Samsung chromebook wifi xe303c12-a01 exynos 5250 review

The surface texture itself is the same as the surrounding chassis and inputs are registered reliably with no latency issues. Limited multi-touch is supported, such as 'back' and 'forward' commands by swiping left or right with two fingers or right-clicking by clicking with two fingers. The common multi-touch input for zooming is not enabled by default. Clicking anywhere on the pad will register as a left click, which is counter intuitive compared to common Windows notebooks.

Though the click is shallow, it provides solid feedback and an audible sound. Overall, the size and feel of the touchpad would certainly fit in a notebook class more expensive than a Chromebook.

The common x pixel resolution is expected for a notebook in this size and price range. Colors and texts display without any obvious issues on the matte screen. Some users may notice a slight screen-door effect even from a normal viewing distance, but this is common amongst budget displays. Samsung rates the display for a brightness of nits , which we can confirm with our own measurements. This is sufficient for indoor environments where nits or less can still be comfortable.

Contrast is unimpressive at about , but still sufficient for occasional videos. Further color analyses with an X-Rite i1Pro Basic 2 spectrophotometer reveal a poor grayscale and a cool color temperature. Blue and magenta are represented the worst compared to red, green and yellow on all saturation levels. To the target audience, however, such inaccuracies will likely not be significant to the work involved or even noticeable in everyday use.

Outdoor usability is limited due to the average screen brightness. Even at the maximum brightness level, texts and images can become difficult to read unless if under shade. On the bright side, maximum brightness will not artificially drop if running on batteries.

Viewing angle stability is the typical TN panel fare. Colors will degrade if viewing from below the normal much more quickly than from the sides or from the top. This can make the already small screen a bit more difficult to share with other viewers, but should not be an issue for the sole user.

The Samsung Series 3 Chromebook is equipped with a 1. This is the same SoC that powers the Google Nexus 10 and, as a result, shows similar performance between the Chromebook and the tablet. The software overhead due to the differing operating systems, however, may not be the same.

Multi-tasking between browsing, word processing and active videos is effortless and surprisingly smooth for a notebook at this price range. The simplicity of the Chrome OS software adds a natural, no frills feel to the user experience.

Synthetic benchmarks such as Sunspider and Peacekeeper show that the Samsung Chromebook is similar in performance to competing Chromebooks, although the ULV 1. Subjectively, we found no slowdown or latency issues with moderate multi-tasking or p Youtube playback. While users will undoubtedly lament the limited storage size, it also encourages said users to utilize other storage solutions including USB drives and cloud services.

This is also an advantage from a security standpoint as valuable data will less likely be stored locally. Still, we would have liked at least 32 GB of internal storage to fit more music and movies and expand the notebook to be a more multimedia-capable device. If Internet connectivity becomes unavailable due to location reasons, a larger local SSD would do wonders. The system is noiseless with no accompanying vent grilles due to the lack of active ventilation.

Idling temperatures average about 25 degrees C on both the bottom and keyboard surfaces in a room temperature of almost 21 degrees. Temperature is uniform with no obvious hot spots.

Under high loads reproduced by multiple p YouTube videos set on repeat, a significant change in surface temperature can be recorded on the rear of the notebook. Meanwhile, the quadrants closer to the user and the keyboard remain relatively cool in comparison, which should allow comfortable use even under heavy processing loads. The Series 3 Chromebook compares favorably to many other Chromebooks including the Pavilion 14 and the Series 5 C22 despite having no system fans.

The dual 1. The reside under the only grilles on the chassis. Sound quality is quite good for the size and especially the price. Bass is lacking, of course, but music feels otherwise balanced and without any static or artifacts at higher volume. However, Chrome OS offers no equilizer options by default and is instead limited to just volume and mute.

Samsung promises a battery life of up to 6. Unfortunately, we were only able to replicate a close runtime by allowing the Chromebook to sit idle with disabled wireless and at minimum brightness - hardly an optimum setting. The smaller battery capacity here compared to Samsung's Series 5 Chromebooks lead to lower runtime numbers for the Series 3 model.

The The notebook is powerful enough for simple multi-tasking and tasks like web browsing, video playback and word processing while being small and portable enough to be considered a travel companion.

The low price and reliance on cloud-based storage also make the Chromebook an excellent secondary notebook for schoolwork or light office work and can even be considered disposable - at least as far as notebooks are concerned. All the limitations of a Chromebook continue to apply.

