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Samsung Chromebook Series 5 review: Samsung Chromebook Series 5

Samsung Chromebook Series 5

Headshot of Joshua Goldman
Headshot of Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman Managing Editor / Advice
Managing Editor Josh Goldman is a laptop expert and has been writing about and reviewing them since built-in Wi-Fi was an optional feature. He also covers almost anything connected to a PC, including keyboards, mice, USB-C docks and PC gaming accessories. In addition, he writes about cameras, including action cams and drones. And while he doesn't consider himself a gamer, he spends entirely too much time playing them.
Expertise Laptops, desktops and computer and PC gaming accessories including keyboards, mice and controllers, cameras, action cameras and drones Credentials
  • More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.
Joshua Goldman
8 min read

Editors' note (October 18, 2012): The Samsung Chromebook reviewed here has been replaced by a newer $249 model.

5.9

Samsung Chromebook Series 5

The Good

The <b>Samsung Chromebook Series 5</b> is a small, attractive Netbook with long battery life, true instant-on Web access, and enough computing to use the Internet.

The Bad

The Series 5 is expensive for its features and abilities, and using it can be frustrating depending on your wireless signal strength.

The Bottom Line

Despite solid hardware, great battery life, and fast startup, we can't recommend the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 until and unless Google improves the Chrome OS.

Editors' note: In late August 2011, Google enabled offline support for Gmail and Google Docs. After hands-on testing of these updates, however, we can verify that the upgrades are not nearly robust enough to change our opinion of the Chromebook at this time. Read New Offline Gmail, Docs won't save Chromebooks.

For anybody who loves tech and gadgets, it's not hard to see the appeal of the Samsung Chromebook Series 5. It's a small, good-looking, affordable laptop the whole purpose of which is to keep you connected to your life online. It's even more attractive to those of us who have stopped using programs like Microsoft Office in favor of Web-based apps like Google Docs and Gmail. Add in the promise of all-day battery life (all workday, that is), seamless built-in security, invisible OS and app updates, and instant-on performance and it all sounds pretty good.

Even turning the Series 5 on for the first time is cool. Open the lid and the screen lights up. The start-up process is nearly as brief: connect to Wi-Fi, accept the OS terms, sign in to your Google account or create a new one, pick an image to associate with your account or shoot one with the Webcam, and you're done.

There's a brief touch-pad tutorial, but that's it and you're ready to start using the Web. Since everything is Web-based there is a refreshing lack of bloatware. Clicking the Home button in the browser brings you right to your collection of Chrome Web apps, which are just bookmarks to sites. The experience is actually enjoyable, especially if you already have a Google account set up. Because everything is synced, your stuff just shows up.

5.9

Samsung Chromebook Series 5

Score Breakdown

Design 6Features 3Performance 4Battery 8Support 6