After several months of consideration, I bought an Acer C7 Chromebook running Google’s Chrome OS today. At $200, I decided it would be interesting to try out. And so far, I’m glad that I did.
Basing an operating system on a web browser is an interesting concept. Admittedly, Google Chrome is one of the best web browsers out there. I use it on all of my tech devices (including Apple’s iOS devices), and really love it. So I decided to give Google’s operating system a shot.
Hardware:
For a plastic device, it really feels like a well-built computer. It’s solid, sturdy, and feels nice to hold. The keyboard is easy to type with. Sure, the keys are reasonably close together due to the size, but they are spaced well enough that typing on it is really easy. The trackpad also works quite well. The display isn’t the best I’ve used, but it’s far more than adequate. I compared this Acer C7 and Samsung’s Chromebook, but there were several hardware reasons that made me go with this one. The first is having a 320gb hard drive. I doubt that I will use all of that, but it is nice to have a dedicated hard drive so that I’m not completely tied to the Internet with this. Also, the C7 has both VGI and HDMI outputs. That way, I can connect to an external monitor or use this to play Netflix on my TV. Of course, it didn’t hurt that this one was $50 less than Samsung’s offering, and the other one did not seem worthy of the substantial premium. I like the fact that this has a webcam, as well. Intel’s Celeron processor offering is very good, and seems to be a good fit for this device.
Software:
I love Google products. I live on Gmail and Chrome. And Chrome OS is a continuation of what I enjoy about Google. Everything works seamlessly together. The software is fluid, and it looks good. That is what I like about Google. It always looks sharp and works well. As well, there are Google’s ways to edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, making this a great productivity tool. It takes some getting used to, but I really enjoy it. And, this plays Netflix. Because of the ARM-based processor it has, Samsung’s Chromebook is not capable of playing Netflix.
Wrap-Up:
I’ve only had this for a few hours, so a full review will come later, but my first impressions are very good. Is this device perfect? By no means. But, I doubt that you can find a better device in the $200 price range. I know that this will be a useful tool for me going into the future.
