Samsung Chromebook Plus Convertible Touch Laptop (XE513C24-K01US)

I recently purchased the Chromebook Plus and Chromebook Pro. I initially thought I would like the Pro better because it is faster. However, if you use the Stylus much - such as in Squid you will find that the PLUS has noticeably less lag than the Pro. Apparently there is some optimizations that Google has done with the OP1 and Pixel that allow what is called Instant Ink. So if you want instant ink stylus response the Plus is better than the Pro. I have also noticed the Pro seems to run hotter and have a noticeably shorter battery life. I will be sending back my Chromebook Pro and keeping the Chromebook Plus. To me the Plus is fast enough, has better battery life, runs cooler and if you take notes in Squid it is noticeably more responsive.

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My main reasons for needing a Chromebook or other tablet like device: 1) Easily checking and working on google files from home when I am not working in the office 2) Watching movies and tv at home or traveling For both of these items, its a 5 start device. I downgraded one star for 1) Some of the buggy issues with apps and software that I assume will work themselves out over time - for instance, if our wifi drops (which it occasionally does) instead of the Chromebook reconnecting, I have to restart it in order to find the signal again. 2) The speakers dont get very loud. When Im watching something in the kitchen while doing dishes or cooking I have to use headphone to hear over my kitchen racket. I used to have a Nexus tablet and loved it, but I needed a device that was easier to email from, thats why we settled on a Chromebook. I like that the Plus was convertible, so I can use it like a tablet when not working. I have no qualms as other have had with the touch pad or tracking, but my use is literally email and entertainment. The keyboard does take some getting used to, but for the occasions I work from home or send a personal email, I have no major complaints. For my needs I probably could have gone with a cheaper device, but Im hoping the Plus will last a long time and its added features were a bonus to me.

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My background is 30+ years in the consumer electronics industry: I’ve owned numerous consumer electronics companies as well as a consultant for many leading consumer electronics corporations. I’m currently in Asia and I wanted a new laptop. Since I’m a die-hard fan of Chromebooks my choice was easy; the new Samsung Chromebook Plus for it’s size, weight, performance and battery life. I currently own 3 other Chromebooks and absolutely LOVE them all! I want to start off by saying how INCREDIBLY AMAZING Amazon is when it comes to customer service. When I ordered the laptop Amazon shipped it directly to me in Thailand. When it arrived, the Samsung Chromebook case was defective through no fault of Amazon. I called Amazon and asked what to do; an Amazon representative told me to ship it back to them and once they receive it they would send me out a brand new replacement unit and credit me back for the shipping BOTH ways! If anyone ever has ANY doubts about buying from any company other than Amazon in a feeble attempt to possibly save a couple dollars DO NOT DO IT! There is not a retailer on planet earth who backs up their products like anyone else...believe me, I get paid lots of money to work with some of the largest electronics corporations in the world to streamline their customer service and customer retention departments...Amazon is head and shoulders above them all! PROS: Size and weight...as I said, I travel a LOT and having a lightweight, thin laptop is imperative for me. This Chromebook weighs less than 2.5 lbs and easily slips into a backpack, brief case or carry-on bag with ease. Battery: As good as any I have tested and used; approximately 10 hours watching videos with the screen brightness at about 50%. I can watch numerous movies in High Def on overseas flights without worry of my battery dying. It charges in around 2 hours from a completely dead battery. Display: Wonderful, clean, crisp and easy on the eyes. This screen is equally impressive regardless of what I’m watching; a High-Def movie, a YouTube video or typing a report. Resolution is fantastic, colors are vibrant, accurate and true to life, tremendous detail, sharp blacks and white colors...typical Samsung high-end screen quality! There’s a reason Samsung will be supplying Apple its OLED screens for the new iPhone 8. Touch Screen: Once again, it’s typical Samsung ingenuity; precise and balanced. All gestures work perfectly and the screen is ultra responsive. Pen: I honestly did not care much about the pen when I bought it and assumed I would only use it once or twice a year at most. The pen has turned into quite a nice feature for me to capture parts of the screen image, for notes, drawing circles around certain parts of messages, web sites etc. I now am hooked on it and wonder just how I lived without it? Fit and Finish: Like all Samsung products, their design is in a word sexy...nice lines, curves and subtle details where needed, not overstated but more functional and aesthetically pleasing in IMO. The keyboard works perfectly fine for me...the keys feel solid and the trackpad is precise. I would have preferred a back-lit keypad but for the price and functionality I’m MORE than satisfied with this Chromebook. The only nit-picky thing I would like to have changed is the accessibility of the Micro-SD card slot. It’s somewhat under the side on the base and I personally find it not real user-friendly. Again, that’s just my personal preference...your milage may vary. Speed and Performance: This is as fast as any Chromebook I have never tested or used. I generally have 10-15 tabs open simultaneously and it never bogs down. Every computer in the world may experience a hiccup on occasion, even $2,000 ones but this has been rock solid, super smooth and I personally have not experienced one speed-bump while using it. I can’t honestly imagine why anyone would opt for the Pro version of this Chromebook??? CONS: Ports: The only reason I deducted one star is because of the USB-C ports. Sure I knew that before I bought it but having now lived with it for over a month I find the USB-C ports a big headache. In time I’m sure most of the big guys like Logitech etc. will come out with mice and keyboards with USB-C adaptors already part of their ecosystem but until they do I personally find it extremely frustrating having to use multiple adaptors to expand and personalize my Chromebook. I ended up buying several adaptors to set up my new Samsung Chromebook. I use an HDMI cable connected to a 24” flat screen monitor as well as a wireless mouse (USB adaptor) and wired USB keyboard. I find the adaptors bulky, cumbersome and quite frankly the HDMI just does not work efficiently. It casts the screen properly to my monitor but when I open up anything from the Google Play store the screen flickers horrifically and is rendered useless! I have tried multiple adaptors from various manufacturers and they all to the exact same thing. I can’t use any Play Store apps at all when the monitor is plugged in. I’m sure it’s a Google compatibility issue with the Play Store apps that I hope will eventually iron itself out over time. For now, until more accessory manufacturers start making USB-C accessories that I can plug directly into my USB-C port I find it a real nuisance to have expensive, unnattractive dongles hanging out of my gorgeous sleek laptop. Other than the port issue this Chromebook is an absolute MUST buy! It’s super fast, clean, sexy, lightweight, incredible battery life and the touchscreen is phenomenal! With the built in pen what’s not to love!

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On the whole, the CB Plus is a good Chromebook. The keyboard is good (though not excellent--but keyboard feel is subjective), the screen is first-rate, and the touchpad is just fine (though not close to my gold standard in CB touchpads: the Dell 13"). However, potential buyers should note that the CB Plus (v. 59 stable channel) appears to have really hard time with less than optimal WiFi reception. If I move close the the AP, the speeds are as expected (50-60 Mbps). If I move into the next room, however, speeds drop to about 20 Mbps (still perfectly usable (signal strength is 44)). I get similar results on 5G and 2.4G (slightly better with 2.4G, probably owing to slightly better signal strength (mid 40s-50s on 2.4G, compared to about 40 on 5G)). When a Bluetooth mouse is connected to the CB Plus, WiFi DL speeds drop to about 10 Mbps. My Asus C302c (v. 60 beta channel), on the other hand, has no such problems: speeds at these two locations are consistent at 50-60 Mbps. Reported signal strengths are slightly higher on the C302c: 58 compared to 51 on 2.4G.

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