This is really a high quality machine. The price I paid almost reflected that quality, but I snagged it when an incredible deal was running. The m3 processor is more than enough power to do regular tasks that anyone does online plus all the productivity work that is needed in a workplace. My wife is a teacher and this was purchased for her, so most of this feedback is from what she’s said as she’s used it.

First, let’s talk about the display. It really is a beautiful display with accurate-enough colors. It gets a little over-saturated in some situations and under-saturated in others, creating some awkward hue on backgrounds of darker movies or webpages. But those are only noticeable while objects are moving (or when you’re scrolling) and there’s a lot of action on the screen. It gets bright enough for most situations and in the previous Pro model I wondered why it got as bright as it did. Watching reviews it seemed like you almost don’t need to use a lamp to lighten a room, just turn the display face up and turn it up; that should be plenty to light an entire bedroom.

Second is the quality of the material. The device feels like a brushed aluminum or other metal material with some plastic in some places. This is about right for the price, considering an even better quality of material would get you easily spending $900+. The keyboard feels fantastic and the touchscreen hasn’t had a single hiccup yet after about 2 months of use.

Third, let’s talk about functionality. And, before we begin, let’s remember this is a Chromebook. This wasn’t purchased to play the latest games or sync with Microsoft or Apple services. It’s a Samsung product running a Google operating system, meaning that it’s meant to work with Google services. That said, it works wonderfully for Google Drive (word processing, spreadsheets, etc.). This item is used almost exclusively to do lesson planning, grading, research, and other tasks that a teacher would do. For that, it’s perfect. The only real issues we’ve had entail poor web design and a lack of websites switching to HTML5 instead of Flash.

All in all, if you’re wanting the performance of a Google Pixelbook and similar functionality then you won’t be disappointed. If you want to get a loved one a computer that will really allow them to use the Internet without too much worry about viruses, then you’re making a good purchase. If you’re intending to get a laptop that can run Android apps without too much of a “herky jerky” experience, then you’re making a good purchase. If you’re wanting a computer that can run Photoshop, render 4K videos, or anything like that, then you’re better off with other products.

I’ve been using a chromebook as my primary computer for well over 5 years. The last one I used was an Acer c720 with an i3 processor, I loved that thing…. I replaced the battery and it still works great but this deal was too good to pass up. $450 for a 7th generation m3 processor convertible chromebook with a dedicated stylus is a great deal. Considering google is offering free note taking apps on the offers page also sweetens the deal. In my opinion, this computer is a significantly better value than anything you’d get from a windows computer in this price range.

I initially ordered this when it was priced $495 and a 3rd party retailer sent me an xe521qab (dark grey) instead of the listed xe520qab (light grey). I’m going to compare both units at the end.

I’m starting with reviewing the specs and hardware since I think mentioning overall build quality is important and why I chose this unit over others. I’m also going to compare both models since everyone needs to know what they’re buying before they actually buy it. I’m also going to touch briefly on the capabilities of Chrome OS and its limitations so first time buyers have an idea what they’re getting.

Pros:
– Convertible, able to run Android apps
– Included stylus built into the computer
– Fast, low power CPU (fanless computer)
– Full HD screen (1920 x 1200 resolution)
– Great battery life
– Audio is great, just quiet
– Linux apps available from within ChromeOS
– Keyboard has good travel, very comfortable to type
– Trackpad is a good size and is responsive

Cons:
– No backlit keyboard (some chromebooks in this price range have them)
– Can’t install any kind of Windows or Mac programs
– Will not be able to play computer games, but it can play mobile games from android

Processor:
The processor in this unit is an intel core m3-7y30. To me, this is one of the best processors you can ask for in a Chromebook, but can be underpowered in a Windows laptop. The two specs I feel are most important are 4.5 W TDP and 1.0 ghz – 2.6 ghz clock speed.

In layman’s terms, this processor has extremely low power requirements which sips power and is able to increase its clock speed high enough to get tasks done. This chip can also hyperthread, basically making it more efficient per core and increasing speed as well. Because of this low power state, the processor doesn’t heat up too much and the computer doesn’t need a fan. The computer makes no noise. I’ve noticed zero lag at all, even using the stylus. This thing is overpowered for most tasks Chrome OS needs. It’s a great balance between power needed vs maximizing battery life.

To give you an idea on price, this processor’s MSRP is $280. Kind of already covers half of the price of the computer already.

Screen:
Incredible considering the wide viewing angles, I can see the screen from every angle possible. My old Acer c720 has the worst screen imaginable with a very narrow, low resolution display. This thing is just as nice as a “retina” display in any macbook.

