Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550

• Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 14 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

• 1
• 2
• next

• Sort by: Most helpful Highest rating Lowest rating Most recent

• 10 stars

  Don't hate the Chrome OS!

  by pizzapanther on May 31, 2012

  Pros: Frees you from having to worry about where your files are. Also frees you from getting married to a device. A computer is once again a tool and not a beloved device that I have to cherish because it has my whole life on it. Love people not things.

  Cons: Need internet access all the time.

  Summary: This review mostly just bashes Chrome OS. Am I the only one that loves Chrome OS? I think so. Yes the downside to this device is that you need an ...

  Read more

  Summary: This review mostly just bashes Chrome OS. Am I the only one that loves Chrome OS? I think so. Yes the downside to this device is that you need an internet connection constantly. However, if you think about it, you probably have the same requirement for your other devices.
  
  Try this experiment. Go turn off your internet right now and see how much work you can get done. On your phone turn off your data connections too. Chances are you can work on a document or write an email but in about 5 minutes your going to need the internet again.
  
  When my kids bring the iPad in the car, they almost always forget there is no internet and I have to remind to pick an offline game. They much prefer watching Youtube or games that require the internet.
  
  80% of what we do today requires the internet. And if you change some of your computing habits, you can even live 100% in the cloud. I even code on the Chromebook using an online IDE and a Rackspace virtual server.
  
  It's true that most people will not like the Chromebook because you'll have to change your lifestyle, but what this review neglects is there are a lot of people who will love the Chromebook. It is the easiest to use computer you'll ever have. And if your a person who just does e-mail, some docs, and Facebook, like my parents, the Chromebook is perfect. Get one for your parents and never worry about tech support again! It is even easier than a Mac which still confuses the heck out of my parents.
  
  Every person that hates computers should get a Chromebook. It is so much easier and gives you a far more reliable and secure experience than anything else out there. Also anybody who can live in the cloud with online services should get a Chromebook.
  
  I lived with a Chromebook for a year now and made it my main computer and I love it. Being in the cloud frees you from many common problems. I no longer worry about where files are it or if I'm on my work computer or at home. Everything is in the cloud, so no matter where I go just as long as I have a good web browser (aka not IE) I can do my work and be productive instantly. That is probably the best thing about using Chrome OS. Instead of locking you into one device, it frees you to work anytime anywhere on any device.
  
  With that said because you rely on the internet so much I think the 3g is worth the extra $100 if you travel at all. I only use it once in a while but when you need it, it is awesome.
  
  Updated on Jun 2, 2012

  The price may a little high but not much because if you spend $400 for a laptop you get a crappy windows machine. The Chromebook is excellent piece of hardware and you can work on it all day. Try finding a Windows laptop for $400 that will last you more than 2 hours.
  
  I agree you won't be able to run Minecraft, Runescae, or Quicktime. But many people don't even care about that. That is why I have a Chromebook and my son doesn't who wants to play Minecraft constantly. He has a crappy Windows laptop that gives him constant headaches with everything else that I always have to fix. And I just work seamlessly on my Chromebook with almost never a problem.

  Show less

  18 out of 20 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Easy to use, Always Backed Up, and Always Updated

  by jetcityweb on June 1, 2012

  Pros: Improved processor speed and improved graphics are what the original Samsung Series 5 needed. That is what the Samsung Series 5 550 delivers.

  Cons: A slight price reduction from $549 to $499 would be nice.

  Summary: Bashing Google's Chrome OS seems to be the current trend in technology media. This is just baffling to me. Google is producing amazing technology that is making people's ...

  Read more

  Summary: Bashing Google's Chrome OS seems to be the current trend in technology media. This is just baffling to me. Google is producing amazing technology that is making people's lives better. I work with small businesses and charities, moving them to Google Apps, Chrome Browser, and Chrome OS. These are not sophisticated computer users yet they intuitively understand what the technology media does not: Google Chrome OS is easier to use, easier to maintain, and more dependable than Microsoft Windows. Not to mention, Google Chrome OS is vastly less expensive to own than either Microsoft Windows or Apple OS X.

  Show less

  6 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Great machine if you have moved to the cloud.

  by sherpaGuy on June 1, 2012

  Pros: Super fast web browsing
  Always up to day; no need for software patches or maintenance.
  Long battery life
  Nice size screen while still being lightweight.
  SD card now supports SDHC

  Cons: Still uses a more obscure charger (ie I can reuse the box of thinkpad chargers I have).
  Requires a adapter to get external VGA (DisplayPort and HDMI work great)
  Doesn't have dedicated delete key (Mac users will be right at home)

  Summary: When you look at the fact that I've dropped MS-Office, MS-Windows, and all of the other bloatware baggage that comes on machines these days, this machine really shines for ...

