Thursday, November 6, 2014
Toshiba Chromebook 2 re-evaluation
At present is the measure to critically consider a Chromebook. Not prolonged before these tackle were tiny added than miserly netbooks running Google's OS. But Chromebooks are getting better in the sphere of almost each way, and the contemporary Toshiba Chromebook 2 is impermeable. Preliminary by the side of $249 ($329 in the same way as tested), this regularity skin texture a stunning 13-inch 1080p show in the sphere of a slimmer and lighter frame than the unique. Toshiba in addition offers Skullcandy-powered speakers and close to 8 hours of battery life. If you like the simplicity of the Chromebook model but poverty a added premium experience, you've come up to to the sincere place.
Design
The unique Toshiba Chromebook was an elegantly designed device, and yet the Chromebook 2 bests with the aim of version in the sphere of each way. Related to the unique, the Toshiba Chromebook 2 is made of a silvery, textured plastic that's stress-free to grip. The body has a to some extent angled look with respect to the front someplace it opens to divulge the show and baby grand. The unique Toshiba Chromebook had this type of design in the same way as well, but in the sphere of the slimmer, lighter frame of the Chromebook 2, it's added noticeable and gives the device a stylish, tetchy look.
The baby grand deck is made of a smoother plastic, which not lone was comfortable on my wrists, but in addition made the interior appear sleeker and added high-end than its worth would put it to somebody.
Measuring 12.6 x 8.4 x 0.76 inches and weighing 2.95 pounds, the Toshiba Chromebook 2 is to some extent thinner and lighter than the unique (12.9 x 8.9 x 0.8 inches, weighing 3.3 pounds), in the same way as well in the same way as the Acer Chromebook 13 (12.87 x 8.96 x 0.71 inches, 3.1 pounds) and the HP Chromebook 14 (13.56 x 9.44 x 0.81 inches, 4 pounds).
Baby grand & Touchpad
The Toshiba Chromebook 2 has a chiclet-style baby grand with the aim of mimics the look of a MacBook Air. We measured a fundamental travel of 1.2 mm, which is to some extent a lesser amount of than the be more or less range of 1.5 to 2 mm. Although I found the explain comfortable, I scored a somewhat sluggish 76 lexis apiece meticulous on the TypingTestOnline.Org challenge. My be more or less is 90 wpm.
In the sphere of broad-spectrum, the 4 x 2.8-inch touchpad responded well to my finger swipes and travels, although the indicator was a tiny sluggish by the side of time.
Show
You can urge the Toshiba Chromebook 2 with either a 1366 x 768 screen meant for $249, or else a 1920 x 1080-pixel screen meant for $329. The 1080p version in addition has IPS (in-plane switching) tools, which is designed to enhance color reproduction and pick up viewing angles.
Our re-evaluation perfect had the 1080p IPS show, which is honestly lovely, with bold ensign, on the dot details and talented viewing angles. I had to bend the Chromebook 2 just about 90 degrees sooner than the image quality degraded. Whilst watching the promo meant for vehemence, I may well without a doubt get the drift the dirt with the aim of layered soldiers' faces, the vivid ensign of fiery explosions and all of the detailed grittiness of the battlefields.
The Chromebook 2's show boasts tremendous color reproduction. Based on our colorimeter readings, the screen can mimic 98.5 percent of the sRGB color extent. That's far better than the 65 percent ultraportable be more or less, not to refer to the Acer Chromebook 13 (58.1 percent) and the HP Chromebook 14 (61 percent).
The Chromebook 2 in addition produced very accurate ensign, in the same way as evidenced by the screen's Delta-E slash of 1 (0 is best). That's much better than the Acer Chromebook 13 (11.4) and a slight change for the better on the HP Chromebook 14 (1.3).
It's in addition a cheerful show: Pumping available 339 nits, the Toshiba Chromebook 2 by a long shot outshone the ultraportable kind be more or less (216 nits), in the same way as well in the same way as the Acer Chromebook 13 (222 nits) and the HP Chromebook 14 (209 nits).
Audio
Toshiba combined with Skullcandy to bring especially tuned speakers to the Chromebook 2. And boy perform they crank.
Whilst I played Kiesza's "Hideaway" by the side of greatest extent volume, I may well hear the complete track without a doubt from across my residence. The background of the track was a tiny muffled, but it wasn't too scratchy, and the vocals were powerful and cold. On Barcelona's "Background," I may well hear all the resonating piano chords, and the control singer's voice was soft and harmonious.
Added: Chromebook v. Tablet: Which ought to You bad buy?
On the Laptop Mag Audio Test, the Toshiba Chromebook 2 reached 93 decibels, a moment ago louder than the Acer Chromebook 13 (91 dB) and much louder than the HP Chromebook 14 (82 dB).
Ports & Webcam
The Toshiba Chromebook 2 has a standard array of ports. On the sincere margin is a combination mic/headphone jack, USB 3.0, HDMI and a security lock docks. On the gone margin is an SD tag slot, a USB 2.0 docks and the charging docks.
Selfies taken with the Chromebook 2's HD webcam looked a shade darker than regular, and near was massive pixelation around the edges of my eyes, nose and mime. Hefty text in the sphere of a sign behind me was legible, but less significant, thinner text quickly became blurred.
Cook
Next streaming Hulu meant for 15 minutes, the Toshiba Chromebook 2 stayed pretty cool, measuring 88 degrees Fahrenheit on its underside. That's well underneath our acceptable threshold of 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The device's touchpad reached lone 73 degrees, while the deep space concerning the G and H keys bump 78 degrees.
Chrome OS
Google's Chrome OS offers a clean, token desktop experience. Once upon a time you've powered up the Toshiba Chromebook 2 and signed in the sphere of with your Google explanation, you're met with a bare desktop with miniature icons on the substructure sincere corner meant for notifications, measure, volume, Wi-Fi and settings. On the substructure gone margin is Chrome OS's icon get in the way, with a square-grid icon with the aim of opens to put on view all of the apps you allow installed. Subsequently to with the aim of Start menu-esque icon are shortcuts to apps such in the same way as Google Chrome, Gmail and Hangouts.
While near is a library app to access the things you've downloaded from the a tangled web, near is rebuff stationary "desktop" in the same way as you would catch on a Mac or else a Windows-based notebook. Nearly everyone apps appear in the same way as a tab in the sphere of the Chrome a tangled web browser; however, a only some, such in the same way as Evernote, put on view up in the same way as standalone windows.
Apps
The Chrome a tangled web storehouse breaks apps down into categories like Education, Games, News & Weather, Social & transfer, and Utilities, to VIP a only some. In the same way as ofthis re-evaluation, near were 33,614 apps to be had in the sphere of the Chrome a tangled web storehouse, according to ChromeOSApps.Org, a website with the aim of keeps track of the platform.
While that's not close to the 100,000 apps to be had meant for Windows, you'll come about able to catch selected pretty compelling options, plus Evernote, Spotify, Instagram, Bejeweled, Netflix, Feedly, DropBox and Picasa.
