"A Chromebook for everyone"; cool. The article talks about the author's childhood in India, how he dreams of bringing computers to everyone. The price makes it a device that could be bought by anyone. The size of the computer, the autonomy, the low power, everything looks like it's meant to really democratize computers to an even wider audience, say in developing countries where 3G/LTE networks are surprisingly developed and cheap (depends on the country, of course).
But then, its bundled with Verizon, limited to the US and the UK. What are the 3G frequencies? Is this thing locked with Verizon? Say I want to give one to my friend in Vietnam, so he/she can get access to a computer, will the 3G modem support the carrier's frequencies there? Unknown: it's listed as "WLAN : 802.11 a/b/g/n, WWAN : Verizon 3G". Great.
The device is nice, the price is nice. But marketing it as "a Chromebook for everyone" is just wrong. It's a laptop for people in the US, that's it. And really, I wonder what kind of "humanitarian" problem it's solving. I understand the low price is to create a following for the product, but I find the "Chromebook for everyone" brand phony.
Unless "everyone" == "Verizon customers living in the US".
"A Chromebook for everyone" (who wants to be tethered to the Google ecosystem and the preying telcos).
A "laptop for everyone" is far easier. There are thousands and thousands for $100 or less on eBay that are far more powerful, easier to repair, have local storage and don't tie you to an ecosystem or a telco. Grab a Lenovo T61, chuck Mint on it and you've got something several orders of magnitude more useful. They even work in space:
I think you are somewhat confused. (Edit: I had misunderstood the parent; see below.) The $250 model does not appear to be bundled with Verizon. In fact, I don’t think it has 3G capabilities, just Wi-Fi.
The higher-cost Chromebook 550 (Intel) does support 3G.
So your entire argument is based upon a misunderstanding, is it not?
Weird future moment: a 21st century industry titan has to use puppies, kitties, and children to sell a machine that freely dispenses the sum total of humanity's knowledge.
Since I learned I was going to be a dad (in 7 months!), I've found these kinds of advertisements increasingly unsettling, in an uncanny-valley kind of way.
I love my tiny one. I've heard the quick little heartbeat. I'm largely responsible for if this little person grows up happy and healthy. The enormity of the ensuing feelings is impossible to express.
Uncanny valley situations arise when a simulation looks almost real, maybe 96% real, but the 4% difference is very unsettling because it just looks _off_. You feel a creeping sensation that something is wrong.
In this video, Google very poignantly portrays a bunch of vibrant people, children and fathers prominently featured. They are picking at the deepest heartstrings I've ever known. At the deepest anxieties and aspirations that it is possible to have in the human experience. It's 96% poignant.
But...they're doing this for what reason again? So they can sell me a $250 piece of electronics and absorb my family into their ecosystem? It's a 4% that makes the entire rest of it feel fake.
Turns out that cognitive dissonance relating to your children, even peripherally, is really uncomfortable. :/
I had exactly the same weird future moment a few hours ago when I saw the Android event invite: "The playground is open" [1]. Got me thinking what Mad Men era execs would make of it all.
It's obvious now that Google intends to keep improving Chrome OS, the devices on which it runs, the services that come with it (100GB of free online storage!), and the cost & headaches of maintaining it -- while aggressively cutting prices.
I'm expecting a $199 Chromebook within a couple of years, and a $99 model within the next five years. This has the potential for upending the prevailing business model of traditional PC vendors.
Google's revenue is very closely tied to the amount that people use the web in general. So much so, that they will make more money simply by encouraging people to use the web more. As a result, their strategy is largely to reduce the barriers to the next click and the next session, and thereby moving closer to the next Google search. Faster connections, faster browsers, cheaper devices, more ubiquitous access, etc.
It's almost like oil companies subsidizing the cost of cars to make more money. Reminds me of the start of the Michelin guide book, which was created to encourage people to drive to interesting places in France.
