Samsung 11.6" Dual-Core 16GB Chromebook Price: $149.99 Shipping Options:: $5 Standard Shipping Estimates: Ships in 1-2 business days (Wednesday, Jan 21 to Thursday, Jan 22) + transit Condition: Refurbished
If like most people out there all you want is an internet machine - this is the way to go. Any chromebook will do - they are perfect and fantastic to work with.
If you want to watch a dvd don’t buy it but if all you do is the internets I can’t tell you how happy we are with ours.
I would avoid this one for the most part. The Acer and HP Chromebooks use x86 processors like an actual laptop, and while they’re fairly weak compared to what you’d see in a gaming/working machine they actually perform pretty well. The Samsung went with an ARM processor like the ones used in smartphones, which are much weaker in spite of their slightly higher clock speed. For most websites this isn’t a problem, but for more intensive flash or javascript applications it starts to chug. If you’re a technical type who wants to install another Linux distro side by side, you really want to avoid this one, as the ARM chip isn’t compatible with a lot of Linux software (like Steam).
It’s a great price, but I’d spend a little extra and get an Acer c720 if you can afford it. I have a c710 with Ubuntu hacked onto it (takes 30 minutes and two shell commands, and there are walkthroughs online), and it actually makes a decent gaming machine for low impact indie titles like The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth or Papers Please.
Also, given that these are refurbs, you probably don’t get the perqs that normally come with a Chromebook: 1 TB (I think now, they keep changing it) for 2 years on GoogleDrive, and 10 free GoGo inflight internet sessions.
I own one of these and it is my “travel” machine. Lightweight and small size make it a perfect travel companion. I also have a 14 inch HP Chromebook, which is much faster, but the Samsung works fine for casual web browsing, checking email, facebook etc. If you are into gaming not the machine for you. Great battery life too.
I had one of these. I loved it. Loved. For travel it was the best. I owned it for one year and then it just died. I think it is working internally but it no longer communicates with its monitor.
I reasoned buying the same thing again would be foolish. I got a regular laptop. I do not love it. It is heavy and sluggish by comparison.
I would jump on this deal if I had not already spent a lot more money on something else.
I think I can get a new screen for my chromebook for about $40.
The battery life on my refurbished chromebook is not what I expected. It’s advertised as 7 hours new, but I’m only getting less than three. I thought the refurbishment would include a new battery.