For those of you who don’t know what a Chromebook is, isn’t sure if it’s a good investment or just want someone else’s opinion on it, continue reading because this is the article for you.

I purchased my Samsung Series 5 XE550 Chromebook (image above) a few days ago and haven’t been anything but pleased with its performance. But some of you are asking yourselves ‘What is a Chromebook?’ A Chromebook is a laptop running Google’s very own Chrome OS. Last year, when Google first released Chrome OS and the first generation Chromebook’s, the vision of a Chromebook was very basic; Since most people use the computer to browse the internet, why don’t we make a laptop that does just that. Shortly after, the Chromebook was born. The original Chromebook’s could do nothing else but run Google’s Chrome web browser and the basic ecosystem of Chrome. The specs weren’t that great(2GB of ram, dual-core atom processor, cheap look and feel), however, Google recently released a newer version of Chrome OS and Samsung increased the specs! Acer and Samsung are the only companies, currently, with Chromebook’s out on the market. Acer’s AC700 and Samsung’s Series 5 line.

Acer AC700 ($299)

• 11.6″ (1366×768) display
• 3.19 lbs/1.45 kg
• 6 hours of continuous usage
• Intel® dual-core Atom Processor N570
• 2 GB RAM
• Built-in dual-band Wi-Fi and 3G modem (opt)
• HD Webcam
• 2 USB 2.0 ports
• 4-in-1 memory card slot
• HDMI port
• Bluetooth 3.0™ Compatible

The newest addition to the Chromebook family would be Samsung’s Series 5 550 Chromebook. It has more RAM, Ethernet port, and a faster processor. So hands down, if money is not a problem, I would recommend the Samsung Series 5 550. That is the Chromebook I have and I love it. But instead of me telling you that I love my Chromebook, Let me tell you what I love about it the most.

Design:

The original Chromebook’s had a cheap look to them and wasn’t really appealing to me. The keyboard was is very flexible and just seems like it could break after days of typing. Other than that, the original Chromebook’s ran Chrome OS smoothly but had some trouble once there were numerous pages open or running HD video. With the second generation Chromebook came an updated OS (which should also be available on the older Chromebook’s. if not now than soon) and a better looking/feeling laptop. The keys are chick-let and the keyboard base doesn’t flex at all so the Chromebook doesn’t feel like its just going to fall apart. The keyboard features 30+ different hot keys and shortcuts to optimize user experience (too bad the delete key is a shortcut not an actual key). The click pad is multi-touch so 2 finger gestures are welcome! The Samsung Series 5 550 Chromebook itself is silver with a brushed metal wrist rest. I wish they would have done the whole Chromebook in the brushed metal or even just the lid, but that’s just me.

Chrome OS:

Chrome OS is as simple as it gets. It’s a basic operating system that runs Google’s Chrome web browser, Chrome web applications, and any other web applications you can play on the web (Pandora, YouTube, etc). The Chromebook starts up within in 7 seconds of you powering it on. Once the Chromebook is turned on, logging in is as simple as typing in your Google account information (Gmail log in). All your information from previous Chrome web browsers is saved and synced to your new Chromebook. The newer version of Chrome OS allows you to split-windows so you can have 2 web pages side by side. It allows you to minimize your web pages. It also introduces a ‘desktop-esk’ feel when everything is minimized. At the bottom of your screen is a shortcut bar that displays custom shortcuts to web, mail, YouTube, applications, etc and also the time, WiFi connections and shortcut settings. Overall the new version of Chrome OS is a great improvement from the original.

Offline applications:

Since Chromebook’s are so new, some people get scared or hesitate when they hear ‘Web only’. The main question I get asked is ‘Well, what do you do if you don’t have an internet connection?” The answers very simple, to an extent. I do the same thing I’ve always done when a laptop doesn’t have Internet. and honestly, that’s nothing. Me personally, have no need to use a laptop when there is no internet connection. However, I understand that some people do. And here’s how you can on a Chromebook. There are things called offline applications, these are applications that you can use whenever you are offline and don’t have access to the internet. There are many offline applications out there that can be ran offline(not as many as you probably think, but at least one of every thing you’d ever need to do offline). There are offline applications for your Gmail account, Dictionary, Document reading/editing, Photo editing, Wikipedia, save web page’s for offline use, etc. And when you come to think about it, there is very rarely a time where you aren’t connected to the internet anymore.

Battery life:

The battery life is pretty great in my honest opinion. I’ve been using the same charge for 2 full days now and I still have 50% battery life. The average battery life is between 6-10 hours, of continuous use, on one charge depending on if your streaming HD videos or reading the news.

Is a Chromebook right for you? That all depends. I would highly recommend a Chromebook to anyone looking for a secondary computer/laptop. If you are deciding on which one to get, I would get the Samsung Series 5 550. Newer hardware, faster speed, great aesthetic appeal and wonderful form factor. If you are looking for a desktop replacement, you might want to look at something else right now. Considering the fact that you wont be able to run full programs/games. This might not be the right choice for someone who’s looking for a primary computer.

If you have any questions about Chromebooks, or more specifically my Samsung Series 5 550 Chromebook, feel free to ask them in the comments below or on twitter @ohmyitsdoug. You can also find out more information here!