Google Chromebook Build, Torture Test, 4-months later

Summary

Pros

• Extremely durable (drops, water spills)
• Still boots fast, works fast
• Battery still holds charge well

Cons

• "Cheap" design
• Holding the Chromebook by the left or right corners next to the touchpad can interfere with moving the mouse, clicking
• Doesn't perform well while loading multiple websites

Durability level of Chromebook Series 3

Introduction

This is a follow-up to the review on the Chromebook Series 3 I wrote back in September of 2013. I've had my Chromebook Series 3 since July of 2013, and wanted to share some of my experiences with this device. And to be clear, I bought this device with my own money, and am not getting paid to review anything beyond aid traffic to this site (though it would be awesome if that was the case).

Don't think I'm not willing to sellout and drive a Google version of the Red Bull car.

Discussion

Well, the Chromebook has held up really well. I don't know if it's because it's so light in weight, or because it's so cheap in price, but this Chromebook has been through more abuse than all of my other electronic devices combined. It's fallen of tables, been sat upon, been thrown onto hardwood flooring, and has come through with only cosmetic damage.

Starting to look as beat-up as Boba Fett's armor. Note that the right corner hinge piece is crooked because it came off completely after one fall, and I just popped it back into place: ugly, but it works.

Despite my unintentional torture test, the Chromebook has just kept chugging along. It's especially great for use while lying down, checking emails or browsing videos. I think it outshines a tablet in that situation, due to the fact that since it is in a laptop form, you can prop it up more easily to view when you're too lazy to sit up.

Conclusion

My Chromebook still boots fast, holds charge well, and does what I want it to do despite all the abuse. Only complaints I have (beyond the "cheap" build which I don't care about given the insanely low price) are few. One is that the touch pad will not work well if you are lifting the Chromebook solely by the left or right corners next to the touch pad. The other is that loading and response becomes slow if you start opening multiple tabs at once (understandable with limited RAM, same problems with tablets).

I think the Chromebook is great; only problem is that I've ended up using it more than my parents, who were the intended recipients...

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tanelteemusk/2608975252/

Chromebook vs. iPad

Summary

Pros

• Long battery life
• Physical keyboard
• Very lightweight
• Very low prices

Cons

• Heavy reliance on web (wifi or 3G)

Chromebook Series 3

Introduction

I purchased an iPad for my mom last year, and she has been using that device a lot more than any desktop or laptop in the past. I have to admit, the long battery life and low weight are great features to have when you just want to relax and watch a video or surf the web recreationally. I wanted a device like that for myself, but couldn't justify the $400+ price tag for such a specialized device when for a little more I could get a good laptop for an extra one or two hundred dollars. Thus, I began to look at the $250 Chromebook as a possible casual computing platform.

Rule 34?

Discussion

So, what are Chromebooks? While the same size and form as netbooks, I think of Chrombooks more as tablets with keyboards. They are a basic way to access the internet to read and compose emails, watch videos, and browse the internet. It's super light-weight and doesn't heat up too much--very useful when you want to be lazy and use your devices while laying around in bed--and boots up and shuts down in a few seconds.

When Chromebooks first came out, they had no desktop, and immediately launched into the Chrome browser and did everything from that (whether normal web-surfing, or via Google Apps). They've since included a desktop that is mainly only there for aesthetic purposes, but worth mentioning as an example of how Google responds to comments, and how quickly and often they update the Chrome OS: they are currently on v29+ as of 9/17/2013!

But with the pluses come the minuses; you need to either log-in with your Google account (same one you use for Gmail, YouTube, GoogleVoice, etc.). There is a guest mode, but obviously none of your bookmarks or history will be available for you to use. With all the recent concerns about privacy on the internet, this is something to note.

Forget Ceiling Cat...

Conclusion

I've been using a Chromebook for several weeks now, and like it a lot. The battery life is great, so I can bring it with me to check personal emails when I'm out and about. In the end, while I don't think that it is fully capable of living up to claim's that it can be your one and only computer, it's a great supplementary device to have compared to a tablet.

Not the most powerful gaming platform, but you can have a little fun with it. Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kjarrett/8316200130/lightbox/