Review: Samsung Series 5 Chromebook
A unique laptop built exclusively for web browsing, but not much else.
The world’s first Chrome OS laptop. The Samsung Series 5 is a new breed of computer that exclusively runs Google’s ‘Chrome’ operating system (OS), which looks (and works) a lot like Google’s Chrome web browser that can be downloaded for your Mac or PC. (you may also be interested in the world’s first glasses-free 3D laptop).
Rather than boasting a huge hard drive for storing your media, applications and personal files, the Chromebook stores everything, securely, in the ‘cloud’.
Doing so, it needs an internet connection to operate, which goes some way to explaining the point of this laptop. It’s designed as a low-power, high-battery life, computer that can perform an array of simple tasks such as word processing, internet browsing, media viewing and app downloading. It runs Google Docs for office work and employs the Chrome web browser for web surfing an app downloading.
However, while the Chromebook may have a low-powered hardware specification sheet, it can go from completely off to on, logged in and ready to surf the web in under 15 seconds. A big, trackpad offers multi-gesture commands and the keyboard is standard size.
The 12.1-inch screen has a 1280 x 800 resolution, which is fine for standard computing, but isn’t sharp or quick enough to show off HD video files, which appear grainy. And you can forget about high-powered gaming, too; the Chromebook isn’t designed for such pixel pushing.
For a device that requires an internet connection to exist, there is no ethernet port.
Strangely, for a device that requires an internet connection to exist, there is no ethernet port. Wifi and 3G connectivity are the two routes for getting online. There is a webcam built into the lid for video chat via Google Talk, and two USB 2.0 ports for connecting peripherals. Battery life is claimed to run to 8.5 hours, however we managed around 7 hours in our testing. It’s light, too – just 1.3.kg.
Google has said that by the end of summer, an update will allow a number of its features to be made available in offline mode (such as Google Docs), which will give the Chromebook a different lease of life for air travellers. However, until that arrives, there’s not much to differentiate it between a cheap laptop. Especially at the £399 price point. While the Samsung Series 5 is one of the first cloud computers, until fast wireless connectivity is omnipresent throughout the country, it won’t realise its full potential either.
Price: £399
