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Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550 Review

by Michael A. Prospero on June 6, 2012

 

Design

Click to EnlargeWhere last year's Samsung Chromebook had more rounded edges, the Series 5 550 is slightly more angular, and looks more like Samsung's other notebooks. Both the lid and deck are made of a silvery gray plastic, not unlike its Series 5 ultrabook. Overall, the aesthetic feels less Google-y: To be sure, the colorful Google logo is still on the lid, but it's smaller than Samsung's chrome logo.
It's not as svelte as an Ultrabook, but it's close. Weighing 3.2 pounds and measuring 11.5 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches, the Series 5 550 fits just as comfortably into a messenger bag as other ultraportables.

Heat

After streaming a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes, the touchpad was a very cool 77 degrees Fahrenheit, the space between the G and H keys was 89, and the middle of the underside was 90 degrees. All are well below what we consider uncomfortable -- 95 degrees.
However, the area toward the back underneath the system, near the vent, registered a highly uncomfortable 122 degrees. For an OS supposedly this light, that's disconcerting, to say the least. After an hour, even the upper right section of the keyboard became noticeably warm, too.

Keyboard

Click to EnlargeThe island-style keyboard on the Series 5 550 was plenty spacious, and the keys offered plenty of travel, more so than the Series 9 ultrabook, in fact. However, we found the keys slightly slippery, as our fingers would slide off them a little too easily. Also, there's no backlighting, but this is a sub-$500 system, so that's no great surprise.
As before, the left Caps Lock button has been replaced with a Search button. However, pressing it merely opens a new browser window. A neater trick would be for it to search not only the Web, but local files as well, a la Spotlight.
In lieu of function keys, the row above the keyboard has Chrome-specific buttons, including back, forward, refresh and full screen. Also here are buttons to control the brightness and volume

Touchpad

Click to EnlargeAt 4.1 x 2.5 inches, the chrome-lined clickpad on the Series 5 is plenty spacious -- larger than the first edition -- especially for a 12-inch system. While two-finger scrolling worked well, the pad lacks multitouch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom. That's a pretty disappointing ommission.

Display

The matte 12.1-inch display on the Series 5 has a resolution of 1280 x 800, the same as the previous version. With an average brightness of 314 lux, the Series 5 outshone the ultraportable average (234 lux) as well as much more expensive systems, such as the Lenovo ThinkPad X230 (240 lux).
The 1080p trailers for "Battleship" and "The Dark Knight Rises" were crisp, with bright colors and few artifacts in darker scenes. Contrast wasn't as high on notebooks with glossy displays, but it's pretty good for the price.

Audio

Click to EnlargeThe speakers on the bottom of the Chromebook Series 5 550 pumped out remarkably loud and good sound -- so long as the notebook was on a hard surface. While it was on our glass coffee table, streaming Bruce Springsteen's "Badlands" over Pandora rang out, with a decent amount of bass, and higher tones weren't distorted, even with the volume maxed out.
As soon as we put the notebook in our lap, though, the song sounded much more muted, with many of the higher notes hard to hear. The same pattern continued when we listened to Eminem's "Love The Way You Lie." There was just so much more definition when the laptop was on our desk.

Ports

Click to EnlargeOn the left side of the Chromebook Series 5 is an Ethernet port, DisplayPort, USB, and a combo headphone/mic jack. On the right side is a second Ethernet port, a 4-in-1 card slot and a Kensington lock slot. The back side of our system also has a SIM card slot. The power jack is also on the left side; we found that you really had to push the plug in firmly, snapping it into place; otherwise, it would fall out easily.

Webcam

Over W-Fi, a Google Hangout chat produced good images on this Chromebook. While our colleague was slightly pixelated, colors were accurate, and sound stayed in sync.

User Interface

Click to EnlargeThe latest version of the Chrome OS (version 19) includes many welcome improvements. The first thing that users will notice is a bona fide desktop, and not just a browser window that fills the screen. This is welcome news not just to us, but to anyone who's familiar with Windows or Mac OS.
Along the left bottom are icons for the Chrome browser, Gmail, Google, YouTube, Google Drive and Apps. The lower right shows the time, the status of your Internet connection, battery level and a little droid icon that, when clicked, lets you adjust settings and log out or turn off the system. We like that you can pin additional apps to the Launcher, but wish you could organize their arrangement.
Any window that is opened in the main area of the desktop can be re-sized or expanded to fill the screen. We wish there was a minimize function, but it's sort of inconsequential, as everything occurs within the browser window.
When you click on the little grid icon, it minimizes the browser window, and brings up a desktop view of all your apps. It's handy to see them all in one place, but there's no way to organize them, such as rearranging their order, placing them in folders, or adding a second page. If you keep adding apps, the icons just get smaller and smaller.

