Chromebooks Are So Underrated!

Chromebooks don’t tend to be the first choice people go with when looking to buy a new laptop, and I can’t understand why!

I mean, they’re actually really good, especially if you are looking for a basic laptop for occasional use and not only!

For a while now, I’ve been seriously thinking about buying a Chromebook for writing blog posts, those of you who are subscribed to my weekly newsletter will know what I’m talking about.

But basically, I wanted a small laptop I could take with me on the train and into cafes for writing blog posts as well as a handful of other things related to my side hustle.

The Chromebook I decided to go with is the Samsung Chromebook 2 360, which I got through my mobile network carrier at a pretty decent monthly price with mobile data. 

After using the Chromebook for a few days, I decided it was time to share my first impressions with you, so without any further ado, here’s what I think about my purchase…

First Impressions

It’s been a long time since I last used a Chromebook, so naturally, I was very excited about unboxing and trying it out for the very first time.

The box the Chromebook came in was very basic and looked very similar to any other laptop box I have unboxed. Other than the Chromebook and the USB-C Charger, there wasn’t anything special inside the box.

To be truthfully honest, I didn’t really know what to expect, especially as someone who’s used to using more powerful laptops. I guess I was mainly hoping that it won’t let me down!

The magic happened when I turned the Chromebook on for the very first time, I was very surprised with the quality of the screen and how smooth ChromeOS was. I mean it’s only a 12.4-inch WQXGA LED Display, but the quality of the picture is really good!

Setting up the Chromebook for the very first time was incredibly fast and easy, Microsoft can learn a lot in that department! The Chromebook was ready to use in under 5 minutes, which is a huge benefit!

Using The Device

I’ve only had the device for a couple of days but so far I’ve been really enjoying the ChromeOS experience. I just can’t get over how well this device performs!

Put it this way, at the time of writing this blog post, one of the perks of buying the Chromebook is that you get 25% off the Luma Fusion app. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s basically a pretty decent video editor I tend to use on my iPad.

It never occurred to me to even try using a Chromebook for editing my videos, but guess what, I’m going to try it! If it turns out to cope really well, then I’m getting more than I originally thought I was!

If you are used to a Windows or a MacOS experience, the Chromebook doesn’t actually differ that much with the only difference being that the actual specs of the device are much lower compared to what you are used to.

In terms of software, ChromeOS is basically a web browser on steroids which has the ability to work as an operating system and run Android Apps. Now, if you are planning to run Android Apps it’s worth double-checking to ensure the device you are buying supports it as in the past not every Chromebook supported them.

Sacrifices and Learning Kerb

To be truthfully honest, If you have ever used the Google Chrome browser, there really isn’t much to learn as that’s what it essentially is. I found it incredibly easy to use and so have people trying it for the very first time.

But there are a few things you need to be aware of. For starters, most, if not everything runs in the browser. So if you want to create a Spreadsheet, you will likely find yourself using Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel Online, the same goes for many of the other tasks you will be doing.

But here’s the thing, the browser experience actually feels a lot better on ChromeOS than it does on any other operating system, well, that’s how I feel anyway!

If you plan on using the Chromebook as a replacement for your previous computer, you will likely have to make sacrifices, for starters, if the software you love isn’t available on the platform, you will have to find a new alternative, as I found out with my password manager of choice as it doesn’t work without a companion app and there isn’t one for ChromeOS at present.

The Samsung Chromebook 2 360

I’ve spoken a lot about Chromebooks in general, but I haven’t really discussed the device I decided to go with.

The Samsung Chromebook 2 360, is actually a really nice device, that not only feels premium but has some awesome features, such as the fact that it has a 360 screen which allows you to turn it into a tablet.

The version I decided to go with is the LTE version through my network provider for around £20 per month with a sim deal. Which to me is actually not too bad as I don’t think I would spend £499 on a Chromebook if I was to buy it in full.

I have the 128 GB version, which I think is very reasonable considering the fact that I will be storing everything in Google Drive. It also has 4GB of memory, which with it being a Chromebook, I’m not too concerned about.

As a whole, the Samsung Chromebook 2 360, feels nice to use. The touch screen has a nice feeling to it and so has the trackpad and keyboard.

I’ve got to admit, I was a bit sceptical about the keyboard initially as the keys feel a bit plasticy, but then I started typing on it and it feels really nice to type on.

Summary

In summary, I think that the Samsung Chromebook 2 360 is a very nice little laptop, but only time will tell whether it’s fit for purpose. One thing is certain, I seriously enjoy using this device!

The battery life has also been brilliant for me, it is said that it can give me 10 hours worth of battery life, but that’s something I haven’t had a chance to test for myself yet, I guess it’s a little early.

I will definitely be trying it for video editing and I will share my experience with you soon! 

But overall, my first impressions are positive!