Aren't these Chromebooks subsidized by Google to get into mainstream faster? I always felt there were big tie-ups. (See Asus Nexus tablet pricing)
And How much is a google user+account worth? An android or a chromebook device is worth atleast $$$+ for Google on the long-run. And users are Locked'in with google's services! And more and more Web users mean more $ flows for google. :)
It must be certain for every subsidized device that ships, Google must be sharing revenues.
So cortex A15 has finally landed.. no mention of RAM or size of on-board SSD, i'm guessing 1-2GB and 8/16GB respectively (e: 2/16). Disappointing battery life ('over 6 hours', same as the x86 one), i guess the battery wasn't spared from the cost-cutting. Exynos 5 also means USB 3.
And do we know if you can definitely get linux on these (==interesting), or might they be super locked-down?
Definitely a device worth recommending to the former netbook/ 'only use my computer for facebook' crowd.
e: the battery is 2 cell, AFAIK even cheap x86 laptops come with 6-cell batteries, so it is a case of cost-minimizing.. shame, i'd lap this up with a 12-18hr battery life.
I've got one on preorder. I'm a gentoo dev in my spare time, and I definitely intend to get Gentoo running on it. I kind of have a leg up though since Chrome/ChromiumOS is built on Gentoo. In that regard, it already does run Linux, just their custom spin.
All ChromeOS devices to date have come with a "Developer Mode" hardware switch which turns off trusted boot and allows you to run your own OS / custom ChromeOS builds. I would bet this Chromebook is not locked down.
2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of SSD + 100 GB of SSD storage in Google Drive (for 2 years). The battery life does seem a bit strange. My guess is Google hasn't had enough time to optimize it as well as they did for Atom, which gives them pretty equal battery lives now, or they are using a smaller battery to cut costs, or Chromebook simply isn't as "ultra-mobile" as Android. But for a Chromebook, I think they need to increase that battery life somehow.
2 cell battery? Ouch. No wonder the battery life is surprisingly small for an ARM "laptop". My old netbook had 5 hours of battery life with a 6 cell battery, so they shouldn't have needed much more in battery capacity. 8h would've been "okay". 10-12h would've been hype-worthy. They definitely need to take this into account at least with future Chromebooks.
"100 MB of internet per month, for free, from Verizon Wireless."
So I'm really sort of conflicted by Chromebooks, I love the concept, but wonder why it doesn't come with 4G/LTE (seems like a 'new' device should), what sort of data plans and are they dynamic like the iPad? (month to month) And 100MB a month? Seriously? That is what 5 minutes of 3 mbit video? 10 minutes of cheezy 1.5mbit video a month? Web sites that start up a youtube embed video when you visit? poof go the mBytes. Heck the WSJ is like 20 - 30MB per issue these days. Seems like 2.5GB is a healthy net allocation for a tablet/laptop experience, that 25x more.
Looking forward to seeing one 'in the flesh' as it were.
Because that would eat your 100MB data plan in 42 seconds. Not too mention it would probably increase the price. Nobody actually needs 4G yet, we just like it in our fancy things. It has no place in budget (attainable) hardware.
"And 100MB a month? Seriously?"
Because that is what Verizon, a company that makes its money off selling wireless data, is willing to give away for free (or a subsidized price paid by google). I'm sure they will not hesitate to sell you more if you are in the minority who need to watch 3Mb videos on the bus...
We have a Cr-48, and we've used the 3G several times. The monthly caps get you surprisingly far, if you're doing simple things like GMail and Google Docs.
And when we've needed it, we've used the "unlimited for 24 hours," which has been fine. It's a tad pricey.
I mean, the 3G in the Chromebook is NOT going to be your new ISP. You will continue to use WiFi the vast majority of the time. But every now and then, you won't have WiFi. 3G to the rescue.
