This is by far my new favorite computer. I have been the proud owner of a MacBook Pro for several years and think that this will replace it for me completely. Granted I never used the Mac for photo/video editing and don't plan to do any of that on the Chromebook. With the Google Play store it is hard to think of something that this can't do, other than reformatting drives and running enterprise software that only exists for PCs/Macs. Seeing as I don't need any of that kind of software on my personal computer I am very content with what this has to offer. The screen is superb, the stylus is great (never been a stylus user till now), and the keyboard isn't nearly as bad as what some online reviews claim. I read online that it smudges easy on the outside so I put a custom skin on it the second I opened it. Speakers aren't great, but they aren't bad either (which is another ding against this machine that I saw pretty frequently...) All in all I can easily say that this is the device I have been looking for for the last 7 years. A great performing laptop that doesn't break the bank.
First off, let's clear up the fact that I wasn't in the market for a MacBook replacement (though I have one issued through my office) nor was I in the market for a cheap POS machine (traditional Chromebook marchitecture). I actually wasn't looking for anything in particular, but was intrigued by the prospect of a device that could function as a daily driver and as a tablet. The Android app functionality is really what made me decide to purchase a Chromebook.
Note: I spent about 2 weeks reading and watching every single review between the ASUS C302a Flipbook and this Samsung Pro before eventually landing on this product. If you're not entirely sold on this because of the keyboard reviews (despite what I type next) I advise you take gander there.
First things first: you are going to read a lot of reviews saying that this keyboard is crap. It is not. It is fine for the device that this machine is. I am a keyboard aficionado. I own a Corsair, Steel Series, and Razer Mechanical keyboard - I frequently switch between them all depending on the level of noise and color that I desire. This keyboard will never get itself confused with those, but the reviews that call this "crap" are people being extreme keyboard nazis. This is fine for this device. Perfect? No. The backspace key is tiny and too close to the lock key. Especially in this day of 40 character passwords. I recently came over from a Microsoft Surface, and can tell you that this keyboard is light years ahead of that device, despite that device being awesome for what it is. And that, btw, is important. Keep a perspective. This is a laptop/tablet. Not a desktop replacement machine. With that in mind, it is more then adequate to fulfill its duty as an input device.
The thing that made me select this tablet/chromebook was the pen, frankly. I was looking for a tablet/laptop extension; something I could take notes on in a meeting without being that guy that is frantically typing away at the keyboard while people are talking (note: if you're the guy in the room typing while other people are talking, you are the annoying person in the room). The stylus is awesome. The handwriting is a pleasure to use. I use Squid, but every app that I tried has worked well enough to recommend, including Google Keep (I need different backdrop pages to use this app!!! Lines people!).
Screen is gorgeous. (actually the thing that made me choose this over the Asus). It's fantastic. It is, as others have pointed out, bright enough to light up the non-backlit keyboard (if I was going to gripe about something, this would be it.... c'mon Samsung....). 4:3 resolution is great/perfect. Only problem is videos, but you forget about those black bars within 5 minutes of a movie playing. If you still notice them after 5 minutes, the movie you're watching sucks.
Hinge is sturdy. I was worried about the durability, but it has given me no room for pause in normal usage.
Android app integration - seamless, with a few exceptions. Mind you, everything I use regularly, have been fine, but in running it through the gamut I came across a couple apps that I could not get to work. For me, not a deal breaker, as I was pushing it to find those exceptions. YMMV.
USB C Charging off of my battery pack, or my car charger... life changing. Never having to find a wall plug... Enough said.
Highly recommend this device. So far...
I can’t say enough good things about my Chromebook Pro.
Overall: I love the look and feel of this device. It is lightweight and ready to go instantly - no boot up time. I love being able switch to tablet mode to surf the web, watch movies, and play games. Laptop mode is great when I need to type. The stylus is fun and responsive. The screen is brilliant. 2400:1600 is amazing for such a nimble device.