Performance

Unlike the first Series 5 Chromebook, which used a 1.66-GHz dual-core Intel Atom N570 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 16GB SSD hard drive and integrated graphics, the Series 5 550 has an Intel Celeron 867 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 16GB SSD. These kinds of components will more than suffice for browsing the Web, streaming videos and writing documents.
The Series 5 booted in a lightning-fast 12 seconds. That's half the time of most Ultrabooks, and even about five seconds faster than the MacBook Air. Windows opened quickly, and we were able to stream 1080p videos without any issues.
Compared to the original Chromebook, there's a clear boost in performance. On the Peacekeeper benchmark, the Series 5 550 scored 1,830, where the original notched just 473. The Series 5 550 took just 439.8 miliseconds to complete the Sunspider test, nearly a third of the time of the original Chromebook (1136.4 ms).
Using WebGL Aquarium, we averaged between 45 and 60 frames per second with 50 fish and all the effects turned on. That's light-years better than the first Series 5 Chromebook, which could barely manage 4 fps with just one fish, and no background or sunlight.

Offline Access and Cloud Storage

Connectivity remains the Chrome OS's Achilles heel. Without it, the Series 5 550 becomes much less useful. There are about 150 apps, including Google Mail, Docs, Google Play Books, the New York Times and "Angry Birds" that will work without an Internet connection, but considering there are tens of thousands of apps in the Chrome Web Store, it's clear that this is an OS that's only fully functional with the Web.
Google Drive, Picasa and Google Mail each give you 5GB of free cloud storage. Those who need more space can choose from one of nine different plans, which range from 25GB for $2.49 per month, to 16TB for $799 per month.

Google Drive

Chrome OS now supports a much wider range of formats, including Office files, PDF, ZIP and RAR. You can now view documents offline, though the process is a bit cumbersome. Too bad you can't edit them, and then have the changes sync automatically when Internet access is restored. However, Google says offline editing is being rolled out.

File Manager

Click to EnlargeOne of our chief complaints with the first Series 5 was that there was no easy way to view the files on the notebook itself. Googleremedied that somewhat with the File Manager, which lists all your downloaded files in the browser, as well as any in an SD card or USB device. There's still no way to view system files, such as drivers, though.

Photo Editing

The built-in Photo Editor lets you make basic adjustments, such as crop, brightness, and rotate, and lets you share them with Picasa, but it's pretty anemic compared to Picasa or even Google+, both of which offer a wealth of more options, both in terms of editing and sharing.

App Selection

It's not as robust as Google Play, but the Chrome Web Store has tens of thousands of apps, according to Google. Many popular apps can be found, such as Picasa, Pandora, Netflix, "Angry Birds," NYTimes, and Tweetdeck.

Cloud Print

Click to EnlargeAs with the previous Chromebooks, users can print remotely to cloud-ready printers such as HP's ePrint line, or to older printers connected to a computer running Google Chrome.

Remote Desktop

Currently, a beta app in the Chrome Web Store, Remote Desktop lets you access a computer remotely from your Chromebook. Both must be running the Remote Desktop app in the Chrome Web browser, and both must be logged into your Google account. After that, it's a fairly easy setup process that took only a few minutes. Then, after setting up a PIN, which was used to authenticate our connection, our desktop's screen showed up in the Chrome 5's browser window.
Over the same network, there was very little lag as we typed in a word processor, and opened and closed windows and apps. However, you can view only one monitor of your remote desktop at a time, and there's no way to zoom in, so text can appear rather small.

Battery Life

The Series 5 is rated for six hours of continuous use, and 6.5 days on standby. On the LAPTOP Battery Test (web surfing via Wi-Fi with the screen at 40 percent brightness), we were down to 44 percent of our battery after four hours and 17 minutes. If we extrapolate that, it comes out to about 7.6 hours of endurance. That's very good battery life.