My wife used it last year, while we were driving cross-country, to watch Youtube videos for class, write a paper for one of her classes, and apply to summer educational opportunities (on a web page with hundreds of questions). Without the 3G, we would have had to NOT DRIVE on our trip, which we also needed to do. We would have had to buy a 3G fob from Best Buy or Verizon, or sign up for tethering the phone with Verizon - both of which are MORE expensive for the one or two times a year when you really need it.
The ARM bit is quietly hidden away on the specs page[0].
Can't find anything yet either way if these will still have the developer switch. If the build is as good as the 550 and this particular Exynos has decent performance; it'd make an awfully good cheap Linux laptop (not to say CrOS is worthless, far from it).
250$? I really don't get it. Three years ago I bought a Gateway LT23 Netbook, with a 160GB HD and 1GB memory, it runs Windows7 and cost me 300$.
Aren't Netbooks better? And have been availbable for many years now?
And yet everyone goes on about an ipad being a 'cheap laptop alternative'. This isn't for everyone, but it definitely has a great niche. It has USB3, HDMI, 1366x768 screen, no moving parts and 6.5 hour battery life.
Putting the time difference aside, how many of those does your gateway have? The processor is probably a little faster, too.
Agreed. I think $150 is more appropriate. What makes me even MORE confused is the 550 model. $450 seems awfully expensive when compare to all your other computing options.
Edit - After a bit more consideration, I might be interested if the HDMI output is decent and the network TV websites won't block the browser. I would use the Chromebook as a replacement HTPC for my Google TV which is basically a brick now.
That's a spinning disk. There were 8/16 GB SSD netbooks for around the same price as that 160 GB HDD netbook. Plus, this seems higher quality than those typical netbooks. It's more like an ultrabook for $250, at least in terms of build quality and looks. The specs are obviously lower than a $1000 ultrabook.
Until Google upgrades their apps, or write new ones, that utilized advanced HTML5 capabilities, I have to assume they aren't serious about the platform and neither should anyone else be. They didn't release Android without apps, Chromebooks should get the same treatment.
I made the mistake of getting the Acer chromebook in the UK when it came out and it was probably the worst computing experience I have ever had. Slow, laggy, frequently crashed, terrible video playback (couldn't watch YouTube videos), cheap hardware (screen developed a crack which split corner to corner completely), terrible battery performance, no cellular connectivity and flaky wifi behaviour. All for 400 quid! It looked like a fisher price toy and behaved like one as well.
I was interested in buying, but I'm totally confused. Wikipedia also just lists the 550 model as the one released now, and has nothing matching the spec in the Google post.
Anyone worked it out? Sorry if I've missed something...
Yeah, I can't work out if PC World even have it listed? It doesn't seem to have a model number, it's just Samsung Chromebook, which doesn't really help!
So glad they finally did this. I've been begging them to do a $250 Chromebook since day one, because I think that's the sweetspot for a "Chromebook", and the only way they could've achieved that, while also having good build quality and whatnot, was to use an ARM chip, and not an Intel one, so I'm glad they finally did that, too. I think it's long overdue, but perhaps they were waiting for the Cortex A15 chips to come to market, which I guess makes sense.
If Google would partner with Verizon or AT&T to offer these things for free (much better marketing than say a $50 price) with LTE and a 2 year contract, I think they would see even more sales, especially from businesses and professionals. Obviously they should be getting the data plans they get with an USB modem, not the amount they get with a cellphone plan.
If Chrome OS had a package manager hooked into Debian's (or anyone's) repos, I'd be all over this. I do almost all of my non-programming work in the browser, but I can't leave the batteries included world of Linux behind just yet.
Solid state hard drive, acceptable processor, 6 hour battery. Could be an awesome linux box. Though, you always could just flash it and put your own OS on there.
I have an iPad 3 and a Chromebook. I like and use the Chromebook much more, because of the built in keyboard. I know plenty of people who would hate using a Chromebook and much prefer their iPad for everything. To each his own.
