Reddit reviews Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) 2012 Model

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-XE303C12-A01US-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch/dp/B009LL9VDG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368983095&sr=8-1&keywords=samsung+chromebook

I got it from an Amazon Warehouse deal that was posted on Slickdeals.net about a week ago.

No.

The Pi is a learning platform. The idea behind it is that you learn about programming and electronics using the Pi and then you move on to developing things on more-powerful computers.

The fact that people make all these amazing things with the Pi is a testament to their creativity and ingenuity, not the Pi's power.

If you just want something that can browse the internet and edit documents, get a Chromebook. The cheapest one is $250 and I can guarantee you (as I bought that exact one) that is excels at web browsing and using Google Drive (which you should be using anyway :P).

If you want a full-on computer for pretty cheap, I recommend one of the various decently-specced notebooks out there. You can get a notebook for as little as $500, and they'll be able to do anything you want short of playing Call of Halo: Modern Black Ops 8 on ultra-beast settings.

EDIT: Or you could pony up, spend about a grand on a nice, custom-built computer that you can upgrade and that will last you forever. That's what I did. -shrug-

Pretty much anything you go with will be better than a 5 year old EEEPC. If you're feeling particularly daring, look into a chrome book.

EDIT Chromebook link
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-XE303C12-A01US-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch/dp/B009LL9VDG

$300 - 1080p ... surely you jest

This Asus is a pretty nice deal for $360. Or a Samsung Chromebook if all you're doing is web browsing.

That's more than enough.

Assuming you're American and you use USD this is what I'd recommend:

A chromebook laptop like this and an mITX PC like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | $199.99 @ Newegg
CPU Cooler | Zalman CNPS8000B CPU Cooler | $29.98 @ Outlet PC
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-H77N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard | $99.98 @ SuperBiiz
Memory | Patriot Signature 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory | $44.99 @ Newegg
Storage | OCZ Agility 3 60GB 2.5" Solid State Disk | $64.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $69.99 @ Newegg
Video Card | Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card | $299.98 @ Outlet PC
Case | Fractal Design Node 304 Mini ITX Tower Case | $54.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | SeaSonic 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply | $79.98 @ SuperBiiz
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $926.87
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-21 13:51 EDT-0400 |

I graduated HS a year ago (living in Silicon Valley). The computers that were being used were all these shitty pieces of shit that cost 250$ in 2012.

I can't think of any reason why any school would pay 1000 for a laptop vs 250 for a chromebook, especially given that these are going to be thrown around in schools.

Any interest in a [chromebook] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009LL9VDG/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1)?

Well the model that I had was one of the earliest Chromebooks available. A lot has changed since then and there are a lot of newer models with more advanced features. From what I do know about Chromebooks, I think they are best suited for people who don't mind using Google products exclusively. If you are OK with using Google Docs/Sheets/Slides for productivity, then you should be fine. Also, I wouldn't buy a Chromebook for gaming or video editing. If you are a programmer, a Chromebook could be useful, but only if you are using languages that can be compiled in the browser.

Here is a recent article that highlights the positives and negatives of Chromebooks. Best of luck.

I'M IN :D And I've already got ideas c: Gonna start on this c:

EDIT: I meant to edit this.. Not reply. ._.

1. Something that is grey.
   
2. Something reminiscent of rain. This is rain because when you drop a bunch of them, it has the soothing sound of gentle rain c: (Craft WL)
   
3. Something food related that is unusual. How are pumpkin pudding flavored Kit Kats NOT unusual? (Food WL)
   
4. Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. Tell me who it's for and why. (Yes, pets count!) This would be for my dad!! I want to make him a cake for his birthday with this wonderful topper! He just loves golf. He goes about 3 times a week ._. (Baking Stuff WL)
   
5. A book I should read! I am an avid reader, so take your best shot and tell me why I need to read it! I haven't read this yet. But.. we should read it at the same time. 'Cause I love talking about books with everyone c: AND. It's about a clash between men and women. A guy who's from a time where women are obedient and a women who's from a time where they go unquestioned and praised. Aaaaaaaaaand... FIGHT! (Books WL)
   
