Samsung’s New Chromebook Just Convinced Me to Ditch the MacBook Air (and Save $200)

• Value: 17/20
• Functionality: 20/20
• Quality/Ease of Use: 19/20
• Aesthetics: 18/20
• Speed: 19/20

TOTAL: 93/100

Even though a Chromebook is technically a laptop that runs Google’s operating system, Chrome OS, to my friends and family, it’s always meant “affordable.” It’s the laptop you buy because you have young kids and you won’t be devastated if they spill milk on the keyboard—or because you need to crank out a spreadsheet or write that Great American Novel, but you don’t want to spend more than $350. They’re lightweight and reliable, provided you have a solid internet connection. But once your needs for a computer progresses beyond sending emails and writing Google docs—say, to nonstop Zoom calls, as we fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic—I’ve always told people it’s worth investing in a Mac. In fact, I was planning on doing so myself…until I had the chance to spend a few weeks testing out the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook. And now, it’s making me rethink everything I thought I knew about the line.

For years, I’ve used a MacBook Air at work, and while I didn’t love its occasional lagging—particularly if I moved between Chrome and Word docs—I loved its portability and how quickly it’d boot up. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook put my 2019 Air to shame. Given that its retail price is comparable to the Air, I'll be totally honest: It better. The Chromebook boots up in seconds, it weighs half a pound less (2.29 pounds vs. the Mac’s 2.8). Both feature 256 GB of storage and 8 GB of RAM, but the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook includes a microSD card slot. And it can convert into a tablet with a full touchscreen, making it feel like you’re getting two gadgets for the price of one.

So far, I haven’t had any issues with lag—despite my propensity for having 48 tabs open at once—even as I take on Zoom and Meet calls. (Though maybe I’m unfairly blaming my Mac on this front, since the spinning wheel of doom only appears when I’m using Microsoft Word on it. While the Chromebook works with Office, I’ve been using Google docs for everything.)