3G

Click to EnlargeOur version of the Series 5 550 came with a 3G option through Verizon, which comes with 100MB of free data per month. After that, the connection simply cuts off, instead of charging overage fees. At the very least, we wish it was 4G.
For those who crave everywhere-connectivity, Verizon offers an unlimited day pass for $9.99, and three monthly passes: 1GB for $20, 3GB for $35, and 5GB for $50.
Two-year contract plans include a 2GB/$30 per month, 5GB for $50 per month and 10GB for $80 per month.

Configurations

As mentioned, Samsung offers two versions of the Series 5 550. Our model, which has a 1.3-GHz Intel Celeron 867 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 16GB SSD, as well as a 3G radio, costs $549. The non-3G version, which otherwise has the same specs, costs $449.

Verdict

Click to EnlargeThere's no doubt that the Chrome OS has improved by leaps and bounds. And Samsung's Chromebook Series 5 550 is a pretty slick vehicle for the platform, especially for those who have basic needs. The comfortable keyboard and bright screen are as good as what you'll find on some Ultrabooks, and this machine is certainly faster than its predecessor. However, $449 is a lot to spend on a machine that has limited offline capability.
While it's a different breed of laptop, it's hard to justify spending this much dough on an ultraportable with a Celeron processor and just 16GB of storage when you can get a Dell Inspiron 14z with a second-gen Intel Core i3 processor and a 500GB hard drive for the same price. If the price drops, the Chromebook Series 5 550 will be worthy of stronger consideration, but right now we wouldn't choose this clamshell over a traditional notebook or the iPad.

iPHONE 5s

Updated New iPhone 5 news, specs, features and more

By Dan Grabham  May 29th

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Getting ready for the next wave of iPhone excitement

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Although widely expected, there was no iPhone 5 in 2011 after all, though the company did announce the iPhone 4S.
So we'll surely see a total revision of the iPhone during 2012. We've gathered together all the latest iPhone 5 rumours to give us a reasonable picture of what Apple's latest handset might be like.

You'll find all the rumours below, but why not check out our iPhone 5 rumours video first?

iPhone 5 release date

iPhone 5 news

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Given the pattern of Apple's iPhone launches, we're expecting the next-gen iPhone 5 release date to be mid to late 2012.
It could possibly be shown off at Apple's Worldwide Developer Event (WWDC 2012), which usually takes place in early June - even if the focus of the 2011 event was software. We are expecting iOS 6 and more on OS X Mountain Lion this time around so it could be that hardware is further down the list again.

• Apple WWDC 2012: what to expect

We reported in February that the new iPhone would be launched in October, falling into line with the same release schedule from last year, and Macotakara 'sources' confirmed the Cupertino brand would be honouring the same upgrade cycle from now on.
According to analyst Shaw Wu, the Cupertino firm has reduced the number of iPhone orders by 20%-25% for the next quarter ahead of the release.
But rumours have persisted that the iPhone 5 release date is June 2012. It seems Foxconn was even gearing up for that date. Production was reported to be very close in late March 2012.

iPhone 5 form factor

Unlike the iPhone 4S, the new iPhone will be a completely new design from what has gone before, so that means an entirely new casing as we saw with the iPhone 3G and, later, the iPhone 4.

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Interestingly, someone who claimed to have seen a larger iPhone 5 prototype said in November 2011 that Steve Jobs canned the new size and opted for the iPhone 4S. According to Business Insider, it was feared that a new size would create a two-tier iPhone ecosystem.
Beatweek also claimed in November 2011 that the 5-inch was scrapped "because Apple wouldn't be able to do it properly" this year. However, the Daily Mail (make of that what you will) then suggested that a four-inch version was likely and that Sony has already shipped top secret demo screens to Apple.
The Taipei Times reported at the end of May 2012 that Stone Wu, senior analyst at IHS Displaybank, reckons Sony began production of in-cell touch panels back in February, as it readied stock for the next generation of iPhone.

iPhone 5 specs

Based on the roadmap of mobile chip design specialist ARM (of which Apple is a licensee), we'll see a quad-core processor debut in the new iPhone 5 - probably called the Apple A6. We've seen other quad core handsets debut in 2012, so it's not too much of a stretch to say that the iPhone 5 will be the same.