6. An item that is less than a dollar, including shipping... that is not jewelry, nail polish, and or hair related!
   
7. Something related to cats. I love cats! (keep this SFW, you know who you are...) Cateye glasses c: ORRRRRRR feathers because I've seen cats attacking birds or walking around with a feather in its mouth COUNTLESS times c: (Both from my Craft WL)
   
8. Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it. Shoe laces that don't tie aren't useful.. But shoe laces that don't tie AND LIGHT UP are beautiful c: And I would love to have them so my appearance at night will be FABULOUS. (Cutes! WL)
   
9. A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why?
   
10. Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain. You can make fake brains! It'll only be good enough to distract them for a moment, but that moment could be what saves you!!! (Baking Stuff WL)
    
11. Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals. This would allow me to easily carry a white board surface with me anywhere. I am a math tutor and an aspiring math professor, so being able to have a handy white board surface would be lovely. ORRRRRR this for a more playful goal. My friends and I seem to have the craziest conversations and strangest encounters while we're playing together. This would be a fun way to get our stuff recorded and FAMOUS. loljk. We just wanna share the insanity c: (white board from School Stuff WL and Elgato capture from Dreams WL)
    
12. One of those pesky Add-On items. I just want mochi.. ;~; (Food WL)
    
13. The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why? This is my current dream item. I'm attending college. My laptop is a dinosaur and it weighs a ton. It works fine, so I'm not looking to get rid of it. But I need something that won't break my already breaking back when I bring it to school. I spend a lot of time on campus doing homework or just relaxing. This Chromebook has a great battery life and is a good price for what I need to get done. (Dreams WL)
    
14. Something bigger than a bread box. I'm going to assume this is bigger than a bread box because of the amount of candy in it.. (Food WL)
    
15. Something smaller than a golf ball. Sugar pearls are smaller than golf balls c: (Baking Stuff WL)
    
16. Something that smells wonderful. It may be too strong by itself.. But add it into some yummies and it'll smell DELICIOUS. c: (Baking Stuff WL)
    
17. A (SFW) toy. It's SFW as long as you aren't screaming, "FUCK" or bludgeoning a person to death with it out of frustration c: (Cubes WL)
    
18. Something that would be helpful for going back to school. I'm a math major and the majority of my math is done on white boards I have mounted in my room. There is no such thing as too many expo markers for me lol (School Stuff WL)
    
19. Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be. Chain maille jewelry! :D I've only started with it :c (Crafts WL)
    
20. Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand. It's a 3D DINOSAUR COOKIE CUTTER. You can make dinosaur cookies!!! THAT STAND. YOU CAN MAKE STOP MOTION DINO WARS. I are excite. (Baking Stuff WL)
    
    I'll come back with the three I missed c:
    
    Edit#2: Adding raffle phrase! fear cuts deeper than swords
    
    Also adding one of the bonuses! Purdy paintbrushes are made in Oregon c: They've been made in Portland since 1925! c:

Fear cuts deeper than swords.

1 something grey

2 something reminiscent of rain Well it's a rainbow necklace and without rain you don't get a rainbow ;)

3 unusual food related item um yeah talk about yummy dreams hehe

4 something for someone else a psy gangnam guy mask for Liz. She swears she's going to marry that man lol

5 a book you should read One of my favorite memoirs of all time by Frank McCourt growing up dirt poor in Ireland. I would like to read a thousand times

6 item less than a dollar an mp3 from the 80s oh yeah!!

7 something about cats, nothing on my list, will edit soon

8 something beautiful but not useful this shirt is lovely but I have no clue where I'd ever wear it.

9 a movie Grease!! Everyone should see it because it's effing amazing!

10 for hurting zombies You could attack them with this amazing pizza cutter that looks like a saw!!

11 profound impact would be this awesome stream mop, cleaning is getting difficult for me sure to health issues and this would make life easier

12 add on item eyebrow shapers

13 most expensive I have no computer at the moment. I use a kindle. I need a computer to keep me business organized amongst other reasons.