Vs. Windows 2-in-1: A Windows 2-in-1 is going to be a LOT more expensive. You can come close to a Chromebook price, but you will get a CPU that isn’t powerful enough for Windows 10. You will end up with something much heavier. You might get a full HD screen, but it can’t compare to the 2400:1600 Chromebook Pro. If you want a Windows 2-in-1 that has the necessary CPU performance, comparable weight and resolution, you are going to pay TRIPLE the price of the Chromebook Pro.
Multi-Tasking: I do lots of presentations. So, I need to be able to research topics on the web, edit images, create slideshows, and type outlines. I can easily extend to an extra monitor with a USB-C adapter. That gives me all the screen real estate I need to handle all of this at once. I have not yet seen the Chromebook Pro slow down with multiple windows and tabs.
Compatibility: I was concerned that I might have trouble connecting external devices. The USB-C port can be used with adapters for everything I use. Some adapters have a half-dozen different ports in them. I have been able to connect to HDMI to cast my presentations to a TV or Projector. VGA for my older monitor. My USB wired mouse works great. My USB Bluetooth mouse also works. Even my USB presentation clicker worked instantly. The Chromebook had no trouble connecting to my USB 3.0 1TB external hard drive. Everything works! All of these things worked the moment I plugged them in with no setup required.
Power: I’ve tried to push this thing. I ran Asphalt 8. I was amazed at the graphics quality and gameplay. Visually stunning. The accelerometer controls worked great. Very pleased.
One thing that didn’t perform smoothly was a flip transition in Google Slides.
Wi-Fi: Connected instantly to my home wifi without even trying. I have noticed that it can drop my connection sometimes. I’m not 100% sure, but might have been when I switch from tablet to laptop mode. Strange. And then I needed to restart the router to get reconnected. Maybe there is a better way. It happens less than once a day, so hasn’t been a frustration. I usually restart my router about that often anyway.
My son works and a computer store. He told me that I would not get what I needed from a Chromebook. He was wrong. It has all the power for work. And all the flexibility for fun.
After a bit more than a week with this new Chromebook Pro as my main device I can safely say that I'm really impressed. Also, I'm really confused by some of the negative feedback that I've read down below (seriously, what's wrong with those people having such a negative experience). Let me recap the pros and cons I've experienced so far:
PROS
- Good build quality. Clearly at this price you cannot expect a Macbook or Razer Blade unibody execution, nonetheless this product has a pretty good build quality, where the hinge is solid, the screen is just amazing, the keyboard is way better than some folio keyboards already tried with other 2in1 products, and the trackpad is honest enough.
- Good compatibility with my peripherals. To maximize the "1 cable to rule them all" idea, I've bought a Type-C Aukey hub to which I've connected the power source, a Seagate external HDD, a Rapoo wireless mouse and a Corsair Vengeance K65, and they all work perfectly. I'm particularly impressed by the fact that the media buttons on my keyboard (volume and windows on/off switch) are well recognized by Chrome OS.
- Good stability of the Android apps used so far. I had one problem with Skype, which has crashed a few times during one specific session as I was trying to videochat and at the same time send some files. But hey, that's a Microsoft software, right? So don't expect it to always work as it should.
- Completely silent as there are no fans, and temperatures are well under control. It gets hot only with specific games or when using Skype.
- Having the chance to use Android apps on a big (and beautiful) screen like this one feels like the future is finally here, and it's not brought by Apple or Microsoft
- Tablet mode works better than expected: not one single hiccup at the moment, and the input can get even more accurate when using the stylus
- Everything -from the boot up time to the execution of apps- feels incredibly fast
CONS
- I've used the stylus with several apps already, and the input lag is just not satisfying enough when drawing or hand writing. It is somehow expected, but they need to improve on this part as both Microsoft and Apple have raised the bar with their Pen and Pencil
- File manager is slightly a bit confusing at first, as it wasn't clear to me how to recognize if a file stored on Drive can also be used offline. I'm perfectly aware of the idea of running a whole experience on the cloud, however there are still tons of situations where you just cannot be connected to the internet (i.e. when you are travelling), and therefore I still believe that this device should be always ready to run in offline mode and get access to any file you want/need. And therefore, a bigger and faster eMMC (or hopefully a SSD) would be needed
Hope you guys find this recap helpful to take a decision whether to buy it or not. This is my key takeaway: Chrome OS is the future, and I strongly believe it will repeat the same success already seen several years ago for the Browser, when at that time all Firefox users were complaining about Chrome minimalistic design and functions. It is happening the same now for those who cannot foresee what Chrome OS is going to become within a few years.
