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What's the easiest way to make an existing gadget new and refreshing? Just add a stylus.
At least that seems to be the trend these days. Samsung's new Chromebook Plus and Pro are the latest computers to embrace the digital pen.
Priced at $449 and $549, respectively, Samsung's 2-in-1 Chromebooks cost more than your average Chromebook, but also offer far more utility.
SEE ALSO:Samsung's new 2-in-1 Chromebooks now include a stylusI've been trying out the Chromebook Pro, which comes out in April, for the last few weeks and it's really incredible to see how far Chromebooks have come since their original launch so many moons ago.
The Chromebook Pro has proven to be more than enough to replace my 13-inch MacBook Air -- and that's mostly because of access to Android apps via the Google Play Store.
But before we jump into that, let's talk about the hardware, because for $550, it's lovely and not at all cheap-looking or feeling (at least to me).
Credit: lili sams/mashableThe aluminum body is as sturdy as it gets and doesn't flex the way so many plastic Chromebooks do. It's a handsome Chromebook, for sure.
The 12.3-inch touchscreen flips a full 360 degrees and transforms into a tablet, and works in various modes in-between (i.e. "stand" and "tent"). Like Samsung's flagship mobile phones, the bright Super AMOLED display on the Chromebook Pro is just stunning with 2,400 x 1,600 resolution and vibrant colors that pop and make you want to reach out and just touch images.
Credit: LILI SAMS/MASHABLEAt least on paper, the Chromebook Pro is nearly on par with Apple's MacBook. It's got an Intel Core m3 processor and Intel HD Graphics 515. The Core m3 isn't the most powerful processor in Intel's arsenal, but for the Chromebook Pro it's more than enough to juggle a dozen tabs without slow to a crawl.
The Chromebook Pro comes with 4GB of RAM, which is half as much as the MacBook, but since you're basically spending most of your time in Chrome and not running desktop-grade apps like Final Cut Pro X that tax the hardware, it's plenty.
Like on most Chromebooks, storage is pretty limited. The laptop comes with 32GB of internal storage, but you can expand that via the microSD card slot.
Credit: LILI SAMS/MASHABLESamsung says the Chromebook Pro's battery lasts up to 10 hours, but the reality is more like anywhere between 6-8 hours of mixed usage (Chrome, music streaming in the background, watching YouTube videos).
As for ports, the Chromebook Pro has two USB-C ports, so you can charge and plug in an accessory, and a headphone jack.
Credit: LILI SAMS/MASHABLEThere are two key features that any good laptop needs to get right: the keyboard and trackpad.
Typing on the island-style keys feels mostly good with really comfortable, bouncy travel on each key, but my biggest complaint is the keyboard isn't quite full-sized, which means some of the keys like backspace, tab, and enter are a little smaller than the others and the entire typing experience feels a little cramped. It's a minor quibble that is annoying, but not a total deal breaker by any means.
The trackpad, however, is superb. It's not as large as on some laptops like the 12-inch MacBook, but who cares: it's super smooth and responsive. I've said it many times before and I'll say it again: It's embarrassing that Chromebooks have better trackpads than so many Windows laptops.
Credit: LILI SAMS/MASHABLEOf course, the marquee feature, the stylus, is probably the reason why you're here.
Is it any good? The short answer is yes. The long answer is: Only if you don't expect Surface Pen or Apple Pencil-level pinpoint accuracy and pressure sensitivity.
Serious artists may not be as impressed, but casual doodlers will like it a lot, especially how it integrates with software.
Credit: LILI SAMS/MASHABLEAs soon as you pull out the stylus, a menu of tools pops up on the screen. You could use the stylus to capture a region of the screen, capture the entire screen, make a new note, switch on a magnifying glass to enlarge parts of the screen, or turn on the laser pointer mode.
Notes and doodles are all stored in Google Keep. But the coolest part is that Keep has advanced hand-writing recognition so you can search hand-written notes. It's really impressive when it works, but can sometimes be a miss (like for recognizing cursive).
Credit: LILI SAMS/MASHABLEPerhaps even more exciting than the stylus is support for Android apps via the Google Play store.
One of the main complaints about Chromebooks is that they're limited to web apps. For some people, Google's suite of services (Docs, Gmail, Maps, etc.) is all they need. But others, like myself, want and needmore.
Android apps on Chromebooks completely changes the game and gives these predominately cloud-based laptops access to the same app ecosystem on Android phones and tablets. Whether you need apps like Snapseed or Lightroom to edit images or just want to play some games, the Chromebook Pro can handle them.
Credit: LILI SAMS/MASHABLEMost Android apps work just like they do on Android, but your experience will vary depending on the app because not all of them are optimized with for keyboard and mouse. For instance, some apps like Slack appear to work well with mouse and keyboard, until you realize you can't send messages by pressing the "enter" key and have to lift your hand up to tap the send (paper airplane) button on the screen.
The version of Google Play and Android apps I tested was still in beta, so things will definitely change come April, but even with some of the bugs, it looks very promising.
Credit: LILI SAMS/MASHABLEChromebooks are great and fit the needs for many people these days, but the one thing I keep hearing over and over is that they wish their Chromebooks did more.
While it's still not quite the equal to a Mac or Windows laptop, the Samsung Chromebook Pro offers more than any previous Chromebook before and lays the foundation for other Chromebooks to follow suit this year.
If the Chromebook Pro is any indication, 2017 is the year Chromebooks really grow up and blossom into computers we can all take more seriously.
Samsung Chromebook Pro
The Good
Sharp, bright screen
Handy, responsive built-in stylus
Excellent trackpad and touchscreen
The Bad
Stylus isn't as sensitive as Apple Pencil
Slightly cramped keyboard
The Bottom Line
With a stylus, Samsung's Chromebook Pro gives Chromebooks a much-needed creative boost.
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