14 bigger than a bread box, well a bread box could fit inside this laundry bag

15 This pretty ring is smaller than a golf ball

16 This peppermint oil smells wonderful

17 sfw toy would be this belching hamburger keychain

18 back to school zipper pouch to keep your lunch money in

19 my current obsession is kitchen or cooking gadgets hence this adorable ice cream cone hinged container

20 awe inspiring....umm sock monkey headphones...amiright??


Bonus item made in Oregon hand warmer clay mug

Bonus item

I marked things with a [w] if they're on my WL!

1. Something that is grey. China Glaze Polish Ecollection Recycle [w]
   
   
2. Something reminiscent of rain. Hehe, a watering can [w]
   
   
3. Something food related that is unusual. Miracle Noodles - they're these weird low-carb noodles [w]
   
   
4. Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. Tell me who it's for and why. (Yes, pets count!) LARPing Book for my friend Dennis. His is missing several pages, which is very frustrating to him. He's endlessly dear to me. [w]
   
   
5. A book I should read! I am an avid reader, so take your best shot and tell me why I need to read it! Other People's Love Letters - doesn't that just sound romantic? :D [w]
   
   
6. An item that is less than a dollar, including shipping... that is not jewelry, nail polish, and or hair related! Mickey Mouse Cookies!
   
   
7. Something related to cats. I love cats! (keep this SFW, you know who you are...) SmartCat [w]
   
   
8. Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it. Triple heart necklace <3 [w]
   
   
9. A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why? Love Me If You Dare. Everyone should have more French film in their lives. It's a beautiful, artistic, funny, romantic movie. The main characters are hot.
   
   
10. Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain. Cast Iron is heavy! [w]
    
    
11. Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals. For exercise, way easier on my knees than the treadmill [w]
    
    
12. One of those pesky Add-On items. Awesome fabric softener - and I really want it, too! [w]
    
    
13. The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why? A Roomba. I have pets. I need to vacuum more often. I'm lazy. Also he would be my robot butler friend. I'd name him Alfred or Jeeves or Pennyworth. My cats would be afraid of him. [w]
    
    
14. Something bigger than a bread box. A mattress is quite a bit bigger! [w]
    
    
15. Something smaller than a golf ball. Pearl earrings [w]
    
    
16. Something that smells wonderful. Lilac and Lilies! [w]
    
    
17. A (SFW) toy. Cat toy! [w]
    
    
18. Something that would be helpful for going back to school. Chromebook! It's actually for when my husband starts college. [w]
    
    
19. Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be. Filter for my new fishtank! [w]
    
    
20. Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand. Electric bike so, my comment on this is: “Theoretically I would like to bike. Realistically I'd like to bike, except up hills. Oh, here we are!”. Right?! Also what they sell electric bikes on Amazon? Damn! [w]
    
    Bonus:
    
    Oregon Chai!

chromebooks are cheaper than ipads

Definitely get the Chromebook!

Since I can't pick between my glorious comic selection, I will ask for this! I've been trying to get back into airsoft but I don't have any equipment anymore :( I'm sorry that it is slightly over $20. If I win, I promise I'll make it up to you! :D


Oh, and welcome home! :)

Thank you so much for the contest and I'm sorry about how your birthday went... :( Glad we could help you out a little though! Happy belated birthday, yo! :)

1. You need this~
   
   
2. This. Pores, wat r u doin.
   
   
3. welcome home
   

welcome home

I like the Chromebook on your list It'd be pretty helpful and fights against the current trend of tablets. Sometimes you just need a keyboard to get things done :P

Get some Baking soda, it's pretty useful for a large variety of things.

I used one freshman year, loved it. Switched to a Windows laptop so I could have matlab and such. But if you don't need any fancy programs it's probably the best web-browsing device I've ever used and you won't worry too much about losing it

EDIT: I just realized I still have my chromebook if you want to buy it off me. It's this one but with a carbon fiber-covered body.

