Samsung Series 5 550 Chromebook (3G)

by Samsung

• Intel Celeron_867 Processor 1.3GHz
• 4 GB RAM
• 16GB Hard Drive
• 12.1-Inch Screen, Intel HD Graphics
• Google Chrome OS

Product Description

Style: 3G

Amazon.com

Skip the waiting and forget the setup. With the innovative, Web-optimized Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550 laptop, you can go straight online to create content, share favorite moments, and enjoy entertainment at the drop of a hat--the Chromebook will wake from sleep in just 1 second! Weighing just over 3 pounds, the ultra-compact design provides maximum portability without compromising on functionality and optimal performance.

Built-in Google apps.

Chromebooks feature a streamlined user interface, making it easier for you to navigate the Web--where you already spend most of your computing time. All your apps, documents, and settings are stored safely in the cloud. Every Chrome notebook runs thousands of web apps, from games to spreadsheets to photo editors. And you'll get advanced technology to help prevent malware and viruses from accessing your data without you ever having to lift a finger.

The Chromebook features a 12.1-inch LED-backlit display with an anti-reflective screen, and it's powered by an Intel dual-core processor. This model (XE550C22-H01US) includes integrated 3G broadband cellular connectivity as well as ultra-fast Wireless-N networking for connecting to home or office LANs. It also includes 16 GB of internal storage, a 4-in-1 memory card reader, and a 1-megapixel webcam for video chats and snapping pics for social networking sites.

The Faster, More Powerful Chromebook

About Chromebooks

Boots in seconds. Thousands of apps. Backs up files in the cloud automatically.

Boots in Seconds

Boots up in 7 seconds, resumes instantly and loads web pages blazingly fast.

Thousands of Apps

Built-in apps and thousands more from the Chrome Web Store.

No Hassles

Multiple layers of security so you don't need to install anti-virus software.

Cloud built-in

Save your stuff in the cloud so you don't lose another file.

The (Always) New Computer

The Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550 (view larger).

Chromebooks are fast to use, and don't slow down over time. They have layers of security built-in, so don't need to buy or install antivirus software. They come with apps for all your everyday needs, and keep your files safely backed up on the cloud. And with free, automatic updates, your Chromebox keeps getting better and better.

Automatic Updates

Chromebooks automatically update themselves: all of your apps stay up-to-date, and you get the latest version of the operating system without having to think about it.

No Blue Screen

You'll never see a blue screen. Chromebooks are built to get technology out of the way. Say goodbye to installing patches, as well.

Built-in Virus Protection

Your Chromebook has virus protection is built-in, with multiple layers of security like sandboxing, data encryption and verified boot.

Get Going in Just 1 Second

Get quickly to the things you love on a Chromebook. Boot up in seconds, resume instantly and load web pages blazingly fast. Access all your favorite apps in one click with the app launcher. Unlike traditional computers, your Chrome device doesn't slow down over time.

Be more productive.

Fast Booting

The world's fastest booting Chromebook boots-up in just 7 seconds.

Fast Start

It wakes from sleep in 1 second. There's no need to press power button simply open the lid and you're ready to go!

Be More Productive

Now you can multitask with ease and get even more done. A powerful Intel Sandy Bridge dual-core processor and 4 GB RAM ensure you can simultaneously open twice as many browser windows as Intel Atom-based Chromebooks.

Dual Core Processor

You can enjoy faster Web browsing, office tasks, and music or video conversion, with much less waiting for a response.

16 GB Solid State Drive

Get the information you need--when you need it. A Solid State Drive (SSD) provides significantly faster start up and data access times compared to a hard drive.

Do Everyday Things. Do Amazing Things.

Go straight online to creating, sharing and enjoying. Edit photos, listen to music, and watch high-definition video. Collaborate on documents in real-time and chat face-to-face.

Thousands of apps.

Collaborate on Documents

Create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and drawings with apps like Google Docs, Zoho and SlideRocket. With productivity apps, you can collaborate in real-time with others, access your documents from any computer, and have your files backed up automatically. Access other everyday files using the built-in PDF and document viewer.

Sync Your Stuff

Files, bookmarks, and apps that you change on your Chromebook instantly update on your other devices running the Chrome browser.

Thousands of Apps

Chromebooks have built-in Apps and runs thousands more from the Chrome Web Store.

Take it everywhere.

Full-Sized Keyboard Designed for Chrome

The keyboard is optimized for Chrome with a dedicated search key, a row of web-enabled keys, and a comfortable, full-size layout that doesn't cramp your fingers, so you can get more done.

Oversized, multi-touch clickpad.

Oversized, Multi-Touch Clickpad

You can enjoy better control using a large multi-touch clickpad. With a glass coating and image sensor it provides a stylish and convenient way to use your Chromebook.

