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My Google Chromebook Review

Hi Everyone,

I purchased the Samsung Google Chromebook for $250.00 from Best Buy back in October.  I think it is important to share my reviews about this technology.  A lot of schools right now are in a state of flux.  Do we buy iPads, Kindle Fires, new Windows laptops, or Chromebooks?  Everyone I talk to that has purchased a tablet has ended up buying an iPad.  So if you are going to use a device just for apps, by all means get an iPad!  Last year I worked in the Lowell Public Schools and they spent at least a million dollars on all new MacBook and iPad carts in every school.  I was in charge of the carts for two of the schools I worked in.  I can sum up the iPad up in this fashion: it is great for looking up information and online text books.  Apps, unless in special ed or foreign language, are really difficult to utilize in a normal lesson.  I am proud to say I don't own an iPad...I'm pretty content with my iPhone.  My biggest issue with the iPad is that it does not include an external keyboard which I think is totally needed. The Chromebook with Google Chrome apps (similar to some great iPad apps if not completely the same ones) is a great machine as it gives you the best of both worlds (apps and a keyboard)!

The Chromebook:
Positives:
1.  Small and light weight
2.  Turns on quicker then anything I've ever seen (great for maximizing classroom time)
3.  I've dropped it ten times and it still looks new!
4.  The Google Chrome Apps available are awesome (not to be confused with Google Play Apps).

Negative:
1.  Setting up the Chromebook to a printer connection is very difficult.
2.  I still don't know how to get the computer to recognize a flash drive when I put one in the usb port.
3.  The control and alt buttons are inconsistent.  To copy/paste something will sometimes use control and sometimes the alt button.  That really bugs me! 
4.  The quality of sound pumping out of it is not great! 

If a school of 800 students were to purchase 800 Chromebooks, the cost would be lower than $200,000.00.  It would be more then double that to put iPads one to one and triple for MacBook pros. 

All in all, everything software based is moving into the cloud.  These computers are super cheap and best of all, they actually work. 

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