Note that you can't duel boot with Ubuntu since the computer runs off of a Exynos 5000 Series which is built for cellphones. There is a variant of Ubuntu that you can use:
http://chromeos-cr48.blogspot.com/2013/05/chrubuntu-one-script-to-rule-them-all_31.html

As for the CPU it's a Exynos 5000 Series 1.7 GHz and 2 Gigs of RAM.

The performance is what I would expect out of a computer like this. It's for browsing reddit/internet, creating documents, and listening to music. I went in knowing I couldn't play Skyrim and such.

If you are interested here is the link for the computer:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-XE303C12-A01US-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch/dp/B009LL9VDG

Here you go:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009LL9VDG/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?qid=1425786254&sr=8-8&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=chromebook&dpPl=1&dpID=41pK4rlZbdL&ref=plSrch

They haves a used one, same model as your link $122, letting you get the hardware you need more than $47 less than what a new one is. You can buy Amazon gift cards at Walmart if you don't have a credit card. Good luck with everything!

If you're asking about reliability I'd suggest browsing though the 2000+ consumer reviews on Amazon here.

Currently, you can also purchase a refurbished Chromebook for $199.99 with free shipping from Best Buy here.

Yup! I went with an Amazon merchant, Richmond Warehouses, I think? But check the merchant page, the prices fluctuate all the time. Just look for merchants that have 'International Shipping Rates'. I did the same for a Lumia 920, Polyscience Smoking Gun, and an immersion circulator.


ETA: IF you scroll down to the refurb section on this link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B009LL9VDG/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all
There are two merchants who are selling between $199-239, both ship internationally. Beta Macs and Richmond Warehouses. I ended up going for the more expensive option because of the higher merchant rating and the more detailed description of the product.

FYI, the product I received has a healthy battery, with a few mild scratches on the lid. I was more disappointed that it didn't include the Chrome sticker :( Otherwise perfect!

Is used an option?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B009LL9VDG/ref=sr_1_5_olp?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1412651400&sr=1-5&keywords=chromebook&condition=used

Have you looked into chromebooks? The Samsung XE303C12-A01 is available used from Amazon for just under 200, but last week Cowboom had it for ~170. It's 11.6" and Chrome OS is definitely linux, but you can put ubuntu on it if that's more your style.

Non-mobile: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009LL9VDG/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?qid=1425786254&sr=8-8&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=chromebook&dpPl=1&dpID=41pK4rlZbdL&ref=plSrch

^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

This has been on my wishlist since the day I got here. That's pretty ancient .

It's also pretty unrealistic, so this record would be pretty cool...or anything else for that matter.

Thanks for the contest!

I had an old, heavy, bulky 17 inch laptop and while the screen size was great, it was a pain in the ass to carry around. I also built a decent desktop, and my old laptop finally died, so I'm probably going to buy a used Samsung chromebook for around $190. I'll try to do Chrome remote desktop to my desktop, or maybe ssh/sftp to my desktop to modify the code files directly. If that doesn't work then I'll install Ubuntu on it and work there directly. I haven't done this yet of course so I don't know how well it works in practice but you might want to consider this as a possible solution.

I can buy a chrome book for $229
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-XE303C12-A01US-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch/dp/B009LL9VDG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374573769&sr=8-1&keywords=chrome

Why would I buy a type over laptop? Also why would I want to give up internet and all those features you talk about? Features that I USE.

If you really believe in this, make it an application/program not a hardware solution.

Even then I would suggest you pass on this idea.

If price is your ONLY concern, you might want to check out a chromebook or a tablet + keyboard

Well if you're really desperate there is the Google Chromebook it isn't amazing and its run with a google chrome web browser OS so you cannot download anything ( not even Word ) but you can type up powerpoints and documents using the Google Drive. You do need wifi for these actions but it is less than 300$. If you do not want this one then I bet there are a ton of netbook options. Hope this helps!

Edit: forgot to add that the chromebook is 11.6 inches, hard plastic ( sturdy though ) and $250 on Amazon

Well I agree with the security but the battery life appears to be about the same. I check the top rated Netbook and Chromebook on Amazon and then looked up reviews for both. They both seem to be about 5 hours.

