Kyle
Chromebooks generally sell well, but Samsung’s Chromebook 2 may not have done as well as the company had hoped it would. Perhaps the aging Exynos 5 Octa processor or questionable build quality left consumers unimpressed. Whatever the reason, the Korea-based electronics maker is making another go of it with a new and improved Chromebook 2 model that ditches ARM for Intel silicon.
Unlike the version released earlier this year, the revised Chromebook 2 packs a fanless Intel Bay Trail processor. That upgrade comes at the unfortunate expense of RAM and display quality – 2GB compared to 4GB in the ARM variant, and a 1366 x 768 screen versus Full HD, but Samsung did not skimp elsewhere.
The Chromebook 2’s sides, USB ports, and display have been reinforced by metal. Not all developments in the design department are positive, though. The Chromebook 2 retains the bizarre stitched leather with silver highlights of its predecessor.
Unique to the Chromebook 2, Google Help is an Amazon Mayday-like video support app. Representatives will be available to assist with any Chrome OS issues users may encounter, so long as they call business days between the hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST.
For a device with up to 9 hours of battery life at $250, the Chromebook 2 is not necessarily a bad purchase. Truthfully, though, there are better options out there at only slightly higher prices.
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