I’m pretty much done with my holiday shopping.  I have a soon to be 5-year-old and just about anything on TV she wants; so, figuring out what to get her wasn’t hard.  What is hard is what to get for those adult like people on my list.

I  like stuff and I often get it throughout the year.  So, by the time Christmas rolls around I’m like I have no idea what you should get me.  Now, if you have somebody like me on your list, my condolences; this series of posts will not be for you.  However, I am hoping that because I like to buy stuff that I can help you figure out what to get others on your shopping list.

Today’s post will focus on the Samsung Google Chromebook.  I did write a review of the product when I first got it a few months back.  I was highly impressed with the device and now I would like to fully follow-up on my experience after using it for several months.

The Samsung Google Chromebook is pretty awesome.  This is what I wanted my “netbook” to be all those years ago but it wasn’t.  I am an author and poet.  Unfortunately, that is not my full-time job!  In life I have to travel, work over time, and occasionally watch TV.  All of these things impede with “computer time”.  Now, a lot of the stuff I need to do on the computer doesn’t need my main laptop, but it does require something more than a tablet or a cell phone.  Do you know how hard it is type a poem on a cell phone?  Or how about a blog post?  It makes my skin crawl.  I grew up with technology, but I like keys!

So, what is so great about the Chromebook?

• The battery lasts a LONG time.  I’m talking about all day.  If you leave it idle it will shut down.  If you shut the top it will shut down.  The battery indicator will tell you how many hours you have left, not just a percentage.  It also doesn’t have all those guts a regular computer does; so, it doesn’t make hardly a peep nor does it get hot.  You can actually put it in your lap.  It will give off a little heat, but much less than my Motorola Droid RAZR HD when I am giving it a work out on the net.
• It really does only take about 10 seconds to boot up.  I have timed it.  That’s a great feature, especially if you are in the middle of doing something and need the computer ASAP.
• It is very thin and light.  It weighs about as much as an older tablet.
• It is portable, but it doesn’t seem tiny.  The keyboard is pretty good size.  My netbook had a little keyboard that really inhibited me typing fast. This one is comfortable, and I am zooming along when typing just like on my full-sized keyboards.
• It takes USB peripherals.  Yes, you can have that USB mouse and even the USB port that adds 4 to 5 USB slots!
• You can get a lot done with Google docs and Chrome.  Given that I use Chrome on just about everything, it is great that I can just log in over here on my Chromebook and find my bookmarks etc.  You can also export your bookmarks and import them from another device and even internet explorer.  Google docs is great for typing up something.  You also have access the apps on your Chrome such as Dropbox.  There are also some picture editors and other things.  The app store from Chrome is great and easy to find.   Oh and don’t forget, if you are typing your document auto updates and saves in the Google Drive.  No more lost documents!
• This thing is durable.  My daughter gets on ABCmouse.com all the time and she bangs around and does all those things little kids do, including smacking at the keys.  It hasn’t fallen apart yet.  The letters are still all intact on the keyboard and the paint hasn’t worn off yet.
• It is great for streaming Youtube videos, catching up on my CW shows, and just about anything you can do on the net.

The only cons I have are sometimes it has hissy fits, and I can’t get my .doc files to open in Google Docs.  Yet, this happens on my full on computer as well.  I have no idea why, but sometimes it just doesn’t want to work.  It doesn’t have all the keys you are used to on a computer like caps lock.  No delete key either.  It is hard to navigate, for me, without a mouse.  I hate trying to do anything on it without a mouse.

So, who would I get this for?  Someone that needs a spare around the house computer for getting on the internet, for someone who travels and needs something to do some light document work, for technophobes that want to get on the internet without having to get on a fancy computer, and as an actual first computer for younger children.  It really is what the “netbook” should have been about 4 years ago.

This would be great for the writers in your lives that are looking for something more functional than a tablet, but they don’t want a Surface computer.  This won’t replace a full service computer, and you have to be around wi-fi for some of the features to work, but in general this is great for leaving out around the house so you don’t have to fire up or lug out the “traditional” PC in your life!