Netbook - Asus Eee PC 1015PE

• Review: ASUS Eee PC 1018P and 1015PE review
  
• Battery Life: 5 hours
  
  Chromebook - Samsung Chromebook on Amazon.
  
  
• Review: Samsung Chromebook Series 3
  
• Battery Life: 5+ hours
  

This Samsung Chromebook has only 16 GB of storage but you could buy a SDXC card and expand by another 64 GB.

And if Chrome OS is too limited for you with the whole online thing, you could easily install a Linux distro. So you wouldn't have any problems with online/offline stuff and you could use other text editors besides GDocs.

Happy happy cake day and thanks for the contest! :D


1 Cake or birthday related (It is my cake day after all). Scrapbook calendar tape to mark your birthday in your scrapbook.


2 Simon Pegg was in a zombie movie and this is a zombie thing, so...yeah. Yeah?


3 A book you are eager to read


4 Eating Utensils


5 Animal


6 Purple


7 A game. From the game Magic: The Gathering


8 Guilty pleasure. One of my favorite instruments! It's guilty because apparently a lot of people don't like accordions/concertinas O_o


9 A Tool


10 Something from your childhood. From going to Renaissance Fairs with my Mom when I was a kid.


11 An organizational item. Scrapbook paper, because scrapbooks are a way to organize photos.


12 Hobby. One of my hobbies is camping :D


13 Nerdy/ Geeky


14 Something Natural. Sunlight!


15 Green


16 Something you wear


17 Funny


18 Beads, Bees or Beans. Filled with BEANS!!


19 Gardening. The smells of what makes a garden grow


20 Your absolute favorite item on your wish list no matter the price.. For school because Chromebooks are awesome.

1. The Chromebook would be very helpful for college! If you don't have any laptp wright now, then you need one! If you really want a chromebook, then ask for it. Just make sure you know about the OS and everything to see if you really want it before you get it. there are so many laptops that you van get with so many option/features that you have to pick, that it can take a while to get the perfect one.
   
   
   
2. $20 thing I really want so I can exercise (hard floors are painful unless you have a mat) and do yoga! I really want to get in shape before school starts again. I have been lazy before and for years I haven't looked that great. I am sick of it and I really want to exercise now! I have a feeling that I may actually turn my (fitness) live around this time. I have told myself I wanted to exercise before, but I never have gotten that into it. Maybe this gift can force me to do that.
   
   <$5 thing I also really want if you do the $5 prizes. This would help a lot too, because I want to look good before school starts and besides exercise I have a lot of acne. I really need this thing to get rid of it all.
   
   
   
3. welcome home
   
   
   
4. Not in college yet, so nope! Twist: Do you have any tips for a high school freshman?
   
   
   
5. Thanks for the contest!

Happy Birthday <3 and welcome home :)

Get yourself a Chromebook, dude!

For moi, I would like Rocko's Modern Life!

The samsung chromebook I have works pretty nicely.
You can also install ubuntu on it, so you can switch desktops to sort of "unlock" the chromebook - like, with the linux desktop, you can actually have programs like open office that go well and beyond the apps on the chrome side. Battery lasts like 7+ hours. PM me if you're interested in more (boring??) info.

I want this... as its time to retire my old dell netbook that I love dearly.
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-XE303C12-A01US-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch/dp/B009LL9VDG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC_qpt2?ie=UTF8&colid=3CX76ZPRQ50JJ&coliid=I1ENLLWSKEBET7

I would be happy with any wallet i been planning to downsize by big girl wallet as I hardly write checks anymore.

This is really cool and I was wondering if I could do this with my Chromebook, it is the Samsung Edition displayed here: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch-Model/dp/B009LL9VDG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1418703251&sr=8-2&keywords=Samsung+Chromebook

It would be this one: https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch-Model/dp/B009LL9VDG

I have http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch-Model/dp/B009LL9VDG for trading or I can give paypal for the nexus 7. Also, can you give details on what will come with the nexus 7 and the overall condition of it?

