Samsung Chromebook Series 5 Laptop Review
The Series 5 isn't Samsung's first entry into the 12-inch netbook space; the Samsung NC20 (21GBK) ($550 street, 4 stars) was the first Samsung netbook with a 12-inch screen. The Series 5 has a similar design to the NC20, with a plastic, squarish frame—where they differ is in the lid color: The Series 5 has a white shiny finish, while the NC20 is draped in black. Its design is not as flashy as that of the HP dm1z, and comes off boxier looking than the Asus EeePC 1215N. At 3.2 pounds, it weighs the same as the Asus 1215N and is a bit lighter than the HP dm1z (3.4 pounds). A 12-inch widescreen is the largest available on a netbook. The display on the Series 5 is brighter than any screen found in its competitors (300 nits, as compared with 200 to 250 nits on most other netbooks) and boasts a 1,280-by-800 resolution (720p) and a 16:10 aspect ratio. The screens on the HP dm1z and Asus 1215N, on the other hand, are wider and come with a resolution of 1,366-by-768 and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The screen on the Series 5 is large enough to accommodate serious spreadsheet and word processing related tasks (as long as it's through Google Docs).