Take It Everywhere

With up to 6 hours of battery life, weighing just over 3 pounds, and less than 0.83-inch thick, the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550 goes wherever you go (battery life based on Google Scenario-PowerLoadTest).

Wi-Fi + 3G + Long Battery Life

Your Chromebook quickly connects to your favorite Wi-Fi network as it boots up, so you're on the web right from the start. If you don't have a Wi-Fi network at your fingertips, the 3G-equipped Chromebook models come with flexible internet plans, included with this device for 2 years, (up to 100MB per month) of Mobile Broadband Service provided by Verizon Wireless, so you can keep working on the go. Coupled with long battery life, you can truly be mobile -- even without a place to stop and plug in.

Key Specifications 12.1-inch LED-backlit SuperBright display with 1280 x 800 resolution for native HD 720p viewing; 300-nit brightness; matte screen 1.3 GHz Intel Celeron dual-core processor (2 MB cache) 16 GB solid-state drive (SSD) 4 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (1333 MHz; maximum) Intel HD Graphics Built-in 4-watt stereo speakers (2 x 2W) Up to 6 hours of battery life (6800 mAh battery) Dimensions and Weight: 11.5 x 8.5 x 0.83 inches (WxDxH); 3.02 pounds

Wireless & Networking Verizon 3G WWAN included with this device for 2 years, (up to 100MB per month) of Mobile Broadband Service provided by Verizon Wireless Wireless-N Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) for ultra-fast connectivity to home and business networks. Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000) Connectivity & Expansion 2 standard USB 2.0 ports DisplayPort video output 4-in-1 memory card reader (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC) Microphone and headphone jacks 1-megapixel webcam

What's in the Box

Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550 (model XE550C22-H01US), power adapter, operating instructions; backed by 1-year limited warranty

Product Description

Mobile Computing Made Easy How mobile do you need to be? From among of the worlds lightest to the most powerful Samsung mobile computers take productivity with you wherever you go.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

588 of 608 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Chrome OS (Software) Review May 30, 2012

By Captain Awesome

Style Name:Wi-Fi

I've been using one of the laptops that Google originally distributed in order to test Chrome OS. As the idea behind Chromebooks is new to some, I thought I'd focus on the operating system, though I've covered the hardware to a point.
I'll try to make this in-depth without it being too technical.

If you're looking for a quick idea of whether or not this is for you, jump to the bottom and read the summary.

The Concept

The premise on which Chrome OS is based is that almost everything you do when you use your computer happens in your browser, so Google have built a system that makes that experience as fast, as simple and as secure as they can. That simplicity also leads to an 8-hour battery life, which very few laptops can offer.
This simpler approach means that you don't have to deal with software updates(with one exception, see below) or worry about anti-virus software.
This also means all of your files and media is stored on other computers, on the internet. Some people aren't ready for that and if you're not, Chromebooks aren't for you.

Applications and Limitations

As you might imagine, just the web means no Windows, Mac or other typical software applications. Because of this, there's no CD or DVD drive in a Chromebook.
Though `just the web' may sound extremely-limiting, you can do a lot in your browser; multimedia editing(including video), as well as voice and video chat is all entirely possible on a Chromebook, as is the creation and editing of documents, spreadsheets and presentations. This software is available all over the web and there's a selection of useful tools to be found in the Chrome Web Store, with free and paid solutions.
That said, you can just type in a web address or search as you would normally to find a helpful website. As an example, Google, Zoho and Microsoft all offer web-based office suites, some of those are free and some paid.

Setup

Setting up a Chromebook is as simple as turning it on, putting in your Wi-Fi connection details and logging in.
If there's a new version of the operating system(as there was when I set my machine up) it will download that before you can continue. This may seem odd, as the idea is to make updates invisible to you, but Chromebooks check for updates the first time they're run in case something in that update changes something key, like the introduction process for new users.
Once the laptop has checked for updates, it reboots and you login. You're then shown how to do various things with the click-able touchpad, such as scrolling and right-clicking.

Speed

After the first time it's turned on Chromebooks are designed to be very fast. In my experience, that means booting up in around 9 seconds from off, whether that means the power button being pressed or the lid being lifted. If you close the lid for a while but leave the machine on, it should resume instantly.

Security

Whilst not being able to install traditional software can seem restrictive, it also has a huge benefit: no more anti-virus software.
Viruses are so common on Windows(and lately the Mac operating system, OS X) because the more software that's installed, the more potential vulnerabilities there are to exploit.