After disappointing experiences with the Efika Smartbook and the Samsung Chromebook 3 (w/Ubuntu, well before container support in ChromeOS), I'd advise most to stay far away from ARM laptops, otherwise be prepared for poor/unmaintained drivers (no incentive to fix awful drivers for hardware designed mainly for Spydroid and not actual GNU/Linux), layers upon layers of brittle work-around OS hacks, and outdated specs, all of which are pretty standard with ARM Linux devices. The Pinebook creators make it especially clear that they don't want to be bothered with any criticisms of the laptop especially as they make no money from them.

I have a Samsung Chromebook (Earlier modles) with 2gb ram and 16gb storage I think. Ill sell it cheap if you're interested.

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch-Model/dp/B009LL9VDG

Looks like I posted my comment in the wrong thread yesterday:

I'm thinking about buying a Chromebook. Especially after Google I/O where they talking about Android apps being on the system and being able to have notifications show up as well as being able to use your Android screen from the laptop.

So, with all this in mind, I quite like this laptop: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-Chromebook-13-3-inch-Celeron-Google/dp/B00HRUSWHY

What do you guys think? Will it have the latest stuff mentioned at I/O? I currently have one laptop for work and pissing about on so if I get a chromebook I can piss about on it, watch videos and browse as well as still be able to have my files with me with the SSD + Google Drive + USB/External HDD.

The Android stuff is really the key thing for me, quite like those features.

I have the option of four Chromebooks I think because the place I am getting it from will essentially give it to me for free. Out of the ones listed, I thought the Toshiba looked best stats wise but yeah, which one would you buy?

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch-Model/dp/B009LL9VDG

Acer C720 2GB RAM version. Couldn't find a link.

DELL 11-5544 CHROMEBOOK 11.6" 4GB RAM version.

Edit: Can I dual boot Ubuntu with just 2GB RAM? Obviously I'll limited in how much I can do in one time but if I were do do it, could I still make use of it? Maybe run one program at a time but still. It'll only be there in case I needed a program that Chrome OS doesn't have.

Here is a link for the Chromebook, I'm at work now, can upload pictures when I get home. If something else comes along in the meantime that you'd rather like, don't hesistate to jump on it.

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch-Model/dp/B009LL9VDG

Have you looked into Chromebooks? Just got my wife the Samsung ARM one and it works great for what you're describing, at half the cost.

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-XE303C12-A01US-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch/dp/B009LL9VDG

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/jstorrent/anhdpjpojoipgpmfanmedjghaligalgb

Thanks everyone for your replies, I'll be looking into some sort of an actual computer. Does anyone have any experience with this? -

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-XE303C12-A01US-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch/dp/B009LL9VDG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370437992&sr=8-1&keywords=chrome+notebook


It would be great if it were powerful enough, and it could pull double duty as a backup laptop.

Thanks again.

I don't think you really understand what I'm saying.

When I went to college, I had the exact same thought you're having, and I bought the same sort of computer. I bought the most portable computer I could get without sacrificing power. It was one of the thinnest and lightest 15.4" laptops on the market at the time. It was maybe a bit over an inch thick and weighed about 5 lbs, but it had a decent processor and a dedicated graphics card so I could game. I'm not talking about some ferocious 10-lb, 17" behemoth. It was no ultrabook, but it was absolutely comparable in size to any $400 non-gaming laptop on the market today.

And I'm telling you, from experience, that it sucks to carry such a thing around. It was great having a laptop instead of a desktop, because I could head home over Thanksgiving or Christmas without taking a keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, and computer with me. It was even pretty decent for studying, because I could carry it to the common room in the dorm and set up for the evening (and LAN parties were similar). But after the first week of class, that computer never actually left my dorm building, because carrying it across campus was more effort than it was worth. Then, once I got to class, it was too big for the desk.

