Google and Samsung’s new Chromebook (series 3) certainly delivers visually, but is it worth splashing the cash for what is essentially a chrome browser? We’ve been testing the Chromebook for over a week now and as far as the functionality goes, we were pleasantly surprised!
GOOGLE DOCS
After recent updates from Google, the Chrome OS now supports plenty of offline features. With the help of Google docs, you can view Word documents offline, and even create new documents both online or offline. You can also try out Google Slides, brilliant for creating presentations or reading and editing MS Powerpoint files.
SCRATCH NOTES
Another offline feature we love, is the Scratchpad application. Allowing you to quickly make notes at work/school etc, automatically saving them either on Google Drive or (if you’re offline), locally. There’s no save button, everything is backed up automatically for you so there’s no need to worry about losing important notes and information.
SPOTIFY
*Calling all music lovers* You may be happy to know that Spotify is available to download from the Chrome store. The sound quality on the Chromebook isn’t exactly premium, but plug in a pair of headphones and you’re good to go. Spotify does open inside the browser, like many other apps, but it is virtually identical to the desktop version, so you won’t be missing out.
SUMMARY
The Chromebook may be slightly limited in comparison to Netbooks of a Windows or Mac variant, but if you find yourself mainly surfing web, the Chromebook could be for you! At only £229? A stylish, sleek ‘Macbook Air Lookalike’ that boots in seconds, perfect as a second laptop or portable device purely for effortless and pleasurable web browsing.
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