Solidly built, decent screen, good battery life, low price
Less than full-HD screen, a bit on the bulky side
We're seeing more and more Chromebooks making their way onto the market and the CB30-102 is the first from Toshiba. With its lightweight chassis, Intel Celeron processor and 13.3-inch HD screen, can it deliver the goods it promises?
The Chromebook concept hasn't yet quite caught on yet in the UK.
The myth persists that it needs an internet connection to be able to operate though this isn't quite true. You can download and work on Google Docs offline, then sync them up when you're next online, but it's correct that with its internet-based operating system, it works most effectively when you have a fast internet connection. As such, it tends to work better as a low-cost second laptop around the house, for the kitchen or the kids perhaps. The fact that they tend to be relatively low-priced helps in this regard too.
Chassis and screen
Like other Chromebooks we've seen, the Toshiba is encased in plastic. No fancy metalwork here, which helps to keep the weight down to a lightweight 1.5kg and no doubt helps keep the price down too. Unlike many Chromebooks however, this one has a relatively big form factor, with a 13in screen rather than the more common 11in.
This gives it a feeling of heft, a bit more like a 'real' laptop.
The screen delivers a resolution of 1,366x768, which if not quite the full HD, still looks bright, clear and detailed enough for most tasks. It lacks the precision of the best, but it's in keeping with the price.
The large trackpad is nicely responsive and includes two-finger multitouch capability while the well-spaced keys offer a reassuring amount of feedback. It has a slightly unusual layout though, with the caps lock key replaced by a Google search key. Some might miss the ability to TALK LOUDER in text but the quick access to all Google services as well as search certainly comes in handy. Other browser-centric keys include back and forward as well as reload.
This is very much an internet-first device.
There's a fair array of ports, with two USB 3.0 inputs and an HDMI out so you can display the screen on a suitably equipped TV or larger monitor. There's also an SD card reader which allows you to swap data easily and also boost the 16GB of storage it comes with, should you feel the need to eschew the Google Drive online storage it's designed for. There's a 720p webcam just above the screen which passes muster for Skype calls and the like.
Processor and software
In use, the 1.4GHz Intel Celeron backed by 2GB RAM feels very nippy and there's no sense of tardiness or lag as you skip around the web, watch videos or use Google Docs applications. And there of course, is the biggest problem with Chromebooks. You're pretty much tied into the Google universe, big as it is, so you won't be able to use popular apps like Microsoft Office (including Outlook), iTunes, Skype and any Adobe apps. For work, this can feel extremely limiting, and creates all sorts of compatibility problems when you need to share with others. But for strictly personal use, or with other Googlers, there's still plenty of functionality to choose from.
In operation it's quiet, with barely a sound even when it's been on for a while. Over time it didn't seem to heat up much either.
The battery held up pretty well, delivering a comfortable seven hours of continuous use.
Conclusion
As Chromebooks go the Toshiba CB30-102 is one of the more luxurious with its 13-inch screen and relatively fast processor. It suffers from the usual Chromebook issues -- really needs an internet connection to be at its best, limited in its array of apps -- but it's a very good, and well-priced, example of the genre.
Software: Google Chrome OS
Processor: 1.4GHz Intel Celeron 2955U
Memory: 2GB RAM
Display: 13.3-inch Toshiba TruBrite HD High Brightness display with 16:9 aspect ratio and LED backlighting, 1,366x768 pixels
Hard Drive: 16GB SSD
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics
Webcam: Front-facing 0.9MP HD webcam (1,280x720 pixels) with built-in microphone
Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth
Ports: 2x USB 3.0, HDMI, headphone/microphone jack, power connector, SD card slot
Blu-ray player: No
Size: 329x227x20mm
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
