Hands-on with Samsung's $249 Chromebook

Google hopes to tap into new markets with the $249 Samsung 

Chromebook, a laptop running Google's browser-based 

Chrome OS and built atop a Samsung A15-class ARM processor.

(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)

 

 

CNET - After using the new Samsung Chromebook for the better part of a workday, I have to say I'm impressed -- at least, considering the constraints of its $249 price tag.

Google announced the Samsung Chromebook today along with new ambitions to spread its browser-based, cloud-focused Chrome OS laptop much more widely. Google envisions it as being good as an extra machine that lies around the house or as a laptop for students.

I find it a reasonable device for those categories, especially for people like myself who already have their heads in the Google cloud with Google Docs, Google Drive, and Gmail. It's got workable if not standout hardware, its battery life is good, it switches on quickly, and the $249 price tag means it's not as much of a commitment as the $550 Samsung Series 5 550 that arrived in May.

However, given its sluggish performance sometimes, I can't say I was blown away by the Samsung Chromebook. It's fine for many tasks, but power users accustomed to having more than a couple dozen browser tabs open should steer clear.

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