Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by Einherji 4805 days ago
I don't quite understand how you can say the ARM chromebook is close to the macbook air as the dualcore A15 in that thing is nowhere near the MBA performance wise. I don't doubt that it's a nice machine but ARM still has a very long way to go until they can match even low-end intel IVB CPUs. Right now these A15s are just a little better than a 2011 budget aton core from intel.
2 comments

I am not talking about its raw computational performance. I am thinking about the usage scenarios of this machine as an average developer and how this machine could replace my Air. Most development tasks do not require the computational power of a MacBook Air and the ARM Chromebook actually feels quite smooth. The main thing is, unlike budget netbooks, this one has an okay display resolution, a very good keyboard, better than 11" Air battery life, less heat, flash storage (though small), and less weight and thickness. I personally did never even consider buying a netbook (Atom or otherwise). If for any reason you care about sheer performance locally on your laptop, I totally agree that this machine is not for you. This Chromebook easily has the most bang for the buck than anything I bought. If I did not have the money, I could conceivably live my entire life off of it (yes, it's that good) and a Nexus 4 (again, the best bang for the buck in smartphone area.)

I should point out that by no means I meant that the MacBook Air is not worth its price. Even at four times the price of the Samsung Series 3 Chromebook, it is worth every penny in my opinion. It's a much better, faster, classier, sturdier, more beautiful, and higher quality machine in general.

> Right now these A15s are just a little better than a 2011 budget aton core from intel.

Which is conveniently an improvement over my current 1st gen atom