The latest Google laptop (HP Chromebook 11) was released with a primary goal of affordability. At only $279 this 11.6″ laptop sports a 1366×768 IPS display (non-touch) and a multi-colored light bar on the lid. It comes in black or white plastic (not metal) with a choice of the 4 Google standard colors as an accent (red, blue, green, yellow). It does have a magnesium frame to help maintain structure. Under the hood is a dual-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, and 16 GB SSD storage. It’s basically a Nexus 10 with a keyboard attached to it. Lol.
It comes bundled with 100 GB of Google Drive storage for 2 years and features dual-band 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, and up to 6 hours of battery. It does have a pair of USB 2.0 ports and micro USB port for charging. You could even charge this from another laptop.
Chromebooks benefit from fast start up times (within seconds). Files, emails, photos, bookmarks, and apps are all synchronized online. It is optimized for web apps and other browser based tools. They take no time to setup and run the Chrome operating system which claims to be very safe from malware and viruses. Files are stored in the Google cloud and losing your laptop does not mean lost data.
The Chromebook is trying to occupy the space between tablets and full PC laptops. It is a very inexpensive Internet device to consider. A Google executive recently said that Chromebooks are now used in 22
percent of school districts in the United States.
The Chromebook 11 offers dual-core processor and 2 GB of RAM. I think it’s good idea considering most laptops are quite expensive nowadays. I have a hard time finding a good idea on a good laptop. I have heard the Chromebook is an internet-based device that requires internet all the time. I might consider buying it someday. Thank you for the useful information!
It does sound like it’s mostly-cloud based. I can see myself using it for work, although I’m very hesitant and I feel like I’m basically giving Google my permission to snoop around my data. It’s also probably why I’m more inclined to use Ubuntu (with some tweaking) for privacy’s sake.
We’re already letting Google get a lot of our private information by using all the many, many programs, apps and search features they’ve implemented, so… While G says it’s not an “evil guy” because they say this information is never shared with anyone, you can never know for sure.
For me, the Chromebook 11 sounds interesting especially because of it’s great price tag. I am very curios about this so I’m going to be looking for some reviews of it to see how it does.
I’m curious how Apple is going to respond to this, if even. It looks like a Macbook but for 1/10th of the price. I’m most intrigued by the usb charger, which is the same as my Android phone. I think that’s pretty unique. Plus, I like the fact that it can sync up to my Android too.
Chromebooks really are great: cheap and fast, what else do you need?
I’m definitely going to buy one for school when I need one, there’s really no argument. The 100GB Drive storage is just a great bonus!
Interesting. I’m still debating if I want a Chromebook or a Windows Tablet for Christmas. I think after reading this I want the Chromebook. It says, “very safe from malware and viruses”. Which for me getting malware is often a problem. It also syncs with everything and Google chrome is my favorite browser. I’ve also wanted a good fast system that I can easily carry around.
Chromebook sounds like a better choice compared to a Windows Tablet. The security advantage might be because it’s Linux-based.
I like how cheap it is, but I want more than what Chrome OS can offer. Fortunately, there’s a way to run Ubuntu with Chrome OS. I would probably do what Lifehacker did here: http://lifehacker.com/how-to-install-linux-on-a-chromebook-and-unlock-its-ful-509039343. Would be fun to do away with Chrome OS (or maybe not, haven’t really experienced it. For Windows or Mac lovers, I haven’t seen a way to run those with Chromebook… yet!
The Chromebook line of laptops is really a good example of democratized electronic innovation. Capitalizing on the web, Google made sure to create a device that ticks off every basic use of a laptop and successfully designed it for mass consumption. The Chrome Web Store made sure that basic apps are available and with its inexpensive pricing, the chromebook line can be seen as very competitive even against popular tablets.
Google Laptop at an affordable price? Great Then Nexus stepped into the ring with the keyboard. I could see myself with one of these somewhere down the line.
I can’t identify what is the average user Chromebook, but I’m sure that it’s a laptop that can be adapted perfectly to the everyday needs of any user. At this time the competition is very strong and every day there are new options.
Although the technical specifications of this model are quite modest, the launch price becomes a very attractive factor. The design ( materials beyond) is very nice and fits perfectly to the new trends. I think that is an alternative to consider. Thanks for sharing this news.
I believe the Chromebook was first conceived with students in mind. The laptop is cheap enough that it could be lent to students without worries, but powerful enough to tackle anything that could be done inside a classroom setting. It can surf the web, play videos, run productivity applications, and be tinkered with should there be a need. IMHO, Chromebooks could be potentially more powerful than iPads in the classroom if they could launch more apps for it.
The phonebook is a good computer for it’s price. It does everything the basic user needs, boots up fast, uses a secure operating system and affordable. there’s only a few things it can’t do.
It certainly sounds like an okay device, but I’m not sure I’d really have any real use for it. There isn’t much my smartphone can’t do, and everything that it can’t do I’d rather do on my full-blown laptop anyway. I’m always happy to see strides in terms of filling niches in technological norms, and attempts to lower the general cost of jumping into a tech-fueled life are always welcome, but this “laptop” seems to fill a space I wouldn’t regard as empty. Maybe that’s just me.
Chromebooks are really interesting: They’re computers with just a web browser. I have never owned one or talked to anyone who has owned one, but what is the point of having one? You can’t do many things on it, and if you don’t have an internet connection, you can’t do anything with it.
I love Chromebooks so much! They’re a great travel device, and the performance for battery life is amazing! The offline features are pretty decent too.