. The curves are great for holding the laptop for extended periods, and the four rubberized feet don’t get in the way of portability. The slightly glossy material for the top readily attracts fingerprints and smudges, but the bottom and bezel around the screen feature an almost-but-not-quite rough texture that makes the laptop feel less slippery when held (and seems much less smudgy, which is a boon around the screen). The top is also emblazoned with a silver Asus and colorful Google Chrome logo. Ports and Connectivity The Asus C200M, like many other Chromebooks, has fairly limited physical connectivity options. The device has a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, an SD card reader, and audio headset jack. As well, it features an HDMI port for connecting an external HD monitor, and a lock port for securing the laptop (which is recommended for college students in dorms). This Chromebook features the new wireless networking standard 802.11ac, which, while still in its infancy (it was only approved in January 2014) allows the device to benefit from 802.11ac wi-fi capable routers. This technology allows for improved data transfer speeds and greater range for use, and is backwards-compatible with a/g/n routers as well. The device also has Bluetooth 4.0 for use with wireless mice, keyboards, and other peripherals. Display and Speakers The 11.6-inch 1366×768 LED display of the C200M is far from HD, but that’s to be expected for the price of the device. The screen suffered from a faint but slightly noticeable ‘screen door’ effect up close, and is fairly dim even on the highest brightness setting. These are common issues with the typical Chromebook screen though, found on the Acer C720 as well, for instance. The matte finish on the screen is a nice touch, as reflections would harm the viewing experience even more. The speakers are loud enough to fill a large room at maximum volume, but are a little bit flat, and very quiet at low volume settings. The volume needs to be turned up at least to 1/4 of maximum to hear movie dialogue or speech in YouTube videos, for instance. Classical music sounds adequate, but metal lacks much deep bass. However, for the price, and for the size of the notebook, it’s not an awful listening experience at all. Keyboard and Mouse Featuring the chiclet-style “Chrome Keyboard” layout with its dedicated browser Back, Forward, Refresh, Fullscreen and Tile Windows buttons, the C200M is good for typing on. The specialized Search button, added in place of a caps lock key on Chrome Keyboards can search the web, the Chrome Marketplace, and also the Chromebook for files saved to the 16 GB SSD. Normal keyboard shortcuts such as ctrl+r for Refresh still function, too. The keyboard buttons don’t have much tactile feedback when pressed all the way, and have only average key travel length, but they are quiet and sturdy-feeling. The smooth, silver trackpad is very comfortable and easy to use. It was almost completely ubiquitous, which is a good thing in a trackpad or other interface device. Clicking and gesturing at the edges worked well enough, and clicking didn’t take much effort. The trackpad sounds nice and strong when clicked, not hollow, flimsy or clackety. Software and OS Google’s ChromeOS, which is what makes a Chromebook a Chromebook more than any other feature, is a unique operating system that is very different from the standard executable-running Windows or Mac OS X. On ChromeOS, all applications, be they for web browsing, document editing, music, games or instant messaging, are run through the Google Chrome browser. The Linux-based OS is optimized to run Chrome, and that’s it. PC executables cannot be installed or run on ChromeOS, which, while it has the obvious drawback of preventing programs like the Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office, desktop games, or even Skype from running on the machine, also keeps the computer safer. Executables are a dangerous file format, and by preventing them from running, ChromeOS keeps the computer safe from any bundled malicious code that may be embedded within these programs. Many viruses simply do not work on the Chromebook. That feature, combined with their ability to be wiped with the push of a button, means the computers are great for schools and students. Rather than using executable applications, Chromebooks utilize the Chrome Web Store, which features many different web-based applications and extensions for the Chrome browser. From Google Docs to Hangouts, the programs available still allow for good productivity on one of these machines. Though they won’t be able to replace a dedicated PC for heavy-duty graphics or modeling work, or be able to do programming or design, a Chromebook makes a great portable secondary computer, or for those who don’t need to do the above tasks, even a primary one. Performance The Bay Trail-based Celeron processor and 2 GB RAM performed admirably in the device, as with other Chromebooks we’ve reviewed, allowing us to open dozens of Chrome browser tabs without any noticeable slowdown. Improvements came primarily in the form of noise and heat, as described in the section below. Since ChromeOS can’t run anything besides the Chrome browser and its associated apps, that is how we spent most of our time; checking Facebook, writing emails, watching