Review: Samsung Series 5 Chromebook
Review: Samsung Series 5 Chromebook
Introduction
Chromebooks such as the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook XE550C22 - and the Chrome OS operating system they run on - are worthy innovations, but so far have fallen short of our expectations. The idea of a laptop that's so streamlined for browsing and working on the web that it boots in seconds and can run all day off a single battery charge is certainly appealing.
Google's Chrome web browser is a fast, light and versatile program for accessing the web. Building an operating system around it, while integrating many of Google's cloud services such as Google Docs, was a great idea.
So Chromebooks had the potential to succeed where netbooks failed, and even maybe take on the might of the increasingly popular tablet.
However, as we've seen with Chromebooks such as the Acer AC700 and Samsung's early Chromebook, the results have so far been rather disappointing.
Early versions of the Chrome OS had their flaws, especially when it came to the playback of media, which would often stutter, or not play at all. Having a whole operating system in a web browser that took up the entire screen also made multi-tasking and other tasks we take for granted in desktop-based operating systems such as Windows 7 much more difficult.
The hardware that was supporting Chrome OS didn't help, either. Just because a laptop is streamlined, doesn't mean it has to be underpowered. Yet many of the early Chromebooks came with paltry RAM and integrated graphics and hardly any internal storage, which made using them sluggish and frustrating.
Finally a laptop and operating system that stores everything on the web is only as good as your internet connection - so if you weren't able to access a wireless network, the Chromebook would be all but useless.
The Samsung XE550C22 Chromebook has a big mission in front of it, then. It needs to overcome the failings of past Chromebooks and prove to those of us who have been left unimpressed with what we've seen so far that Chromebooks and the Chrome OS are relevant. It's certainly a tall order, but can it succeed?
Oh, and it needs to persuade us that the price of £379 in the UK or $499.99 in the US for the Wi-Fi version - or £429/$549.99 for the 3G version - for a laptop with 4GB RAM, instant boot and a novel new approach is worth the risk of removing the safety net of Microsoft Windows.
Specifications
The Samsung Series 5 Chromebook XE550C22 has been given a hefty upgrade compared to the specifications of other Chromebooks. While on paper its 4GB of RAM seems a bit like overkill, considering what Chromebooks are designed for, it's a welcome addition. The Chrome OS operating system - and the Chromebook as a whole - feels a lot more sprightly with the added RAM, running tasks much faster.
A 16GB SSD hard drive keeps things fast as well. Of course, it's a lot smaller than hard drives found in laptops, but the main idea of a Chromebook is that the majority of your documents and files are stored online in a cloud service.
An SD port enables you to pop in a memory card for more space. There are two USB ports as well, and as with previous Chromebooks, inserting a USB flash drive will automatically open up a new tab in Chrome with the contents of the USB drive displayed.
The interface of Chrome OS has been improved, making browsing files a lot more pleasant, and not such a culture shock if you're used to Windows as your operating system.
One of the most important things to remember is that rather than windows opening on your desktop and containing files or programs, Chrome OS uses tabs instead. So a USB drive with files on it is accessed in a similar way to a webpage. It takes a little getting used to, but once you become accustomed, things start to click into place.
Probably the most important specification of the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook, and one that's missing from earlier Chromebooks, is 3G functionality (on the more expensive 3G version, not on the cheaper Wi-Fi-only model). Plug in a SIM card with a mobile internet data contract and you're able to browse the internet while out and about - without having to depend on Wi-Fi networks.
This dramatically increases the usefulness of Chromebooks, because before if you were away from your home Wi-Fi network, or not able to connect to a free Wi-Fi hotspot, then you'd be unable to access any files or services on the cloud.
Computing on the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook XE550C22 via a 3G signal is far more flexible. Of course, if you find yourself in one of the 3G blackspots that are sadly still common - especially in rural areas - then Chromebooks are still going to be rather limited.
It's also worth remembering that a SIM card isn't included with the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook, so you'll need to sign up with a mobile operator and get a contract or pay as you go data plan. This is an extra cost you need to factor in, although there are some good deals to be had - giffgaff offers some excellent data deals, for example.
Of course, with 3G mobile internet you're not going to be wanting to use it abroad, lest you enjoy getting humongous phone bills. There's also the fact that while 3G is an improvement on previous mobile internet technology, it's still rather slow, so streaming TV shows is a no-no.
