Samsung Chromebook Pro stands out from the pack

• 
  Jamison Cush

  Executive Editor
• Published: 14 Mar 2017

The Chromebook Pro's premium design, quality build and Samsung S Pen stylus support separate it from the dozens of low-cost Chromebooks on the market. It's also the first Chromebook built specifically to support Google Android apps.

Enterprise note takers will be pleased using the S Pen with Google Keep, a productivity app for creating notes, lists and reminders. The Chromebook Pro analyzes and predicts pen movements in Keep through a cloud-based service, which aims to provide a smooth and responsive inking experience. This feature is limited to Keep for now, but Google and Samsung plan to open the API to developers of other apps.

The Samsung Chromebook Pro's 360-degree display hinge is reminiscent of that of Lenovo's popular Yoga line. The device doubles as a tablet and notebook, with tent and stand modes for propping up the Chromebook as a display, sans keyboard. The S Pen slots into the device, making it easier to carry around and harder to lose.

On the downside, business users familiar with Windows could be turned off by the relatively simple Chrome OS, even with its Android apps. Lenovo, HP Inc., Acer and Asus all sell functionally similar Chromebooks for significantly less than what Samsung charges. Or why not just spend a few bucks more on an Apple iPad Pro? 

Display: 12.3-inch LED display, 2400 x 1600
OS: Google Chrome OS with Samsung S Pen stylus and Android app support
Dimensions: 1.06 x 8.72 x 0.51 - 0.55 inches
Weight: 2.38 pounds
Processor: Intel Core m3-6Y30 processor (0.90 GHz up to 2.20 GHz, 4 MB level 3 cache)
Memory: 4 GB low-power DDR3 memory, 32 GB capacity with MicroSD card support
Battery: 39 Wh
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2x2), Bluetooth v4.0
Input: USB Type C
Price: $549