YouTube videos of kittens chasing lizards, and of course, writing this review in Google Docs. All of these tasks handled fine on the C200M. Just keep in mind that a Chromebook isn’t meant for people who need to use Microsoft Office, Photoshop, or perform complex video editing. Benchmarks In benchmarking this computer, we had to resort to our alternative browser-based tests to check the device’s capabilities, since normal benchmarking software can’t run on ChromeOS. The comparison we would make between this Chromebook and any other would be to the Acer C720, which is closest in price range, size, and specs to this machine. The results of three tests are below, and an explanation follows after “What this means.” On the Browsermark 2.1 test, which measures CSS 2D and 3D capabilities, HTML5 and WebGL graphics, JavaScript number-crunching, Flash and Silverlight support, and DOM management (how fast the browser can generate dynamic content and search a page), the C200M received a score of 2091, but it is not Silverlight compliant (as Microsoft Silverlight only runs on Windows). Running Futuremark Peacekeeper, which walks users through the HTML5 tests it is running, from rendering graphics using HTML5 Canvas to playing 2D games, got the Asus C200M running Chrome 35.0.1916.116 only a 1555, compared to the Acer C720’s 2931 running Chrome 32.0.1700.103. When running Microsoft’s HTML5 Fishbowl simulator, which tests graphics and physics objects, the Asus C200M could handle 95-105 fish with all bowl effects running over a wireless connection before dropping below 60 FPS. This is far fewer than the C720 could handle; that was able to do 190-200 fish at once. What this means… The large performance difference between the slightly older Acer C720 and this new Asus C200M is due to the processor. While Acer’s model used the Haswell Celeron, Asus’s Bay Trail Celeron isn’t as powerful. However, it’s also a lot cheaper and doesn’t require a fan, making it lighter, too. The reason the Acer C720 and other Chromebooks were able to use a Haswell chip was due to Intel subsidizing them to get a greater market share. However, as Intel has stopped doing that, to maintain a cheap price, the processor has to be changed to a lower end model. …But that’s not a bad thing. These tests push the browser to its limits, and rarely simulate actual sustained use. For word processing, browsing the web, or even doing video chats and streaming movies, the Bay Trail processor is still fine. In a budget machine that can’t run many of the more intensive programs listed above at all, intense power from a Haswell processor isn’t really necessary. While Acer is moving up to the Intel Core i3 in their newer C720 model from a Celeron, the price will also increase dramatically. In normal use, the Asus runs fine with its Bay Trail Celeron and 2 GB RAM though. Battery Life The Bay Trail processor in the C200M is designed specifically to consume less power than other chips, such as the Haswell-based Celerons in the other Chromebooks we’ve reviewed, and it shows in the battery performance tests we ran. Since ChromeOS is not capable of running the typical Powermark software that we use at NotebookReview, we instead ran the computer through highly intensive video streaming. With Bluetooth connection on, and while streaming HD video from a Plex media server, two Twitch game streams, and a 10-hour YouTube video, the battery lasted a whopping 7 hours and 7 minutes. We were duly impressed by this, as the Acer C720 for instance only lasted about 4.5 hours. Under normal conditions, with only a few tabs open, Bluetooth turned off, and taking occasional breaks from work, the battery efficiency is much better. The device is advertised as having an 11-hour battery life, and we don’t doubt that number based on our more rigorous testing. Heat and Noise If the other Chromebooks we reviewed with their SSDs and low processor intensity ran virtually silently, then this computer is literally silent. The Bay Trail processor doesn’t have a fan due to having a lower thermal profile, meaning that even as the computer takes on more tasks, it stays silent as a ghost, even with it held up to one’s ear. When running the benchmarks above in the Benchmarks section, the computer’s bottom got faintly warm, but not at all hot, even though it lacks vents. Running the intensive Battery Life regimen above, we found the computer only warmed up a bit at the back edge after several hours of sustained use. The Bay Trail processor is definitely one cool customer which allows the C200M to be used as a true laptop computer for many comfortable hours. Conclusion Though not as powerful as some of the other Chromebooks we’ve reviewed due to having a Bay Trail Celeron processor as opposed to a Haswell Celeron, the Asus C200M is still a great device. With its stylish, high-quality and light body, very long battery life, and good capabilities to access media, Asus has created a ChromeOS experience that is a fantastic balance of practicality, portability and price. The Asus C200M delivers a useful (although limited) selection of ports and a good ChromeOS experience in a quality compact body with great battery life. If you don’t need a high-end processor or a greater than HD display then this little laptop will get the job done for basic web browsing and working in Google Docs.