Having waited for this since 2016, the Samsung Chromebook Plus has comfortably lived up to astronomical expectations - replacing both my ipad and laptop and doing a better job of both. I am new to Chrome OS but I can tell you now it's going to take something special to pull me away.
Pros:
- Browsing is quick and light- it takes about 6 seconds to switch on and 3 seconds to log in. While this is much more than a Chromebook, it certainly isn't less than a Chromebook. (I'm also a sucker for Chrome OS keyboard shortcuts.)
- Android apps: I love how well it syncs with my phone - whatsapp, wunderlist, google books, google docs, spotify, youtube.. can all be put down on one and picked up on the other without going through finnicky browser copies.
- Screen: i) Aspect Ratio ii) Definition iii) Touchscreen.
i) 3 x 2 is preferred for browsing - makes much more sense for web pages and far better for tablet experience - read ebooks and edit pages comfortably in portrait mode. And I don't feel it when I watch videos.
ii) Screen is super crisp and really nice for watching videos and viewing pictures on. Need to see it to understand.
iii) Touchscreen/trackpad combo is a winner - only one is a bit frustrating sometimes, having the functionality of both is ideal.
- Battery life: Kills it. 10 hours if you try, 8 if you don't. Charges in about 2 hours.
- Super light and thin (I can't even tell if it's in my bag or not), comfortably light enough to hold, and very very thin- thinner than my ipad and case!
- Convertible: As well as the obvious bonuses of this, I feel not enough has been said about tucking the keys under the screen with the screen at 45 degrees and the keys like a stand on your lap- really nice for skype, videos, and really comfortable to scroll through pages. The other good thing is it can do every angle so you don't have to adjust your seating based on how the stand as I used to with an iPad, you can just tilt the screen differently and not have to hold it at the angle you want. This is also ideal when combined with how thin it is - because the screen by itself is thinner than any tablet.
- No viruses at all
- Stylus works really well with palm rejection, looking forward to Google Keep being improved as we go.
Things other people have complained about I haven't found to be issues:
- Speakers: crackling once or twice in 2 months but quickly fixed but turning the volume town or moving the laptop, nothing worse than having it near a magnet or something
- Android apps: Only one I use that doesn't size properly. A bit of screen flashing once or twice, but nothing more than rebooting the app needed. Expecting this to be all good when the pro comes out in April
- Processor speed: never felt slow bothered me, can't see why you'd need a pro, just close tabs / apps you're not using - easy to do when you can reopen them so quickly.
- No backlit keyboard: People, it's 2017, how are you still looking at the keys? Also, are you also 15 trying to stay up without your parents knowing? The brightness from the screen is plenty for any setting I'd say, even if you can't touch-type.
Who should buy this?
Anyone who wants something for entertainment and personal use that's well built, portable and fast. This is the mother of all notebooks, as light as a feather without a bloated or tablet operating system, perfect for anything you'd do at home or in a coffee shop.
This also works very well as a 3rd device or a laptop for kids/teenagers (especially with the stylus).
Who shouldn't buy this?
- Video editors - probably need a more developed operating system
- People who need some special apple/microsoft only programme (eg iMessage, Garage Band or people who can only code in VBA)
P.S. Good tip: I've really benefited from having a phone I can turn into a wi-fi router and a good amount of 4G internet on my contract. Worth getting if you want to use this on the go a lot.
PPS Ordered to the UK and works well - just need to get a plug adaptor and get used to ",@, £,# switching around.
| Standing screen display size | 12.3 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1366 x 768 pixels |
| Max Screen Resolution | 2400x1600 pixels |
| Processor | 2 GHz celeron_n3060 |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR3 |
| Hard Drive | 32 GB SSD |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel HD Graphics |
| Chipset Brand | Intel |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Graphics Card Ram Size | 4 GB |
| Wireless Type | 802.11ac |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 10 Hours |
