Xolo Chromebook review: An intriguing gateway to the Google cloud

I’ve always been intrigued by the concept of Chromebooks. This netbook-like device’s primary function is to serve as a Web access and, more specifically, Google Web services access tool. Sure, it can also be used to access the general Internet, but its true allegiance is toward the Google fold, and the ecosystem of web apps within.

Let’s step back a bit though: here is a perfect example of a device that could never exist in another time. There was a time the Web experience was nothing more than accessing information-based websites and webmail: the primary function of the Internet was to provide information. It was a medium for passive consumption. To many today it still is, but there is an ever-growing chunk of users that are accessing the web for running full-fledged productivity applications directly within their browsers.

From your regular office-centric arsenal of tools like word processors, spreadsheet and presentation tools to even higher-level applications like image editors to real-time audio and video communication systems, the Web these days is anything but passive. Cloud-based apps have bred an entirely new set of user experiences and capabilities, where many users today are actually foregoing traditional offline apps for those that run completely within their Web browser.

This is where the Chromebook comes in. In today’s ubiquitous Google world, where everything from your email to web search to documents to music can be stored in your free Google cloud (of course, that makes you the marketable commodity, but that’s a different story altogether), we find ourselves increasingly using Google apps as we play out our professional and personal lives. Even on a laptop (or smartphone or tablet), our browsers are most likely fired up with online services like Gmail, Google Drive, Maps and the like. But even if this describes a typical day in your online life, it’s only one part of the why you’d actually want a Chromebook.

Before I get to the other part, let’s look at the device itself. First, it runs on Chrome OS--an operating system built around the popular Chrome browser, with a singular focus on accessing the Web and Google’s Web services. On the hardware front, it is powered by a quad-core Cortex A17 processor--a 32-bit part often found in many mid-range mobile devices--which is paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. If this is reminiscent of an entry-level tablet or smartphone, that’s because it is. Think of the Chromebook as a 11.6-inch netbook with the specs of a mid-level tablet running the Chrome OS.

The 11.6-inch screen of this Xolo Chromebook has a par-for-the-course resolution of 1366x768 but falls short on viewing angle--being a non-IPS panel, there are significant variations in color and brightness when viewed at off-center vantage points. So if you’re taking in a movie with another person, this isn’t the best device for the job. Regarding the keyboard, this is as Spartan as it gets: it only has the keys you absolutely need for the Web experience including special keys for browser-based back, forward, reload, search, but no page up/down, End, Delete, and no function keys. But this particular keyboard was tangibly flimsy, with the play and travel in some of the keys being sub-par--a few tended to get stuck when touch-typing. On the interface front, the device has two USB ports (both only v2.0 and not the faster 3.0 unfortunately), a microSD card reader for expanding device memory, a headphone out and HDMI out. Battery live is particularly impressive; we saw 9 to 10 hours of use between charges.

Booting up the Chromebook is blazing quick--under 10 seconds to the Google login screen. At first boot, the first thing you’re asked is to connect to a WiFi network (the device has no Ethernet port) and sign in to your Google account. After that, everything is centred around the Chrome browser. About 23 Google apps come installed by default, including Google Docs, Gmail, YouTube, Google Slides, Hangouts, Play Music, Play Books, Calculator, Google Drawings etc. All compatible Chrome extensions enabled in other instances of your Chrome browser get reflected in your Chromebook after signing in.

So coming to the second part of the reason you would buy this device. Even if your online life is centered on Google and its vast ecosystem of Web apps, a Chromebook may not necessarily be for you. Its capability being limited only to running Chrome-based apps and accessing websites, you cannot use it as a device for more serious offline work, such as heavy photo editing or even running your favourite third party apps. Besides, you might already have a laptop that lets you do the ‘heavy lifting’ for content creation, and perhaps a tablet that is used primarily for content consumption. And your smartphone would serve for snacking on content (Twitter, Facebook et al) along with its other communication functions.

So the question is: who would really buy a Chromebook? I’d say it is suited to only one of two types of users:

1. Low-budget beginners who are just getting onto the online bandwagon. This would comprise students, lower middle class first-time users, and senior citizens who have simple, straightforward online communication needs.

2. Small and mid-sized corporations that extensively utilize the Google ecosystem: The device being priced so competitively makes for an ideal sales deployment and presentation tool (the device also supports 3G dongles, albeit only the Huawei-chipset based ones.)

Any other users would likely already have a laptop that can anyway do everything a Chromebook does, and a tablet or smartphone that serves to fulfil the quicker Internet experience.

Pros: A capable netbook for connecting to the Google ecosystem, fast startup and shutdown, all-day battery life, affordable
Cons: Sub-par screen, finicky keyboard, usability limited only to Chrome web apps and generic Web access, no Ethernet support