Web-Based Netbooks

Are Chrome Netbooks right for you?

Netbooks running Google's ChromeOS operating system, which is designed to do virtually everything online, are available. The first out of the gate is the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 (*Est. $430 and up) . Equipped with a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom Dual-Core N570 processor, 2 GB of RAM and a 16 GB SSD (solid state drive) in lieu of a standard hard drive, it offers netbook buyers a new choice: abandon traditional storage and peripherals altogether and live life "in the cloud," doing everything from photo manipulation to file storage to printing using the Internet. The base version of the Chromebook is Wi-Fi only. A 3G version (*Est. $500) adds a little to the bottom line, but it also includes two years of Verizon Wireless access -- though with a miniscule data cap of 100 MB per month that Maximum PC reviewer Nathan Edwards calls "ludicrous." If you need more data, daily and monthly access is available for a fee.

The theoretical benefits of Samsung's Chromebook include lighter weight and better performance at a lower price. However, reviewers find that in practice, results are mixed. Those with consistent Internet access are intrigued by the Chromebook's design and impressed with its performance. Those who already do most of their computing online, using Google Docs instead of a traditional word processor, for example, are delighted.

But for those reviewers who lack consistent Internet access, or who just want to print something without having to worry about having another laptop or desktop equipped with traditional architecture, the Chromebook could be frustrating. For every writer who praises its ultra-bright 12.1-inch screen (easily viewable from wide angles outdoors, which is highly unusual among netbooks), another grouses about the primitive media player and the hoops he or she has to jump through to do simple tasks. On the positive side, lightning-fast boot times and near-instant resume times; on the negative, lack of support for any but the most common file types.

As a result, review scores vary wildly. While nearly every reviewer is impressed with the Series 5 hardware, overall ratings often have more to do with opinions of the ChromeOS operating system and its limitations. David Pogue of The New York Times, for example, waxes rhapsodic about the Chromebook's beauty and typing feel, but his assessment of the operating system is harsh: "With very few exceptions, when the Chromebook isn't online, it's a 3.3-pound paperweight," he writes. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, part of The New York Times Company, but the two do not share an editorial affiliation.)

Engadget.com praises the Samsung Chromebook's hardware, battery life, display and keyboard, but it includes a major caveat for the operating system. Still, reviewer Dana Wollman writes, "Make no mistake, though: the Series 5 is more laptop than netbook. And it's a damn memorable one, too." PCMag.com praises the Series 5's screen, boot times, battery life and HD video playback. But reviewer Cisco Cheng also includes a lengthy list of complaints about the ChromeOS: Despite thousands of available apps, too few are meaningful; it's too hard to manage files; the media player is primitive; and it's too expensive. "You're paying more for a netbook that runs an unpolished OS than one that has Windows 7," he writes. Maximum PC's Nathan Edwards also questions the Samsung Chromebook's value compared to standard netbooks. "At its price, though, the Chromebook loses its luster; there are just too many things that it doesn't do, and too few things you can't get from running the Chrome browser on a regular machine."

The bottom line? If you are absolutely certain you want to spend your life online, reviewers tend to say that the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 might be a stylish, affordable and unusual way to do it. If you do not want to live life in the cloud, a Chromebook is definitely not for you, at least at this point, they write. Future updates to ChromeOS are intended to make offline work more productive, but so far these have not materialized.

The Samsung Series 5 has one direct competitor, the Acer AC700 Chromebook (*Est. $350; $430 with 3G) . While it was launched in mid-August, no professional reviewers have covered the netbook. Nearly 100 users have reviewed the system at Amazon.com, however, and they report being generally very happy with the AC700 Chromebook. They caution that the reliance on the Internet-reliant Chrome OS means that it probably can't serve as a replacement for standard Apple or Windows laptops. On the plus side, users say they appreciate the quick boot times, HDMI output and long battery life.