Tag Archives: Samsung Chromebook review
Acer versus Samsung: Which Chromebook is Better?
Posted on 14. May, 2011 by Nicholas Greene. 
21 Comments
Alrighty, ladies and gents. Let me paint you a picture. You’re an avid fan of Google, who just so happens to be in the market for a new notebook PC. Like any good fan would, you decide “Hey, I’ll watch the Google I/O developer’s conference, see what they’ve got in store for folks like me.” That’s when you first laid eyes on the Chromebook. Jackpot. You hang on every word, absorbing information on the Chromebook like a sponge. You mark June 15 on your calendar, and every day leading to- like a kid waiting for Christmas. It’s then that you realize, hey, you’ve got a bit of a problem. See, Google’s releasing two Chromebooks: One manufactured by Acer, the other by Samsung. And you’ve got no idea which one to choose.
I might be able to help with that. Let’s have a look at which of the Chromebooks gives you the most bang for your buck, shall we?
Comparison One: The Look
How does each model look? What’s good about it? What’s bad? What’s just downright ugly? Here, I’m going to be looking at the aesthetic appeal of the two species of Chromebook.
The Acer Chromebook
Acer’s Chromebook looks pretty vanilla to me. Granted, it’s super thin as notebooks go and pretty reasonably weighted (at 2.95 pounds) but there’s really nothing to distinguish the appearance of Acer’s cloud notebook from every other laptop out there. Now, while the laptop itself might be something of an ugly duckling (to me, at least); at 11.6 inches, Acer’s 16:9 Cinecrystal 1366×768 HD screen most assuredly is not. Then again, the fact that it’s smaller and lighter than the Series 5 does work in its favor.
The Samsung Series 5
If I were to render my final verdict on the systems based solely on their physical appeal, Samsung’s the clear winner. Its sleek, glossy chassis is available in either white or black, and has the Chrome logo subtly emblazoned on the bottom left corner of the back. Of course, the physical appeal does come at a bit of a price- Samsung’s 16:10 12.1 inch WGXA LED screen operates at a max resolution of 1280×800, slightly lower than the Acer Chromebook. Still, the fact that it’s larger works in its favor. It’s also a bit bulkier than the Acer Chromebook, weighing in at 3.3 pounds.
Winner: I’m going to give the Series 5 a slight edge here. The Acer Chromebook’s display does seem a bit better, but not enough to make up for the much higher aesthetic appeal of the Series 5.
Comparison Two: The Specs
In the previous section, our two contenders just sat around and looked pretty. See, trouble is, most of us were taught as kids that judging a book by its cover is bad and mean and downright wrong. So, let’s see what’s under the hood. Let’s have a look at what each of these systems can do.
The Acer has the following specs:
- 11.6-inch 1,366×768-pixel 16:9 screen
- Intel Atom N570 dual-core 1.66GHz CPU
- 2GB RAM
- 16GB SSD drive
- 1.3 MP HD Webcam
- Two USB 2.0 Ports
- HDMI Port
- 8 hours of battery life
- 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
- 3G Optional
- HD Audio Support
- Stereo Speakers
- 2.95 pounds
The Series 5, on the other hand, boasts the following:
- 12.1-inch, 1,200×800 pixel 16:10
- Intel Atom N570 dual-core 1.66GHz CPU
- 2GB RAM
- 16GB SSD drive
- 1 MP HD Webcam
- Two USB 2.0 ports
- VGA Port
- 8.5 hours of battery life
- 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
- 3G optional
- SD/SDHC/MMC/SDXC card slot
- Stereo speakers
- 3.3 lbs.
This one’s tricky. While the two systems are virtually identical hardware wise, each one has a few clear advantages over the other. In addition to having a superior screen, the Acer also has HDMI support- something which is curiously lacking on the Series 5, in favor of the rather archaic VGA analog format. The Samsung does have its benefits, though- the SD slot is pretty nifty, and gives the Series 5 a bit more space for offline file storage, as well as allowing you to upload pictures from your camera. Then again, the USB ports work just fine for that, and given that both systems are designed to operate on the cloud…yeah. You get the idea.
Oh, and the Samsung has a bit more battery life than the Acer.
Winner: I’m gonna have to give the edge to the Acer here. Though the Samsung’s got a slightly better battery, the decision to support VGA over HDMI doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. And while the inclusion of an SD slot is nice, it seems a bit pointless. As for battery life…a half hour really isn’t that much of a difference.
Comparison Three: The Price
This is a pretty simple one: The Acer is a lot cheaper. Without 3G, you can hook yourself up with an Acer Chromebook for $349.00, while the Samsung S5 runs for $429.00. Basically, you’re paying about eighty dollars extra for a memory slot and an extra half hour of battery life. Is that really worth it? Not if you ask me, it isn’t.
Winner: The Acer Chromebook wins this one, hands down.
So, Which Ons is the Better Buy?
The Acer Chromebook is the clear winner here. It’s cheaper, it’s smaller, it has a better screen, and it has virtually the same specifications as the Samsung Series 5. And have I mentioned the HDMI support? The Samsung Series 5 might look a bit prettier, but a slightly better looking chassis and a memory slot are simply not worth eighty dollars more. The fact that it has a lower quality screen and doesn’t support HDMI puzzles me, as well- you’d think the Acer Chromebook would be the one without HDMI support, given the lower price.
Anyway, there’s my two cents. Out of the two Chromebooks being released on June 15th, Acer’s the way to go.