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We had expected some kind of help in terms of predicting the iPhone 5 CPU from the launch of the new iPad, but the announcement of a slightly tweaked A5X processor really didn't help things there.
In terms of other specs aside from the screen (more on that below), rumours are persisting that the iPhone 5 may have a new dock connector. Well, it had to happen sometime didn't it?

iPhone 5 will have 4G/LTE support

After the new iPad's launch brought 4G to an Apple device, it's widely expected that 4G will come to iPhone 5. And with many 4G handsets already announced in the US, it can't be long before the iPhone supports 4G technologies - even if we won't even have a UK spectrum auction until late this year or maybe early next.
Because of the 4G fuss over the new iPad in the UK, we'd expect this to be played down in any UK handset - or the UK might get a different version entirely of course.

• 4G mobile broadband and LTE explained

Steve Jobs' iPhone 5 legacy

Many sites have reported that Steve Jobs was working hard on the iPhone 5 project, which will apparently be a "radical redesign". We shall see... but the fact the iPhone 4S was so similar to the iPhone 4 suggests that Steve was working on something pretty special before

Check out this handy iPhone 5 video detailing the latest rumours on release date, spec and more - so check if out for a quick fix of next-gen Apple fun:

The Wall Street Journal has previously reported that: "Apple is also developing a new iPhone model, said people briefed on the phone. One person familiar said the fifth-generation iPhone would be a different form factor than those that are currently available… it was unclear how soon that version would be available to Verizon or other carriers."
This has since been backed up by reports from Engadget, which state the design will be a 'total rethink'.

iPhone 5 screen

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Various sources claim the iPhone 5 will feature a larger, 4-inch screen. Digitimes quotes the source as saying that Apple is expanding the screen size "to support the tablet PC market as the vendor only has a 9.7-inch iPad in the market."
On 23 May 2011, we reported on rumours that the iPhone 5 could feature a curved glass screen. These rumours also came from Digitimes, which said that Apple has purchased between 200 and 300 special glass cutting machines because they're too costly for the manufacturers to invest in.
In March 2012, new reports suggested that the new iPhone 5 would come sporting a larger 4.6-inch retina display, while April rumours even suggested the next iPhone will use new touch technology and will be encased in something called "liquidmetal."
During May, The Wall Street Journal cited sources as saying the device will definitely sport a 4-inch display.

iPhone 5 digital wallet - NFC

There's been some speculation that Apple might include Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in the iPhone 5, turning it into a kind of credit/debit card.

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However, with the tech being inside the Google Nexus S and Samsung Galaxy Nexus, as well as a host of other top smartphones, the time for NFC may finally be here.
On 24 June 2011 it was reported that the Google Wallet mobile payment platform could feature on the new iPhone. Eric Schmidt admitted that Google is looking to port the software to other manufacturers.
However, on 31 January 2012 9to5Mac claimed to have spoken with a well-connected developer who disclosed information received from Apple iOS engineers saying they are "heavily into NFC".
The developer in question has not been named, but is working on a dedicated iOS app which includes NFC reading for mobile transactions. When questioned how confident he was on the information he had received his reply was "Enough to bet the app development on".
On April 30 2012 an Apple patent filing reinforced the idea NFC in iPhone 5.

iPhone 5 camera

Sony makes the camera for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Speaking at a live Wall Street Journal event, Sony's Sir Howard Stringer was talking about the company's camera image sensor facility in Sendai, a town that was recently ravaged by the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami.
According to 9to5Mac, he said something along the lines of, "Our best sensor technology is built in one of the [tsunami] affected factories. Those go to Apple for their iPhones… or iPads. Isn't that something? They buy our best sensors from us."
Sources have also suggested the new iPhone could have an 8MP camera. Indeed, Sony announced in January 2012 that it had developed new back-illuminated stacked CMOS image sensors which are smaller in size.

iPhone 5 price

If the iPhone 5 is an evolutionary step like the move from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S then we'd expect the price to stay more or less the same, although in the UK higher VAT rates may well mean a higher price tag.
It's pretty much nailed on that the new iPhone will cost around £500 for a 16GB / 32GB model (depending on the capacity Apple whacks in there) and unless the iPhone 5 comes with some truly next generation technology that pricing model should hold firm.

iPhone 5 review

TechRadar is renowned for its detailed phone reviews where we look at every aspect of a handset, and we'll be bringing you a full, in-depth iPhone 5 review when we get our hands on one.
As for the name, well it looks like it will be called iPhone 5. Apple has certainly been trying to protect the name iPhone 5 - and has even launched a claim over the iPhone5.com domain name.