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Samsung recently announced it would dramatically cut back its Windows laptop production and even gutted its European Chromebook output. Here in the States though we're still getting Chromebooks from Samsung -- and pretty nice ones at that.
The latest in the Samsung Chromebook line is the Samsung Chromebook 2. I tested the XE500C12-K01US model, which features a 2.16GHz Intel Bay Trail chip, a regrettably paltry 2GB of RAM, a 16GB hard drive and a 1366 x 768 pixel 11.6 inch display.
The hardware does not put this in the top caliber of Chromebooks, but on the plus side that power sipping Bay Trail chip does give this Chromebook very nearly the 9 hours of battery life Samsung claims.
The other main selling point here is the low price. Samsung is offering the Chromebook 2 for just $250, which is a good deal given the new chip and impressive battery life.
The ports on the Samsung are close to what you'll find on other Chromebooks -- a USB 2.0 and headphone jack to the right, and then a USB 3.0 port, a full HDMI port, and a microSD card slot to left. The latter is somewhat unusual as most Chromebooks offer full SD card support. The micro means you'll likely need a USB-based SD card adapter to dump photos from your camera card.
On the plus side, the microSD slot has a nice cover and the card disappears into it, making it easy to slap a 128GB microSD card in there to act as a semi-permanent second hard drive.
Samsung has done a nice job of making this thing feel solid. There's a somewhat cheesy faux-leather textured surface on the top (complete with fake sticking) but underneath that is a well reinforced frame that gives this model a sturdy feel often missing in Chromebooks.
That solid feel helps make the keyboard a bit nicer as well, there's none of the mushiness at the center that often plagues keyboards in all plastic cases. The chiclet style keys here have a nice feel that's on par with the industry-leading keyboard on the Lenovo I [reviewed earlier this year](http://www.wired.com/2014/10/lenovo-n20p-chromebook/).
The big downside to this Samsung is the 2 GB of RAM, which is sufficient for light use, that is for checking your email, browsing the web, editing documents and so on, but will feel limited if you're going to be using the web-based version of Photoshop or installing Android applications (of which there are, currently, few, but which looks to be a way of extending Chrome OS in the future).
Another potential downside is the display. Yes, 1366 x 768 packed into 11.6 inches is technically HD, but it still looks pixelated next to your phone. It's also not an IPS display so you get all the washed out color and limited viewing angles that come with older, TN panel displays. The display makes sense at this price point, but it would be nice if Samsung had a more expensive model with a higher resolution IPS display (and more RAM).
In general Chrome OS is what it is, you're either comfortable with that or stopped reading at the headline. Hopefully. That said, there is one new bit in here or at least new to me, the coming Chrome Help app.
The Chrome Help app is still technically a beta, but Samsung has included it anyway. It connects you to a live help and troubleshooting chat system. There's even video chat available which lets you activate remote access and share your screen for troubleshooting purposes. That might be a selling point for those who want some tech support for their new Chromebook, but screen sharing with unknown parties ranks high on my list of supposedly fun things I'll never do.
If your top priorities in a Chromebook are speed and battery life, this is the Chromebook for you.
The 2GB of RAM could be better, but for the general use case -- basic web browsing, document editing, email checking and so on -- it will suffice.
Wired:
* A solid, well-built chassis give this Chromebook a more serious feel (faux leather, not so much).
* Impressive battery life means you can leave the cord at home.
* The price is right.
Tired:
* 2GB of RAM. Really Samsung? Really?
* TN display just barely qualifies as HD
* Lack of standard SD Card slot means you'll need an USB adapter.
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