Samsung Series 3 Chromebox (XE300M22)

Do you need a desktop PC that runs just a Web browser? That's the premise behind the Samsung Series 3 Chromebox (XE300M22) ($329.99 list). It's a compact nettop that really needs a fast Internet connection to be truly useful, but as a Web machine, it's neat. You won't have to worry about managing the system, beyond keeping track of your Google.com account, so it's a great fit for that relative who "needs the Facebook," but doesn't want a Windows PC because of previous "issues" with downloads and viruses that you've had to clean up. It'll take users where they need to go, including Flash-heavy sites that would bog down an Android tablet or not work at all on an iPad. Think of it as a "Web-only PC-lite", and you've got the right idea.

Design and Features
The Chromebox looks like a modern mini desktop. It's built into a square chassis that's about 1.3 by 7.5 by 7.5 inches (HWD), so it's a smidge smaller than the Apple Mac mini (Thunderbolt) ($799 list, 4.5 stars). Like the Mac mini, the Chromebox has an internal power supply, so you won't have to figure out where to place a power brick. This helps reduce clutter. Since it's basically a Web device, there's no need for an optical drive. The system comes with a 16GB SSD as the boot drive, but you can attach an external USB drive for more storage (not that you would need it, but more on that below).

The Chromebox comes with good connectivity with one misstep. There are six USB 2.0 ports, DVI, Ethernet, audio, and two DP++ DisplayPorts. DP++ means that the ports are capable of supporting up to 2,460 by 1,600 resolution displays. It would've been more useful to add an HDMI port for connectivity with an HDTV or HDMI monitor. While DisplayPort is becoming common in business environments, DisplayPort is rare on consumer-grade monitors. You'll need an HDMI adapter to use the Chromebox with an HDTV. The Chromebox can be connected to the Internet via the Gigabit Ethernet port, or via 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi. The system is essentially a Web terminal, and is pretty much a limited-use brick without a broadband connection. Keyboard and mouse are optional, but you can use any USB keyboard and mouse you have lying around, including wireless models with a USB dongle.

The system comes with 4GB of RAM, which is nice, since that amount will allow you to have many tabs open in the Chrome browser. The memory is not upgradeable. With 16GB of SSD and 4GB of RAM, you're actually in good shape for a web terminal, since you won't ever have to worry about running resource-hogging apps like Adobe Creative Suite CS6 or Microsoft Office. The system boots into whatever environment you have setup on your Chrome browser on your PC or Mac, provided you have a Google.com account. You need a Google account of some kind to setup the system (corporate accounts with Gmail work), and then once it's setup you can enable guest access. Another plus is that since the system isn't running Windows or MacOS X, you'll have less malware threats to worry about, though you'll still have to be vigilant protecting your online personal info (like passwords and account numbers).

If you've already setup the Chrome browser on your PC or Mac with extensions, bookmarks, and other customizations, these will automatically be installed and run. Basically, the familiar Chrome you use at home or at work will carry over to the Chromebox. It's neat, but it also shows the power and danger of your Google account: be careful with your username and password and keep your online identity safe! Goggle's Chrome web store is fully accessible, and any apps you've loaded to your Google account will show up. These are separate from any apps you have on your Android device(s), since they're purely web apps. Note that like in Chrome on your PC or Mac, all Chrome apps will work as web apps do, in a tab in the browser. It won't look like a dedicated app unless you use the full screen mode. On the other hand you can disconnect tabs from the main browsing window to give each web app it's "own" window. It's mainly a matter of aesthetics, but still worth noting for those used to working in PC-based Windows environments.

Performance
The Chromebox acts like a fast nettop. The 16GB SSD certainly helps keep the boot time to a few seconds and reawake from sleep takes only a second or so (if you have an older LCD screen, the Chromebox should be up and running before the screen's backlight warms up). The system features a 1.9GHz Intel Celeron B840 dual-core processor with Intel HD Graphics 3000. While that doesn't seem too powerful, it's based on 2nd-generation Intel Core (AKA, Sandy Bridge) technology, and it's sufficient for the Web-based use it will get. Browsing several sites at once was a painless experience on our 40Mbps corporate Internet connection, and it was equally fast over 802.11 a/g/n 5GHz, 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz, and on the Gigabit Ethernet port. Recent 1080p trailers like the one for Disney's upcoming Wreck-It Ralph played smoothly without any hiccups, and older trailers like the 1080p HD trailer for 2009's Star Trek looked fine. Bringing up files in Google Docs was a snappy process, and while I wouldn't recommend calculating a 200,000 row spreadsheet on the Chromebox, it was fast enough for quick edits and emails. That said, if you have a slow Internet connection at home (say a DSL line), your experience might vary.

Since it's the first of its kind, the Chromebox doesn't directly compare to nettops like the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q180 ($369 direct, 4 stars) and the Editor's Choice for nettops Acer Revo RL100-UR20P ($569.99 list, 4 stars), since it doesn't come with Windows, but it's certainly a possible fourth or fifth computer in the house. It's a good Web terminal for your novice user who just needs to get to the Web, and it will be a better Web experience than using a tablet like an iPad if you need a large screen and Flash support (which the iPad doesn't have). Other nettop systems like the Cybernet ZPC-D5 ($384 direct, 3 stars) (8:41 Handbrake, 20:51 CS5) are closer to the Chromebox's price and capabilities, but unlike the Chromebox, the ZPC-D5 can work independent of the Internet. The ZPC-D5 will feel slower however, with its spinning hard drive and Atom processor. Essentially, the Chromebox is good for the user who needs the full Internet, but doesn't need the Windows experience or run Windows or Mac apps.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Samsung Series 3 Chromebox (XE300M22) with several other desktops side by side.

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