Because the Chromebook knows what software should be installed, it can keep a copy in an encrypted area of the hard drive. Each time you turn the machine on, it checks to see if anything unathorised has changed in the software. If it has, that encrypted copy overwrites everything and any updates will be installed when you connect to the internet.
No system is 100% secure, but this method(called verified boot) makes it much harder to compromise your machine.

Privacy and Google

Some users don't like the idea of being dependent on any large company for their computing needs. So, does a Chromebook make you reliant upon Google?
In short, no. Whilst Google does encourage you to log in to a Chromebook with your Google account, you can log in under Guest mode. Whilst using Guest mode, nothing you do is saved on the machine, you don't need to log in to a Google service and you're free to use any web-based service you choose. Google is currently working on other login methods.
However, should you choose to login using your Google account(as I do and most users ultimately will) your settings and bookmarks can be saved and synched across any other device running Chrome(which now includes Android phones running Ice Cream Sandwich - version 4.0 of Android - and above), just as they are in for the Chrome browser.

Files and Devices

A key thing when using a system like this is being able to use files people email you and external hardware, just like you would on a Windows PC or a Mac.
If someone emails you a picture, for instance, you can download that file and directly upload it to Picasa Web Albums, Google's photo hosting site. This is called a file handler(think of it like you would a piece of software that opens certain files in Windows) and Google has released tools for companies to do similar things with different file types. For example, Google Docs will soon be able to upload Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and Powerpoint presentations directly to your account, without needing to go to the web address of the service.

I've tried various hardware with my test laptop. All have worked well.
Inserting a usb thumb drive or plugging in an external hard drive will make a Chromebook scan it for files it can play(there's a built-in media player) and plugging in a camera will show you the pictures on it. I've also tried an external webcam, microphone, keyboard and mouse and my Android phone. All worked as I expected.

Off-line Access

Chrome OS is great when you have internet access, but what about when you don't have internet access? Many(but by no means all, yet) web sites can work off-line and then upload your game progress or document when you next connect. This functionality is coming soon(this summer, according to Google) to Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Docs. Some of the applications that currently function off-line include the NY Times, Huffington Post and Angry Birds.

Hardware and Pricing

Those who dislike Chromebooks often bring up netbooks. A netbook is a small, cheap laptop which almost always has low-quality, slow hardware. This results in a poor experience, as they typically run Windows and because of their cheap hardware, can't provide the resources Windows needs to run at its best. On top of that, Windows can't offer the security that a Chromebook does, can't boot as quickly and very rarely will you find any laptop that run for 8 hours on a single charge.
Right now, Google has only 2 partners who are making Chromebooks. That lack of competition keeps prices higher than they likely will ultimately reach.

My experience with the test machine Google distributed(called the Cr-48) from a hardware perspective has been very positive; my Windows machine boots in 1 minute 22 seconds and my Cr-48 is at the login screen in just under 10 seconds. Depending upon the task, I've experienced between 8 and 10 hours of use per charge.
It's similar to the machines you can buy in that it has the same quantity of memory and storage and a similar sized(though not as hi-quality, I'd imagine) screen. The major difference is that the Cr-48 has a single-core processor, whereas the official Chromebooks use a dual-core chip, making them better able to handle more intensive tasks, such as video playback.

Summary

To put it simply, Chromebooks are fantastic if you use only the web or spend almost all of your time on the web; sub-10 second boot, great security and great battery life.
If you don't or don't have internet access most of the time, these aren't for you just yet.

Update

As of May 2012, Chromebooks will soon have a very different interface, making them look more like a typical operating system. They will also soon have Google Drive support built-in, as part of the options for managing files.
It should also be noted that Google's Cloud Print service(not so new) can be used to wirelessly print from a Chromebook(or any Chrome install on Windows, Mac or Linux and, eventually, Android, I imagine) to a printer.

Update 2

As of today, the 29th of May 2012, a new, more powerful Samsung Chromebook with 4GB of RAM has been announced, along with the Chromebox, a desktop version of the latest Chromebook, with some additional ports. Both of these devices should soon be for sale, if they're not already.

Also announced today was version 19 of Chrome OS which has the radical(closer to Windows or Mac) UI design, which should make it more familiar for users of those two operating systems. Along with this, it's been announced that there will(in the coming weeks) be an off-line Google Docs editor, allowing the important functionality of a word processor to not rely on an internet connection. This certainly applies to Chromebook and Chromebox devices, but should work on any modern browser that supports the required technologies, too. This is a big deal and makes Docs(and Chrome OS) much more useful for those who are on the move a lot and worry about not always having a connection.

Finally, Google Drive integration(including off-line support) is said to be released in 6 weeks, with version 20 of the operating system.
With that we'll be close to a point where losing your connection for a while won't be a huge issue. Especially with there being plenty of web apps and Chrome apps out there with off-line support already.