It's not going to matter whether this is a specialized gaming beast or a normal mid-range computer. If you genuinely think you'll need a computer in class (which is highly unlikely; most students still take notes on paper), then you need the absolute thinnest and lightest computer you can get. If I were going back to college, I would not want anything larger than 11 inches in class. Think Ultrabook or Macbook Air - anything bigger is a huge burden to carry day after day. But those are very expensive, and they still can't be your primary computer. I'd get a Chromebook or an Acer 11" netbook. I picked the Chromebook specifically because the Samsung with its ARM processor has incredible battery life, but as long as you keep the size in check you can get a normal laptop instead.

Cloud storage is great, because it's automatically everywhere when you need it, and it's backed up a lot better than most people's local hard drive is. But, if you're paranoid that Google is going to copy your class notes and you think your backup system is better than their RAID arrays, so be it. Use a USB memory stick or an SD card. I worked on-campus IT and saw just how many students lost important coursework this way, but I'll trust that you make good backups. The important thing is that you can quickly and easily pull your day's notes off of the tiny computer, because:

Tiny computers can be somewhat limiting. You need one if you actually expect to use it in class, but that's about the only place you'll want to use it, and there's no sense booting it up for 5 minutes every night to transfer documents. You need a second, serious computer in your dorm, for research, typing long papers, and gaming. For a college student, there's a lot of benefit to this being another laptop instead of a desktop, assuming you don't need the absolute best gaming experience money can buy.

So, here's my genuine, heartfelt suggestion. This is what I, as a relatively recent college graduate (freshman in 2004), would do if I had to do it all over again:

Huge badass laptop ($1,350) for my dorm room. It doesn't get moved around much unless I'm going home for the weekend, so it might as well be as preposterous and powerful as I can get.

PLUS

Tiny but usable laptop ($300) or Chromebook ($250) to carry around with me everywhere. I might even use Remote Desktop for everything, so I was actually working on the powerful laptop in my room and not on the little guy. Or, if I want to get fancy, set up a VPN and a shared network drive or NAS so I can access all my files, from either computer, from anywhere in the world. If it's dropped or stolen, it's super easy to replace, because it didn't actually have anything valuable on it, and didn't cost much in the first place.

Chromebook. Yep, she can still do all that stuff. The only difference is that nothing is actually saved to the computer - it's all saved online. She can use Google Docs which are basically the exact same thing as Excel, Word, etc. It's just stored online, not on the computer.

You could also make the suggestion that you could buy 4 samsung chromebooks (FYI, they exceed at email and netflix) for the price of one Macbook computer

Ah yea that's not what I got.

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch-Model/dp/B009LL9VDG/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1472760026&sr=1-4&keywords=samsung+chromebook

I got a refurb from Amazon about two months ago, and it is a piece of shit. I got this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009LL9VDG/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The way I see it, the Chromebook (for me) has one job: browse the web. Thus far, it's done a pretty abysmal job of it. About 1/3 of the time, the websites that I want to go to will not load. I then have to wait for the Chrome error to pop up saying the page is unavailable. I can then reload and successfully get to the page. This isn't a Wifi issue-- the same pages will load just fine on my work computer, my phone, and my Kindle on the same network. There's something wrong with the Chromebook itself. I would NOT recommend this piece of crap.

The most fun times are when Google won't load for me. GOOGLE. Won't load. On the CHROMEBOOK. The irony. It hurts...

Have you thought about the Chromebook? It's well under your budget, but it runs on Chrome OS. You could use Google Docs instead of Word 07?

so would i be able to dual boot with to like linux mint with this? http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-XE303C12-A01US-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch/dp/B009LL9VDG/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1381850724&sr=1-1&keywords=arm+chromebook

You could do that. But honestly, if your main purpose is for homework / taking noted at university, I would recommend the Chromebook for $250. Then you can use the money you saved to buy an iPad or something else.

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-XE303C12-A01US-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch/dp/B009LL9VDG

If this is all your brother needs, the $250 samsung chromebook is a much better option:

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-XE303C12-A01US-Chromebook-Wi-Fi-11-6-Inch/dp/B009LL9VDG