  Read more

  Summary: When you look at the fact that I've dropped MS-Office, MS-Windows, and all of the other bloatware baggage that comes on machines these days, this machine really shines for anyone that has made the switch to the cloud.

  Show less

  5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Really easy, intuitive. Stop negative bashing CNET!!!

  by KOPMaestro on June 1, 2012

  Pros: Intuitive and easy to use. The Samsung 5 series has much faster and smoother performance with improved processor and graphics.

  Cons: Need to connect to the internet.

  Summary: Again, really easy to use, very intuitive and the hardware has improved so much. C|NET please stop the negative bashing on the product. Although I really like Apple, I ...

  Read more

  Summary: Again, really easy to use, very intuitive and the hardware has improved so much. C|NET please stop the negative bashing on the product. Although I really like Apple, I feel you should give other products like this a chance. I mean yeah, the Macs are really good, but I think that the Samsung 5 is a leap forward into the future.

  Show less

  3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Frees you from a specific device. Great buy.

  by bballswanny06 on July 10, 2012

  Pros: Lightweight (easy to carry in my backpack or hand)
  Long battery life
  Fast browsing power
  Allows for offline editing in Google Docs

  Cons: Price could be a little bit lower
  Would like for larger integration with apps and Google Drive

  Summary: This is a great product. This is the type of device that students and people looking to be ahead of the learning curve should purchase. It helps you become a ...

  Read more

  Summary: This is a great product. This is the type of device that students and people looking to be ahead of the learning curve should purchase. It helps you become a more cloud based person (this is a good thing). That way you can get access to your important documents from anywhere! Now my work computer, personal computer, android phone, iPad, and Chromebook all have access to the exact same materials.

  Show less

  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 3 stars

  Chrome Os is alright but, but its just a web browser.

  by thuffman152 on September 28, 2012

  Pros: 1.Nice Laptop, but you don't need a great computer to run Chrome OS.

  Cons: 1.Way too expensive. $550 I'm not paying that for a web browser with a few offline features.
  2.Only has flash.

  Summary: Why buy a chromebook when you can buy a $300 Compaq and download google chrome and still have more fetures than any chromebook? I don't care Chrome OS is ...

  Read more

  Summary: Why buy a chromebook when you can buy a $300 Compaq and download google chrome and still have more fetures than any chromebook? I don't care Chrome OS is evolving its still just a web browser. I don't care that it can now awesomely edit simple text documents, I can already do that. And If you want a fast OS that has way more features than Chrome OS then download and install Kubuntu. On Kubuntu my laptop boots up instantly. And i can load up Chromium in a matter of milliseconds.

  Show less

• 9 stars

  The future of computing is here now.

  by dunderduck on September 26, 2012

  Pros: I've used it for about ten days now and love that all I have to do to get started is open the box, start up the laptop and in 5 seconds I'm logged in and have all my settings, bookmarks, emails, programs and data! Can't say the same about Microsoft.

  Cons: The touchpad takes some getting used to, particularly selecting lots of text on the screen can be a hassle.

  Summary: Absolute no brainer! As a business owner all I can think about is the improved collaboration it can bring to my staff and reduced data loss and IT costs it ...

  Read more

  Summary: Absolute no brainer! As a business owner all I can think about is the improved collaboration it can bring to my staff and reduced data loss and IT costs it can bring my business.

  Show less

• 10 stars

  Great tool for grown-ups.

  by johnnya23 on August 29, 2012

  Pros: NO WINDOWS OS

  Cons: You can't play dungeons and dragons.

• 7 stars

  Great device for cloud computing.

  by cloudmebaby on August 5, 2012

  Pros: -Instant on
  -files are safe in the cloud
  -experience is consistent
  -Google Docs gives you everything you need for basic computing
  -Portable
  -Nice between product for those not ready for tablets

  Cons: The price. $299 would be the right price. I would buy 2! The market is crowded with confusing choices for most consumers and then they see a Chromebook, don't understand cloud computing, and then the price and they run away.

  Summary: If you have wi-fi most places you go and you need a basic computer, this is a great machine. Don't be fooled by cheaper "netbooks." While they may be ...

  Read more

  Summary: If you have wi-fi most places you go and you need a basic computer, this is a great machine. Don't be fooled by cheaper "netbooks." While they may be able to do more, they are always buggy and crash trying to be more than they can be. If you want video editing and gaming, move one up to an expensive laptop. This is a niche product that does what it does very easily.
  
  Gone are the days of one device per person. This is a great product to have around for accessing web content when the kids are hogging the family computer.

  Show less

• 10 stars

  Innovation.

  by cottonpicks on August 1, 2012

  Pros: As stated by the above reviewers, it's time to move into the Cloud! This device is the best vehicle for doing so. Techies should learn to let go of their problematic, complicated, and redundant hardware.

  Cons: The price is admittedly too much; but the looks balance the price I'd say!

• 1
• 2
• next

See pricing