I purchased this with a small amount of trepidation based on other peoples reviews of the keyboard (of all things). After having used this for the last day I can say that this is truly not a concern. I'm a touch typer with large hands and I've been hitting the backspace key consistently without having to grope for it. It's absolutely fine. This device truly feels like the future. I've never had a machine so light and with such a fabulous display I came into this purchase looking to replace a laptop that had been my daily driver at home for the last three years. It's primary use was web surfing, but also some work related things using web and RDP.
When that laptop died I considered "dumbing down" and just getting a simpler device geared at web browsing only (90% of my home use) and just switching to a desktop for the work stuff to save money on buying a full blown laptop. That decision led me to this Samsung Pro and I'm now realizing that this fantastic little device is actually starting to look like a full blown laptop replacement (and a good one at that). Chrome opens instantly, the RDP app from the App Store makes remote connectivity seamless and I have yet to encounter a situation that I'm not going to able to do with Chromebook that I could do on Windows.
If you're on the fence about this device, dont be. It's an amazing machine and I can't imagine, (even after owning it such a short time) that it's not going to continue to become even more awesome as ChromeOS continues to mature. I'll update this review with any negatives I encounter but for the short term at least this device is an absolute home run.
Feature Product
- Display: 12.3" 2400x1600, 3:2,400nit
- Intel Core M3 Processor 6Y30 ; 2.2Ghz Speed
- 4GB LPDDR3 Memory (on BD 4GB); Battery Life: 9 hours
- Hard Drive: 32GB eMMC.Weight:2.381pounds. OS: Google Chrome.Spill Resistant:Yes, 60cc
- Refer User Manual under Technical Specification for troubleshooting steps.Bluetooth 4.1
Description
Samsung Chromebook Pro is a powerful and flexible, premium Chromebook device. It seamlessly converts from Notebook to tablet, and also has a built-in PEN for drawing and writing on the brilliant QHD touch screen display.
Opted for the Samsung Chromebook Pro over the Asus Chromebook Flip C302. But that ended up being mistake as I returned the Samsung unit to Amazon because I couldn't deal with the cramped keyboard. Don't get me wrong, the Chromebook Pro is a lovely little unit. The screen is as great as advertised, my very limited exposure to Android apps went fine and overall it is a sleek, compact and lightweight. It's what I want in a backup machine in the $500 price range. But I spend all day behind the keyboard pounding copy. After spending a couple of hours with the Chromebook Pro I simply wasn't eager to return to do work on it -- especially not when the keyboard on my macbook pro was just so much more inviting. In the end, I didn't want to pay $449, plus taxes, for a laptop that made typing seem laborious (short keyboard, some funky key placement).
Just ordered the Asus Chromebook Flip C302 from Staples for $405 on a Black Friday Deal that Amazon refused to match. I bought the Asus based in large part on the fairly excellent reviews of its keyboard, considering many of the other specs are comparable to the Chromebook Pro (yes, I'm aware the Samsung screen is superior and there's a stylus, which I could care less about). But for me, the better keyboard coupled with better battery life and more memory made this the better choice over the Pro
This Samsung Pro Chromebook was purchased after returning the ASUS Flip 302CA which performed badly for me. The unit was packaged extremely well and the black finish is slick with the silver embossing of the Samsung name. The unit had to be plugged in to power even though it had more than fifty-percent battery life. Overall, I’m very pleased and satisfied with this unit and would rate it at 4.5 stars.
