★★★★☆ I have been used to using a 13.3" MacBook Air every day for several years. When the MacBook took a fall and the display broke beyond repair, I went looking for a slightly cheaper and smaller option. The 10" and 11" convertible books seemed a bit too small to work on comfortably for hours at a time, so I was interested in the Samsung Chromebook XE521 for it's 12.2" HD screen and metal construction. So far I love the size, construction, fit and finish, etc. It feels like a much more expensive laptop.PROS:- Great size and feel when using.- Good construction, nice fit and finish.- Chrome OS is great. Very basic and speedy, yet does everything I really need.CONS:- My old MacBook Air spoiled me with consistently giving me 8-9 hours of use on a single charge. I haven't tested it extensively, but Samsung Chromebook XE521 has been giving me about 5 hours of medium use. It's not terrible, but is a pretty big drop off from what I am used to having.- I have also noticed apps and processes run a tiny bit slower than my old MacBook with the Core i5. Still completely adequate for basic apps and web-based work.- I found the reviews about the hinge breaking AFTER purchasing. The possibility of cracking the screen just by opening the lid worried me enough that I purchased a two year, $57 protection plan from Asurion. Now I have the peace of mind that even if my unit does break, I will have it covered. I will say the left hing feels especially stiff when opening and closing. To see if I could make it a little more smooth, I applied a few drops of very light gun oil to the hinge assembly. I didn't remove the case or anything, so I was just counting on the oil penetrating to the moving parts. I don't think it made too much of a difference, but maybe just enough to prevent the hinge from seizing up and breaking the screen? I plan to add a few tiny drops of oil every month or so (if I remember).Four stars. Would definitely be five stars if the battery life and processing speed was a bit more impressive and there were no catastrophic hinge issues potentially looming on the horizon.

★★★★★ I generally love this Chromebook, especially the 2 in 1 feature. My experience is consistent with the reviews I saw on the internet. Two things I found slightly different: the battery life is fine but not as long as some heavy users might like, and; the sound quality is better than the reviews led me to expect. Also, I did get the stealth color with the sturdier feel which I like but if you want to spend a lot of time holding it in one hand you might prefer the all plastic, lighter version. The stylus works great.

★★★★★ So I’ve been primarily using Google classroom, sheets, docs, presentation ect.. all this last year and this device is perfect for that. The touchscreen is fantastic. The only thing that is taking sons time to get used to is that on tablet mode you feel the keys when holding it on the back side. They are deactivated in tablet mode. The stylus pen is really nice. There aren’t any good cases because of the way it moves. Do not be fooled, a case never works in tablet mode.

★★★★☆ I have been used to using a 13.3" MacBook Air every day for several years. When the MacBook took a fall and the display broke beyond repair, I went looking for a slightly cheaper and smaller option. The 10" and 11" convertible books seemed a bit too small to work on comfortably for hours at a time, so I was interested in the Samsung Chromebook XE521 for it's 12.2" HD screen and metal construction. So far I love the size, construction, fit and finish, etc. It feels like a much more expensive laptop.PROS:- Great size and feel when using.- Good construction, nice fit and finish.- Chrome OS is great. Very basic and speedy, yet does everything I really need.CONS:- My old MacBook Air spoiled me with consistently giving me 8-9 hours of use on a single charge. I haven't tested it extensively, but Samsung Chromebook XE521 has been giving me about 5 hours of medium use. It's not terrible, but is a pretty big drop off from what I am used to having.- I have also noticed apps and processes run a tiny bit slower than my old MacBook with the Core i5. Still completely adequate for basic apps and web-based work.- I found the reviews about the hinge breaking AFTER purchasing. The possibility of cracking the screen just by opening the lid worried me enough that I purchased a two year, $57 protection plan from Asurion. Now I have the peace of mind that even if my unit does break, I will have it covered. I will say the left hing feels especially stiff when opening and closing. To see if I could make it a little more smooth, I applied a few drops of very light gun oil to the hinge assembly. I didn't remove the case or anything, so I was just counting on the oil penetrating to the moving parts. I don't think it made too much of a difference, but maybe just enough to prevent the hinge from seizing up and breaking the screen? I plan to add a few tiny drops of oil every month or so (if I remember).Four stars. Would definitely be five stars if the battery life and processing speed was a bit more impressive and there were no catastrophic hinge issues potentially looming on the horizon.

★★★★★ I generally love this Chromebook, especially the 2 in 1 feature. My experience is consistent with the reviews I saw on the internet. Two things I found slightly different: the battery life is fine but not as long as some heavy users might like, and; the sound quality is better than the reviews led me to expect. Also, I did get the stealth color with the sturdier feel which I like but if you want to spend a lot of time holding it in one hand you might prefer the all plastic, lighter version. The stylus works great.

★★★★★ So I’ve been primarily using Google classroom, sheets, docs, presentation ect.. all this last year and this device is perfect for that. The touchscreen is fantastic. The only thing that is taking sons time to get used to is that on tablet mode you feel the keys when holding it on the back side. They are deactivated in tablet mode. The stylus pen is really nice. There aren’t any good cases because of the way it moves. Do not be fooled, a case never works in tablet mode.