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The Samsung Chromebook Series 3 (XE303C12) ( Samsung Keyboard Cover ) may be the Chromebook that really takes off. With a price low enough to entice the curious and the parts needed to zip through Web browsing, the new Chromebook is what we’ve wanted Google to deliver all along, an affordable and portable way to hop online. Earlier models have cost upwards of $400, leaving a lot of users feeling ripped off at the limitations of Chrome OS. If you can come to grips with using cloud-based tools like Google Docs and Google Drive instead of regular software and local storage, the Chromebook becomes extremely enticing, especially for writers and students, who may not require much more than Word processing and Web access. The Chromebook is also tempting when compared with more expensive tablets, which don’t offer the same level of productive capability or a physical keyboard. The Chromebook has always been a niche product, but at this price, there are plenty of little spaces to fill. Design This thing is ultrabook thin—0.69 inches—but it’s more like a netbook in terms of hardware, packing a new ARM processor (more on that below). The reality is that it doesn’t quite fit into either of these categories comfortably, but still finds a place among other inexpensive and portable laptops. Weighing only 2.5 pounds, the Chromebook Series 3 is extremely portable, while still offering a large enough screen and keyboard to use without feeling hemmed in. Despite the slim build and complete lack of cooling fans, the system never got particularly warm during testing. The Chromebook Series 3 doesn’t have a standard keyboard. It’s still a full-size QWERTY keyboard like the Samsung Q Series Q430 (Touchpad Silver C Shell) Keyboard , but the layout has been tweaked by Google to optimize the Web-based Chrome experience. The Caps Lock key is replaced with a dedicated search button (you can still Caps Lock by pressing Alt-Search), and F1-F12 have been replaced with Chrome-specific function/hotkeys (Across from left to right: Escape, Back, Forward, Reload, Full Screen, Next Window, Brightness Down/Up, Volume Mute/Down/Up, Power). The Delete key has also disappeared, with the Backspace key pulling double duty (to delete, just press Alt-Backspace). There is no equivalent to the Windows or Apple key, just wider Ctrl and Alt keys, which will actually get plenty of use, as the Chrome OS offers a lot of keyboard shortcuts. After a few days of using the Chromebook, I found that Chrome’s keyboard navigation was both fast and intuitive, more so than I have found on various Windows machines. If you’re a Chrome user on a Mac or Windows PC, you’ll find that many of the same shortcuts and key combos are the same. The trackpad on the Samsung Laptop Keyboard is a single-piece, blank-faced clickpad, without the usual right- and left-click buttons, just one touchable clickable touchpad. Google has also tweaked it for faster navigation in Chrome, with one- and two-finger gestures, like tapping with a single finger for a standard mouse click, and tapping with two for right-click functions. Two-finger scrolling is a breeze, and click-and-drag functions work easily. Features The defining feature of the Chromebook Series 3 is not its hardware, its price tag, or even its unique keyboard; it’s Chrome OS. Google’s Web-centric operating system is little more than the Chrome Web-browser, with web-apps built-in, and some added offline functionality. Dedicated icons in the lower left corner of the screen pull up Gmail, Google Search, Google Drive, and YouTube. A selection of apps offers even more Chrome Apps, like Chrome Web Store, Google Calendar, Google+, a calculator, camera (which uses the Chromebook’s webcam), and Chrome Remote Desktop, which lets you access other PCs remotely through the browser. It’s a workable (albeit slow) solution to Chrome users who want to either access their primary computer Compatible Parts and software, or who need to do some remote troubleshooting for a relative. In an effort to expand the usefulness of these apps, Google has also added offline capability to Google Drive and Gmail, letting you access at least some of your stuff when Wi-Fi isn’t available. Further apps and extensions can be found in the Chrome Web Store, with thousands of offerings, many for free.
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