PROS
- Screen resolution is bright and sharp, the best I’ve seen
- App store is immediately accessible out of the box; no senseless updating or running on the beta channel
- The SD card slot has a cover that adds protection, although it took a bit of maneuvering to get it perfectly in place with the card inserted
- The keyboard has a good feel and spring action; I prefer it to the ASUS Flip 302
- Touch screen is very responsive to the touch
- Stylus Pen
- 2 USB-C ports
- Lightweight
- Doesn’t smudge easily
- 3:2 size ratio; I wasn’t a fan at first but have found that it provides more visible working real estate
CONS
- Keyboard; travel is cramped, but I’ve adapted fine and haven’t found it to be off-putting
- Plastic strip used to attach the SD card cover to the base of the unit feels weak. Too aggressive of a tug could be a problem
- The black finish is nice, but the silver looks nicer
- The mousepad has a little rock to it and you can hear movement from the lower half (I think it is the design and not a problem--I hope)
- I use the chromecast feature extensively and often stream video from sources other than Netflix and YouTube, which casts great consistently. Casting from other sources using this device creates a ripple and bounce on the screen that I’ve not experienced with any other Chromebook. I’m hoping an update will fix this.
I am extremely happy with the Chromebook Pro. The performance is top notch, as is the build quality and the display. I am still getting used to the keyboard (the backspace is too far away for me; I keep hitting the key next to it). The stylus is great as well. I didn't think I would use the device in tablet mode very often, but I am finding that with the stylus it's a great web browsing experience. Browsing the web on a tablet without a stylus is an exercise in frustration. I like the size and aspect ratio of the display in portrait mode for web browsing (it's not tall and skinny like most tablets). I like that I can avoid all those nasty fingerprints on the screen by using the stylus. It's also much easier to click links with the stylus than it is with my finger. I honestly didn't anticipate that I would be using the device this way, but it is now my go-to web browsing device. That said, as an eBook reader it's a bit ungainly; I still prefer my 8" tablet for reading books.
As a laptop, other than the keyboard, I have no complaints. Performance is more than adequate. And as I've already mentioned, the screen is just fantastic. Being able to easily change resolution with the shift-ctl-plus and minus keys is also very helpful and convenient. It's amazing how much content you can fit at 2400x1800 resolution!
Android support seems pretty good (at least for the few apps I use). I'm not a gamer.
The lack of an HDMI port was a bit of a disappointment, but a USB-C to HDMI dongle is on its way.
I love the USB-C charging ports on both sides of the machine!
All in all I am thrilled with my purchase and glad I waited all those long months.
Love this little laptop!! Haven't seen any issues with it that some reviews/comments have reported. Having the ability to run android apps is amazing. This can definitely replace a laptop. If I need any windows programs I can use chrome remote desktop app and just remote into my home desktop. Yes, the black finish shows fingerprints really bad but that's easy to clean and it looks stunning. The screen is beautiful and really love the aspect ratio as I was initially afraid of that. I highly suggest this chromebook!
WOW WOW and WOW!! I am coming from a Toshiba Chromebook 2 and this is faster, pleasing to the eye, and smooth as butter to use. I dont know what they are complaining about with the keyboard it feels very nice, yes the backspace key is smaller but after 10 minutes of use i have it down. This display is beautiful, no i am not using the native 2400 x 1600... Way to small for this 43 year old :) I use the 1500 x 1000 quite comfortably. I am posting a pic of the native resolution if you can read it :) Any way i am very much enjoying this chromebook have not used android apps yet i probably wont use them much so cannot comment on that but i have played with the pen and it really feels as if i am writing on paper very smooth. Track pad feels like glass. Using this as a tablet is comfortable and the touch screen i absolutely love, of course my toshiba did not have that. I mainly will use this for web browsing so this is probably over kill for that but just knowing it will perform when i want to do more is good to know. Only thing i would of liked to have that it does not have is a backlit keyboard, but the screen gets so bright its not really needed and that would of just drained the battery faster. I do not think you will be disappointed, well i'm sure not.
0 comments:
Post a Comment