The Chromebook has quickly moved into prominent discussions among educators as a flexible Internet-based device in classrooms. Whether you are using the system as a cart or taking advantage of 10-second start-up times or optimizing it as a low-cost 1:1 device for utilizing Google Apps, the Chromebook is now a computer that schools must consider. Over the past year, several manufacturers have come into the marketplace, including Samsung, Acer, Lenovo, and HP. Since Chromebook’s operating system is the same across all of these platforms, we thought it would be interesting to take each model for a test drive and look at what makes them unique. Today we look at the Samsung Chromebook. Next up - the Lenovo x131e.
Samsung Chromebook
The Samsung Chromebook is lightweight, fast enough for most tasks, and a perfect combination of price and features. In most instances, it runs quickly; however, it can get bogged down with 20+ open tabs or in very large Google Spreadsheets. The 5 out of 5 "coolness factor" rating is for its size and look. The battery life is excellent for a school setting and the keyboard and mouse are comfortable to use. All ports except SD are in the back.
Key Features
- Cost: $249.00
- Battery: Internal, 6.5 hours life
- Weight: 2.4 lbs
- Weight Comparison to iPad: 1.67
- Keyboard: Very easy to type on. Placement does not interfere with trackpad. Missing the following keys: page up, page down, home, end, delete, and lowercase.
- Touchpad: 3.9' x 2.1'; zero button
- Screen: 11.6" LED 1366x768
- Ports: HDMI, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, SD (all but SD all in back)
- Memory Card: 3 in 1
- Power Adapter: Very small
- Storage: 16GB Flash
- Durability:Holds up well under tests. Screens and small power plug are the most common issues.
- Size: 11.40" x 8.09" x 0.69"
- Speakers: Weak sound that gets distorted at higher volumes
- Processor:1.7 GHz Exynos 5000 Series Processor
- RAM: 2GB
- Coolness Factor (Would a kid want to carry this around?): 5
