Chromebooks: June 2012

The introduction of the Samsung Chromebook into the marketplace signifies a shift away from the traditional concept of a laptop where the devices itself stores all of the information that you require. This new system acts more like a portal to a remote cloud system which is where you now keep all of your files and applications. The obvious concern with such a system is security as you are remotely accessing your information so lets take a look at some of the security features of this exciting new product that will keep you safe from any potential intruders.

The security system in place on the Samsung Chromebook is the very first that has been built from the ground upwards and designed to deal with the common threat of both Malware and viruses. Rather than relying upon a single program to protect your device the unit follows the idea of "strength in depth". What this basically means is that there are multiple layers of security so there is more likelihood of any threat being caught even if it manages to slip through one layer of the system. These layers include a principle known as sandboxing which ensures every site or application that you visit runs in a secure place known as a Sandbox. Therefore if you happen to stumble across an infected program the threat is contained without it being able to spread to any other area of your device.

The Samsung Chromebook uses the very strictest data encryption to ensure all of you data and material remains safe. Despite your files being stored in the cloud there is some material which can be stored on the device itself. This material includes items such as downloads, cookies and cache files. Any data such as this which is present on your computer is automatically encrypted by special hardware which is tamper resistant which hugely decreases the possibility of unwanted parties accessing your information. Another example of a security feature present on this model is the verified boot system which automatically scans your computer every time that it is booted. Even if a threat has managed to evade the Sandbox it will be caught the next time the system is started. A hardware backed recovery option is available at the push of a button so if you do encounter problems the system can easily be rolled back to a time when there were no problems present.

It is refreshing to see such a wealth of security measures in place on the new Samsung Chromebook. In this modern day when online threats are so apparent it is reassuring that this new system will keep you protected at all times.

This 11.6" 1.0Ghz [1.33 turbo] netbook packs a punch for its size and low power consumption. The AMD C-60 mobile dual core processor runs well enough to play videos without skipping and efficiently enough to stay charged for as much as 7 hours. I opted for this model over the earlier 722-454 version for several reasons: its dual core processor, 2GB of RAM installed/ upgradable to 4GB, and 320GB hard drive.

If you're still not sold on a netbook over a tablet or standard laptop read on.

Tablets are still recreational devices, fun, chic in cafes, but they're still mostly for playing games and looking busier than you actually are. They have a few practical features, but all require a keyboard, which is an extra expense, and conveniently included with a netbook! If you do a lot of writing, typing, or work related proposals and editing, the DataViz optional word processor for Android tablets won't replace MS Office. It has limited functionality and frequently crashes without auto-saving. If you're thinking about an iPad or AirBook, remember, you're buying into a complete product line of computers, music, videos and applications which are virtually useless on non-Apple devices. If you buy one Apple product, you have to buy them all. This is great for some, but expensive for most.

As I said, if you're comparing this netbook to a traditional laptop, this model doesn't require you to make a lot of sacrifices in your performance expectations. Just remember, netbooks don't have CD/DVD drives, no 10-key, and smaller screens. One complaint I have with this model is that it's missing a built-in bluetooth antenna. Irritating, but easily remedied with a low-profile USB dongle in one of the three available USB ports, which is more than on most netbooks. I would recommend spending the extra $25 to upgrade the RAM to 4GB when you purchase it. It's very easy to install yourself--no under the keyboard poking around required. There's a single philip's head screw in the middle of the bottom plate, unscrew it, slide forward and you'll find the single DIMM looking right at you. Anybody who played with shape blocks as a kid can figure it out. All in all, this is a good buy for 329.99. It's cheaper than most tablets and standard laptops and you can use it for actual work out of the box, no extra $50 keyboards required. Please reply if you have any other questions I can answer.

Chromebooks

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Friday, June 8, 2012

the new Chrome OS user interface

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