Battery:
As stated earlier, the M3 processor doesn’t use much power compared to other processors, the lack of a fan also saves a lot of power.

running a crosh battery test, the rate of decline without running anything is about 1{98880d97af0555a3a517c8aae666eeb64e7bd6d49cbbe05617dcb138f6e48200} in 300 seconds, or about 12{98880d97af0555a3a517c8aae666eeb64e7bd6d49cbbe05617dcb138f6e48200} an hour. So I would say best case scenario, 8 – 8.3 hours of battery life. This is good, not the best, but certainly good enough for me. I got 3 days of solid use before I needed a new charge. In comparison, my acer c720 sipped about 1.25{98880d97af0555a3a517c8aae666eeb64e7bd6d49cbbe05617dcb138f6e48200} every 300 seconds, or had around 6.7 hours of battery life. It is older and the CPU’s are different, but overall it’s significantly better.

Audio:
Great for a laptop. Audio has good dynamic range, just no bass. These are solid speakers and it feels premium, just not nearly as premium as a macbook for instance.

Chrome OS:
When you buy a Chromebook, you should primarily be using it for web browsing and simple tasks. If you’re tied into google’s ecosystem it can do much more. On the other hand, if you’re tied into Apple’s ecosystem it can be a challenge to use.

Chrome OS can’t run computer programs built for Windows or Mac, such as microsoft office and photoshop. You can use an online suite of office or the android apps, but they aren’t the same. Setting up a wired printer can be confusing. Downloading word documents may change the way they look when opened with google docs. Conversely, saving things from google docs to word format may also mess up the formatting, issues I wish would get polished out in the future.

Overall, I think chromebooks are absolutely ready for widespread use. Chrome OS is much more secure than both Windows and Mac’s, the fact that you hardly ever download anything keeps the computer fast and secure. The lightweight OS absolutely flies, for everyday tasks it’s much faster than Windows or OS X and you’ll notice a difference right away.

Linux Programs:
Back in the day (6 years ago), you had to sideload a linux OS in order to use linux apps. It worked but was clunky and made it much harder to keep linux up to date. Plus it took up valuable space on the chromebook and you had to switch OS’ completely in order to use them.

Today, ChromeOS has a linux virtual machine built into it, and you’re able to pull apps from the linux database directly into ChromeOS and run apps. This is absolutely amazing to me, and I’m not sure when google decided to do this, but it basically makes ChromeOS a near complete machine with much lower limitations. This gives you access to good program alternatives to photoshop and microsoft office, especially if you need something that does a little bit more than what google apps can do. This is by no means as nice or complete as Windows or Mac as it still requires knowledge to do it properly and keep it up to date, but it’s free and open source, and I think it’s important to support that idea. Linux and Android are the two most popular open source platforms, there’s a lot of things you can do with both of them and it’s great having both available within Chrome OS.

Tablet:
This is where ChromeOS is heading towards, so I wouldn’t recommend getting a chromebook that isn’t convertible at this point. It’s nice to have and makes it able to run android apps.

Apps that would be useful on a chromebook would be anything that can take notes and take advantage of a stylus. It’s good for annotating powerpoints, drawing, or taking school notes if you enjoy writing over typing. Everything else is just gimmicky, but It’s still amazing to have an ability to flip the thing around and have a high resolution tablet available.

xe520qab vs xe521qab:
When I purchased this chromebook, a manufacturer sent me the 521 by mistake, so to get the lower price I had to return it and get the 520. Amazon unfortunately wasn’t able to price match. I took pictures so everyone can see the difference.

The 521 is simply nicer. It has a darker body, metal keyboard deck, smooth edges; it just feels much better and more expensive. It’s rounder in most places, tablet mode feels smoother and better when holding it. The only two thing I like about the 520 is how it looks when it’s closed and it feels better when opening it. The sharp edges are nice and clean, but the plastic keyboard deck just isn’t as comfortable.

If you can find the xe521qab for the same price as the xe520qab, I’d pick the 521 in a heartbeat. Other than that you’re getting the exact same thing. Both are fantastic computers and I’m sure anybody would be happier with either pick.

$450 is an absolute steal for either of these computers.

There seems to be multiple versions of the Samsung Chromebook Plus, 2-in-1, Intel Core m3, 4GB RAM, 64GB. Best Buys is selling the XE521QAB-K02US which has a metal top, metal keyboard deck and a plastic bottom. It weight 2.93 lbs and has a 30 Watt Hours battery. Amazon is selling the XE520QAB-K02US which has a plastic top, plastic keyboard deck and a plastic bottom. It weight 2.98 lbs and has a 39 Watt Hours battery. I own the latter. I like the extra 30{98880d97af0555a3a517c8aae666eeb64e7bd6d49cbbe05617dcb138f6e48200} battery life. I do the find keyboard wrist rest a bit uncomfortable since the plastic edge is not rounded like the metal version.

I was looking for a new Chromie to give my sister as a gift. The Plus V2 jut came out. This thing is beautiful and turbo fast. We have about 50 laptops in our house as we live in Silicon Valley and constantly try and keep up. I use an ASUS C302; wifey has the Google Pixelbook. The only drawback is the non backlit keyboard. If you can get past this, you will love the Samsung Chromebook Plus. I have given 2 of the original models as gifts. Cloud, baby!

Update on Thanksgiving – At $449, this thing is a freakin’ steal!