143 of 149 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hassle-free, fast and powerful June 6, 2012

By JB

Style Name:Wi-Fi|Amazon Verified Purchase

I had an older Chromebook and the new Samsung 550 is much much better. It is fast, simple and surprisingly powerful. As long as you're comfortable with the Google Apps products (great word processor and spreadsheet, adequate presentation editor and capable of reading all Microsoft Office attachments) this is a perfect laptop for casual use. The concept of everything in the cloud works great, and makes it easy to upload, view and share pictures from your camera, do your email and social networking, and do your day-to-day document editing all from one place, then pick it up and continue on a different computer if needed. Google video chat or hangouts are better than Skype, and accommodates video conferencing with multiple parties, so ideal for families. This will save me a ton of time acting as tech support for my parents and sister, because there is so little to know to get this laptop working.

I find it interesting to read reviews about how you can get a more powerful Windows laptop for the same price. To those reviewers: you're missing the point. This laptop has none of the crud that is windows (with its slow boot, patches, updates and virus checkers) and simply works. Of course, if you are into gaming, or want to do video editing you need something bigger - but that is not the target audience for the Chromebook. For casual use (and that encompasses the majority of what most people do on a laptop) the Chromebook is perfect.

104 of 107 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic Update For a Killer Concept June 6, 2012

By Joe

Style Name:3G|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this after finding that I used my original Samsung Series 5 Chromebook more than I used any of my devices. With the increase in specs compared to last year's machine, I was certain this would be an excellent device and my new favorite machine.

Shell - Easily the most improved aspect. It's not metal, but easily some of the best looking and feeling plastic you'll find. The bottom has a textured brushed feel. There is a slight wedge feel to it vs. the uniform thickness of the original series 5. There are nice bumpers on the bottom and small ones near the keyboard which keeps the screen from touching the keys.

Screen - Same screen as the prior model. Nice and bright when turned up. Matte. Wide viewing angle. The top to bottom viewing angle can be bit limited.

Keyboard - The chiclet layout is same as prior. They have a bit more bounce than last time, and instead of the brushed plastic from the Series 5, these have a smoother surface. I like it, and it's a pleasure to type on. Very bouncy and responsive. And as others have said there is the search button where the caps lock key is but you can change it back to caps lock function.

Trackpad - Also MUCH better than before. New gestures include the three finger swipe for moving forwards and backwards when browsing. More responsive and accurate. It's a bit smoother than before and feels of much higher quality.

Speakers - Also greatly improved. On the series 5 the speakers were often barely audible even at full volume. These speakers can fill the living room with the volume turned up. Watching shows doesn't require headphones to hear anymore. Very happy with this upgrade.

OS - With the faster processor Chrome OS moves quickly and is much smoother than before. The new layout (which is on the older chromebook as well) is nice but I kinda liked the full screen "only browser" layout from before. This moves more towards a traditional OS look, where you can dock the apps at the bottom (such as Calendar, Youtube, etc). I'm not sure this adds much because formerly the New Tab page contained all your apps so they were all instantly available instead of the smaller selection you put at the bottom. They have also added the Google Drive to your File Manager area, which is nice. I highly suggest that if you want to get the full use of your Chromebook you need to make use of Google Docs and Drive. They are working to make creating docs offline possible. As a side note, the menus when you right click are also bigger now, which wasn't really necessary.

3G - Can't judge how well this works because it isn't working at all right now. I can't even activate it. I called several people at Verizon and none of them even knew what a Chromebook was. I sent a message to the Chromebook ninjas and they informed me this is a "known issue" that they are working with Samsung and Verizon to resolve. I'm very nervous that this is a hardware issue as you can see that the 3G 550 isn't available for purchase anymore, which makes me think they've pulled them. Hoping it's something they can fix with Verizon's network or with a Chrome OS update, but they really should have been able to do that by now.

Another random issue is that it has trouble accessing Facebook. I've let the ninjas know about this as well. No issues on my Chrome browser on my Mac. No other websites seem to be affected.

So basically the two major issues are the 3G access and the Facebook loading. Otherwise this is a great update and a wonderful device to use as a secondary machine. THIS IS NOT TO BE USED AS A PRIMARY MACHINE. You can't install printers or other software. But for the same price as a tablet you get a nice large screen and a keyboard with greater functionality. Before anyone says a tablet can do more, try turning off the network and then see how much it can do. You can play some games and that's about it.

I'll update with any information as it rolls back on the 3G issue.

Update: I meant to post this sooner. The facebook issue is entirely resolved. As is the 3G. Personally if you have an android phone there are numerous free tethering apps out there at this point so you can usually get away with having the wifi only version and saving $100. That's just one opinion so obviously it's up to you.