Samsung Chromebook 5
We have been waiting for the Samsung Chromebook 5 to come out since the fall of 2009.
When the market for netbooks was still doing well, Google’s Sundar Pichai went on stage in Mountain View to talk about the company’s plans for Chrome OS, an operating system focused on the browser.
He told them a new cloud-based computer would soon let people connect to the internet in just twenty seconds.
Even though no hardware was shown, Google promised that third-party Chrome OS computers would be available by the end of the year.
Since then, about two years have passed, and it’s clear that Google Chrome OS has had some problems and setbacks.
But after testing the waters with its own Cr-48 laptop in a pilot program, Google and electronics giant Samsung are ready to release the first widely available Samsung Chromebook 5.
This week, you can buy the dual-core Atom laptop with a 12.1-inch screen for $430.
Samsung Chromebook 5 Product Description
The Series 5 may stand out from the rest because of its software, but the laptop is in a league of its own.
Samsung‘s phone isn’t as sleek as Google’s all-black Cr-48, but it still looks pretty simple.
On the smooth lid of the glossy white and black versions (we tested the black one), there is a chrome Samsung logo and a small Google Chrome logo.
I haven’t seen the black one, but the body looks like a traditional tuxedo with its white top and black bottom.
The glossy lid picks up fingerprints, but the rest of the body, like the palm rest and the bottom, is made of matte plastic that is easy to clean. Do I wish Samsung’s other computers were made of the same duralumin as the Series 9?
That is accurate, but doing that would have made the Series 5 cost twice as much, and it’s still made better than computers that cost the same.
The system is only. Thirty-nine inches thick and weighs 3.3 pounds. It is not as small as a netbook or notebook, with a screen size of 10.1 or 11.6 inches.
The system’s rounded sides make it easier to handle and move and make it look thinner than it is.
The only big problem with its small size is that it only has a few USB ports that are standard size instead of a lot.
A USB 2.0 port and a VGA converter connection are behind the thin plastic port cover on the left side.
Nearby is a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the front lip has a four-in-one card reader.
On the right side of the Series 5, if you’re brave enough, you can find the jailbreak switch, an extra USB port, a SIM card slot, and the device’s kernel.
There is no HDMI or Ethernet, but most people probably don’t need Ethernet since there are many ways to connect to Wi-Fi. Most hotel rooms still have Ethernet hookups, so keep that in mind.
The Series 5’s chiclet keyboard is almost the same as the one on the Cr-48.
The matte black keys look square and have the right amount of room between them.
There isn’t a standard PC keyboard layout here because Google made some changes to fit its browser-based operating system.
New shortcuts like forward, back, refresh, and full-screen has replaced the feature row.
The Windows/Command button has been replaced with an ultra-wide Ctrl/Alt key combination, and the Caps Lock key has been replaced with a search key.
Many changes have been made, but they haven’t been as sudden as you might think.
I quickly learned the shortcuts. Maybe it’s because I’m used to the Cr-48 layout, even though I haven’t used it in months.
(In the Settings menu, you can change the search key to the Caps Lock key if you need to yell about something.)
The standard Chrome keyboard keys work as expected, like Ctrl + W to close a tab and Ctrl + N to open a new window.
The lack of light is why I’m not happy with the panel.
Part of me that wasn’t as smart as the rest, knew that having lighted keys in a coffee shop with dim lighting would make the bill go up, but I still wanted it.
With the Series 5, Samsung keeps up its recent trend of improving laptop screens.
You can use a 300-nit matte screen with a 1280-by-800 size. And if you didn’t know it already, you’ll never forget how much I like smooth screens.
So, I could write the first part of this review in a park on a sunny day, which was a nice change from my netbook’s usual glossy screen. On my 13-inch MacBook Pro, that would be very hard to do.
But I’m going to talk about something else.
The main things I don’t like about the display are the glossy screen edge and the lack of a vertical mode.
During a video chat with Chris, my face was caught by an HD webcam set up above the screen.
I showed him around our new office, but he said what he heard didn’t match what he saw.
When I talked to my sister, I ran into the same problem. Most likely, something went wrong with the program or the network.
The right and left speakers of the Series 5 are on the sides and don’t sound very full.
They could be heard in my tiny apartment through Rdio, but the sound quality and bass were awful.
If you plan to listen to a lot of music or podcasts on this device, buy a good set of headphones or laptop speakers.
Samsung Chromebook 5 Review- Product Specifications
| Brand | Samsung |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Samsung IT |
| Series | series 5 |
| Colour | White |
| Form Factor | Chromebook |
| Item Height | 0.8 Inches |
| Item Width | 8.6 Inches |
| Standing screen display size | 12.1 Inches |
| Screen Resolution | 1280 x 800 pixels |
| Resolution | 1280 x 800 Pixels |
| Product Dimensions | 29.46 x 21.84 x 2.03 cm; 1.48 Kilograms |
| Item model number | XE500C21-H01US |
| Processor Brand | Intel |
| Processor Type | Atom |
| Processor Speed | 1.66 GHz |
| Processor Count | 1 |
| RAM Size | 2 GB |
| Memory Technology | DDR3 |
| Computer Memory Type | DDR3 SDRAM |
| Hard Drive Size | 16 GB |
| Hard Disk Description | SSD |
| Hard Drive Interface | Solid State |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel NM10 |
| Graphics Chipset Brand | Intel |
| Graphics Card Description | NM10 |
| Graphics Card Interface | Integrated |
| Connectivity Type | 802.11 b/g/n |
| Wireless Type | Bluetooth |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 2 |
| Number of VGA Ports | 1 |
| Wattage | 40 Watts |
| Optical Drive Type | No |
| Power Source | AC |
| Operating System | Chrome OS |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 8.5 Hours |
| Are Batteries Included | Yes |
| Lithium Battery Energy Content | 8280 Milliamp Hours (mAh) |
| Number of Lithium Ion Cells | 6 |
| Manufacturer | Samsung IT |
| Item Weight | 1 kg 480 g |
Samsung Chromebook 5 Review By Online Product Report
It’s been about a year and a half since Google, Acer, and Samsung released the Chromebook, a minimalist notebook that receives its instructions from the cloud so long as it’s online. This is a bold proposal with exciting potential, especially considering the many extensions/apps currently available in the Google Chrome Web Store.