The 3G-only Samsung Series 5 Chromebook won't benefit from the far faster speeds of 4G internet either, in the US or when 4G eventually comes to the UK.
However, with a 12.1-inch LED screen, you'll hear no complaints from us about image quality - the screen is bright, crisp and a pleasure to gawk at.
Support for 802.11a/bg/n wireless networks is also very good, especially if you have a wireless N router, so you can take advantage of the increased range and speeds of the newish wireless standard. 'Newish?' we hear you ask - that's because the wireless 802.11ac standard is rolling out as we speak, with a much increased speed and range.
As with the lack of 4G, the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook XE550C22 isn't crippled by the absence of wireless AC, but it's not as future-proof as you'd want from such a potentially innovative product. Especially one so reliant on the internet.
Performance
While many of the specifications we've mentioned are great in theory, a lot of the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook's success relies on the new and improved Chrome OS. The revamp includes a more desktop-like experience, with icons for your favourite apps displayed on a desktop wallpaper of your choosing.
It looks good and works well at helping users from traditional operating systems acclimatise to the Chromebook's way of doing things.
As you'd expect from a Chromebook running a light operating system from a speedy solid state drive, the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook XE550C22 boots up in a matter of seconds, and after logging in you can dive straight into browsing the internet. The boosted hardware inside this Chromebook gives it a much sprightlier and smoother feel as you're browsing the web and running apps.
However, we still experienced playback problems when running high definition video, both from a USB stick and streaming it online. While a Chromebook isn't ever going to be an all singing, all dancing media machine, it's disheartening to see a product this new - and at this price (£379 in the UK or $499.99 in the US for the Wi-Fi-only model, or £429/$549.99 for the 3G version) - struggling with 1080p video.
Apart from that, things have certainly been tightened up. When we used the first generation of Chromebooks we were dismayed at the lack of support for certain file types. Not knowing if your Chromebook was able to open or play a file resulted in an extremely hit and miss, not to mention frustrating, experience.
Added support for most of the popular formats is a very welcome addition, and makes the Chromebook far more enjoyable to use.
Battery life is pretty decent, with about six hours of heavy use, although considering the specs we were hoping for quite a bit longer. It's slim, light and looks great though, so you'd have no problem taking it around with you.
Verdict
Overall, the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook XE550C22 is a big leap forward for Chromebooks, and is easily the best Chromebook we've reviewed. Of course, the previous generation of Chromebook was rather disappointing, so that's not saying too much.
We liked
Improvements in both the hardware and Google's Chrome OS software are very welcome, and make using the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook XE550C22 much more enjoyable. There are still some flaws, though.
The improvements to Chrome OS, alongside extra RAM and processing power, make the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook much more desirable. You can really begin to see the promise of Chromebooks.
We disliked
Media playback and editing, in particular, are not served well by the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook's underpowered integrated graphics.
Even with the changes to Chrome OS that make it behave more like Windows or Mac OS X, it's still a limited operating system compared to the full fat operating systems. Apps are downloaded and installed from the Chrome Store, and while it's growing daily with plenty of apps, there's still a scarcity of apps that offer the depth and complexity of traditional desktop applications.
This means that despite the advancements, the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook is still a device that you'd only want to use for quick web-based tasks. Anything heavier and you'll want a standard laptop or desktop computer.
Final verdict
So without being able to recommend the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook as your only computer, does it do enough to warrant you buying it to go alongside your existing laptop, desktop or all-in-one? Sadly, not.
While it's certainly well built, the form factor isn't as convenient or as easy to carry as the Chromebook's chief competitor: tablets. While Chrome OS has been improved, it's not as powerful as the iPad's iOS, or that other Google operating system, Android. Has Google itself made the Chromebook obsolete with its Google Nexus 7 tablet?
Once again the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook XE550C22, like the Chromebooks before it, finds itself in an odd place.
On the one hand it's a forward thinking device, geared towards cloud services and apps. We feel that this is definitely the way technology is heading, but the tech isn't quite there yet. So in some respects, the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook is a bit ahead of its time.
However, its limited tech, along with the absence of next-gen internet standards such as 4G and 802.11ac Wi-Fi, means that it could soon start feeling out of date. The Samsung Series 5 Chromebook is a decent computer, and an improvement on its competitors, but it doesn't quite answer the Chromebook conundrum.
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