Instead, users are largely limited to the Google Chrome Web Store, which can be either hit or miss in terms of content and options. Do we recommend this Samsung model over competing Chromebooks? The HP has the brighter screen but lacks a dedicated HDMI, while the Acer has the more powerful processor but does not utilize a fanless design. The Samsung runs cooler than both the HP and Acer, but has a generally shorter battery life as well.

Ultimately, users should pick the Chromebook that best fits their outdoor or indoor lifestyle and workloads. Longer battery life and a dedicated RJ port. A larger internal SSD would greatly increase the media capabilities of the notebook.

Speakers are also good for the size and price. Acer C Google Pixel. HP Pavilion cus. Samsung Series 5 C Despite its limited scope and continuing overlap with tablets and smartphones, the Chromebook is looking to stay and stand its ground. We take a closer look at the Laptop Chromebook. Rounded edges and corners are fitting for a simple notebook in this price range. All-plastic chassis is average in quality. Hinge opened at maximum angle. Front: No connectivity. Right: No connectivity.

Left: 3. Communication The lack of an RJ port means that users will be relying on wireless solutions if dongles are not available.

Accessories The focus on portability and lack of a docking port lead to no major accessories for the Chromebook beyond generic USB docks or other devices. Warranty The standard month warranty applies in the U. Input Devices. Keyboard The Chiclet keyboard Touchpad The touchpad surface is on the large side Chiclet keyboard with standard Chrome OS layout. Relatively large touchpad for a small notebook. People with simple online needs that want an ultra-portable machine for a bargain cost.

Of the Chromebooks now available, the Samsung Chromebook hits the sweet spot. The Acer Chromebook looks too barebones and the Chromebook Pixel looks like overkill for a web only machine.

A few others make them, but none look and feel as good as the Samsung Chromebook. Rather different to a PC notebook and also different from a Google Tablet a Chromebook is a category of its own.

Unless you require Windows programs then this certainly worth considering as it is fast in running and booting. And actually, it could be a useful second machine, especially if your primary computer is a desktop tower or all-in-one, or even just a bulky, heavy laptop. It's a good chuck-it-in-a-bag-and-head-to-Starbucks-to-get-some-work-done machine.

It is, ultimately, good at doing the thing it's designed to do. All you have to do is decide if that thing is right for you. That is coming from someone who owns a MacBook Air and mostly run, you guessed it, the Chrome browser on it. Are you considering a Chromebook? What is holding you back? Share your thoughts with us and our readers! However, it makes use of Google's Chrome OS, so it's not like a regular Windows or Mac laptop, and it needs an Internet connection to function properly.

It's worth considering if you already make extensive use of Google's services in your everyday work. Just about. Clearly you need to be in the market specifically for a cheap and smallish machine for day-to-day web surfing and some light media consumption, but assuming you are then both of these machines do a good job and the price is certainly right. In a nutshell, then, the Samsung is the purer Chromebook, but the Acer is the better cheap laptop.

For students and casual users especially, this non-Windows machine presents an excellent buy - despite niggles like rear-facing connectivity and a somewhat dull screen taking a little of the shine off.

Despite it appearing to be more secure than the Android platform, we find hard to recommend the Chromebook at this time for business use as the functionality remains limited. Keyboard and trackpad are responsive and comfortable. Great for watching streaming video, video chatting, and working in the cloud. Good battery life. Supports multiple user logins and office Docs editing.

Updates arrive over the air automatically. Display is low-res and materials are far from top-notch. No keyboard backlight. No Bluetooth device support other than mice and keyboards. It's a mix of good and bad, which makes for an untimately average experience.

Overpriced and limited in scope, the original model was one for early adopters only. However, as with all Chromebooks, the sticking point is the software. For budget buyers that don't need much more than a way to get online, the Chromebook is even more affordable than the Editors' Choice Acer Aspire , and is a more palatable option than the more expensive Samsung Series 5 Chromebook XECH It's also several hundred dollars cheaper than the Microsoft Surface RT tablet, which may have a slick design, but suffers from many of the same limitations.

Whether you're a writer pounding out verbiage at Starbucks or a college student researching a term paper, the Samsung Chromebook Series 3 may be all you need, at a price that's hard to ignore. Samsung Chromebook review Source: Engadget No matter how cheap Chromebooks get, they will always be a polarizing class of product: there are some people who couldn't be paid to use a laptop where everything is done in the browser. The 1. If you need to run desktop apps such as iTunes, QuickBooks, or Photoshop, the Chromebook might be a compliment to your primary computer, not a replacement for it.

The astonishing battery life makes it ideal for workers on the go, and its relatively cheap price and walled-garden OS is attractive to parents. But stick to Windows or Mac computers if you want anything more.