Samsung Series 5 Wi-Fi Chromebook (Arctic White)
Feature
- Product code : MICSAMXE500C21A01CLR
- Brand : Samsung
- Manufacturer part number : XE500C21-A01UK
- PLEASE SEE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION
Product Overview
Samsung 500 WHT N570 121 2GB CHROME OS XE500C21A01UK Laptops Notebooks 144 of 148 people found the following review helpful
Simply Brilliant, By
Derek Jeffries (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Samsung Series 5 3G Chromebook (Arctic White) (Personal Computers)
Now, I was a bit dubious about buying a Chromebook. Early adoption of technology is always a risk, but with chrome it feels a lot less of one; due to the constant evolution of the operating system and huge battery life of the machine.However, I was greeted with skepticism from all of my friends who asked "Why would you want a laptop which is only good with the internet?" to which I responded that I couldn't remember the last time I used a machine that wasn't connected to the net.
It's portable, boots very fast and has a great keyboard. Haven't fully burnt out the battery yet, but seems to give 8-9 hours easily and the boot time is about 10 seconds. It's negligible - you turn it on, and you're online. The browser is good, and added apps mean you can have games, word processing, calendar, email etc all opening up nicely.
It's solid to hold and thin (v.portable) but weighs slightly more than I thought it would.
I appreciate the chromebook isn't for everyone. But for a portable laptop that just works, keeps things simple and is very secure, you can't do better.
More portable than a laptop, easier to work on than a tablet - it holds that middle ground. And it does it perfectly. It's a journey that's just beginning, and i'm glad i'm on-board.
UPDATE: Having used the Chromebook for 4 months now - I have to say I'm even more impressed. I wouldn't suggest buying this machine as a main computer, but it's not designed for that. Word processing, spreadsheets etc are possible through google docs, but it is not as easy to use as it you have word/excel on your main computer. However, as a portable machine this is second to none. I'm a student and carry it around in my bag all the time - it's light, sturdy and never slows down. I get 8 hours of battery from it every time and the continuing updates mean that any glitches are fixed in a matter of hours. The fact that it boots in 10 seconds is very useful and the keyboard is very impressive - easily able to type up notes in lectures, or even write this review. The screen is bright and easy to read - and it really does just work so well. I'm amazed I don't see many of these machines on campus as they truly are brilliant.
If you want a portable, easy to use second computer- mainly for internet use; this is for you.
108 of 112 people found the following review helpful
Samsung Chromebook ideal for my needs, By
Dr. Mark Tweedie - See all my reviews
This review is from: Samsung Series 5 Wi-Fi Chromebook (Arctic White) (Personal Computers)
I bought the Samsung Chromebook because I wanted one fast-access device, with an attached keyboard, where I didn't have constant reminders about security updates and scans, to act as a supplement to my home PCs. I'd been very interested in buying one since they appeared on the market, as I'd remarked to a colleague a few years ago that netbooks would run faster if the browser alone was the operating system, and you could probably do most tasks using this - so I had already bought into the concept, as far as I know, before it was even announced.Anyway, in the following, I've compiled some points which I hope will be useful to other Amazon users.
Maximising browser speed:
With all apps and extensions loaded by default, web browsing slows down. They can all be switched On/Off manually, but I found one extension, Disable All Extensions Plus, which simplifies the process. Switching off all apps and extensions visibly speeds webpage opening/scrolling, for the times when you need it.
Skype videocalls:
I've tried IMO instant messaging, to login to Skype, and see my contacts online status. I needed to allowed access to my webcam and microphone for IMO, on the Macromedia Flash Player Settings Manager page, for Website Privacy Settings, and Peer Assisted Networking. Video works both ways, but I haven't been able to get sound both ways yet - I'm sure it can be done, since video works, so I'm not giving up on it, as it seems to offer a work-around for Skype.
Anyway, when videocalling a Skype contact, they receive a message in their Skype Conversations tab, inviting them to videochat with you. Clicking the link opens a browser window, showing them your webcam video.
Online Document/File viewing and editing:
For straightforward documents/files, Google Docs should be sufficient for online preparation, while giving offline viewability.
To read MS Office files (doc, docx, ppt, etc,), I upload them to Google Docs, sometimes converting to Google Docs format. Once converted, the files can be edited, and then saved in Google Docs format, or downloaded, depending on type, as odt, pdf, doc, docx, txt, etc., and transferred from the local File Shelf storage to external media.
Upload limits are 1MB for Google Docs format, and 10MB for Word documents and pdfs, with a free 1GB file space for a Google Docs account. Google Docs format files are not counted for the used space total.
You can, also, edit MS Office files, using an MS SkyDrive account, with 25GB storage, and max. upload size of 50MB per file - the web apps are not as functional as MS Office, though. Zoho Writer and Sheet are alternative online apps for document and spreadsheet preparation. Other online apps for presentations and charts are 280Slides, Slide Rocket, and Lovely Charts.
Offline Chromebook usage:
Offline, you can play music (mp3, wav) and video files (mpeg4), view photos (jpeg and bmp), and read/reply to webmail via the Google Mail Offline app. In Google Docs offline, you can read Google Docs format files and pdfs.
Scratchpad has an offline mode which syncs with Google Docs online. You can prepare formatted text-only notes in Scratchpad offline, and when online, copy and paste this into your document.
Overall, the Chromebook has useful functionality offline, which will further improve, when Google introduces offline document editing.
Photo editing:
There are a number of web apps for this in the Chrome Web Store. I found Sumo Paint gave me editing options similar to PaintShopPro and Photoshop. Editing is done on the website, in common with all photo editing apps currently available, although Google may build in a basic image editor later.
Online video streaming:
I use standard or lower video resolution, to avoid intrusive video buffering, because my broadband download speed is too slow for HD video. As far as I know, playing streaming HD video should be fine on faster broadband connections, though.
Playing alternative video files (avi, flv, and wmv):
The built-in Media Player plays mpeg4 video only, but these 3 formats will play from your Google Docs account, subject to the 1GB space available - I've tested this for 1 min videos. Large video files need mpeg4 conversion on a PC, using freeware video convertor software. Avi playback may now be available in Developers mode, so may arrive soon.
Music/audio files:
The Media Player plays mp3 or wav audio files only. WMV files can be converted to mp3 on a PC, using downloadable freeware.
The player doesn't play CDs from an external CD/DVD drive, but if you rip your CDs to audio files on a PC, you can transfer them to a USB memory stick, or SD/SDHC memory card, to access on Chromebook. The Media Player only plays the songs ticked and queued in the list - continuous play or random shuffle isn't available, yet.
There are substitutes for iTunes... Read more
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Samsung Chromebook, By
CamdenM - See all my reviews
This review is from: Samsung Series 5 Wi-Fi Chromebook (Arctic White) (Personal Computers)
I am using my Samsung Chromebook as an adjunct to my desktop and laptop and it is excellent. I am very pleased with it. Access to the Internet on opening the lid is very swift (2-3 seconds) so the Chromebook is ideal for picking up and putting down throughout the day. The full keyboard makes typing very efficient and the battery life is a day. I thoroughly recommned this as a secondary item for someone who is on the internet regularly throughout the day. In due course, I believe it will be able to replace laptops and probably desktops too. I took it on holiday and it was the choice of everyone in the family when they wanted to browse the internet (facebook, emails, uni, Google etc). What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
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