Why won't they take this same kind of device and scale it up. I love most things about the chrome book, but I would rather have a 14" laptop with a bigger battery. O know you'll be competing with "full feature" laptops, but honestly chrome books have most of the features I would want ( I would like to see better native support for the development life cycle, but i can get by with ssh )
[+] [-] AYBABTME|13 years ago|reply
But then, its bundled with Verizon, limited to the US and the UK. What are the 3G frequencies? Is this thing locked with Verizon? Say I want to give one to my friend in Vietnam, so he/she can get access to a computer, will the 3G modem support the carrier's frequencies there? Unknown: it's listed as "WLAN : 802.11 a/b/g/n, WWAN : Verizon 3G". Great.
The device is nice, the price is nice. But marketing it as "a Chromebook for everyone" is just wrong. It's a laptop for people in the US, that's it. And really, I wonder what kind of "humanitarian" problem it's solving. I understand the low price is to create a following for the product, but I find the "Chromebook for everyone" brand phony.
Unless "everyone" == "Verizon customers living in the US".
[+] [-] meaty|13 years ago|reply
A "laptop for everyone" is far easier. There are thousands and thousands for $100 or less on eBay that are far more powerful, easier to repair, have local storage and don't tie you to an ecosystem or a telco. Grab a Lenovo T61, chuck Mint on it and you've got something several orders of magnitude more useful. They even work in space:
http://www.wirefresh.com/images/space-station-10-years-think...
Sorry but I don't get it. It's a rather expensive (for the limitations) toaster.
[+] [-] alanh|13 years ago|reply
The higher-cost Chromebook 550 (Intel) does support 3G.
So your entire argument is based upon a misunderstanding, is it not?
[+] [-] jpxxx|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jpadvo|13 years ago|reply
Since I learned I was going to be a dad (in 7 months!), I've found these kinds of advertisements increasingly unsettling, in an uncanny-valley kind of way.
I love my tiny one. I've heard the quick little heartbeat. I'm largely responsible for if this little person grows up happy and healthy. The enormity of the ensuing feelings is impossible to express.
Uncanny valley situations arise when a simulation looks almost real, maybe 96% real, but the 4% difference is very unsettling because it just looks _off_. You feel a creeping sensation that something is wrong.
In this video, Google very poignantly portrays a bunch of vibrant people, children and fathers prominently featured. They are picking at the deepest heartstrings I've ever known. At the deepest anxieties and aspirations that it is possible to have in the human experience. It's 96% poignant.
But...they're doing this for what reason again? So they can sell me a $250 piece of electronics and absorb my family into their ecosystem? It's a 4% that makes the entire rest of it feel fake.
Turns out that cognitive dissonance relating to your children, even peripherally, is really uncomfortable. :/
</passionate_rant>
[+] [-] jerf|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mmahemoff|13 years ago|reply
1. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/10/googles-october-29-an...
[+] [-] unknown|13 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] cs702|13 years ago|reply
I'm expecting a $199 Chromebook within a couple of years, and a $99 model within the next five years. This has the potential for upending the prevailing business model of traditional PC vendors.
[+] [-] chaz|13 years ago|reply
It's almost like oil companies subsidizing the cost of cars to make more money. Reminds me of the start of the Michelin guide book, which was created to encourage people to drive to interesting places in France.
[+] [-] at-fates-hands|13 years ago|reply
The fine print: "100 GB of free storage is valid for 2 years, starting on the date you redeem the Drive offer."
[+] [-] pajju|13 years ago|reply
And How much is a google user+account worth? An android or a chromebook device is worth atleast $$$+ for Google on the long-run. And users are Locked'in with google's services! And more and more Web users mean more $ flows for google. :)
It must be certain for every subsidized device that ships, Google must be sharing revenues.
[+] [-] ezpassmac|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] anotherbadlogin|13 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] polshaw|13 years ago|reply
So cortex A15 has finally landed.. no mention of RAM or size of on-board SSD, i'm guessing 1-2GB and 8/16GB respectively (e: 2/16). Disappointing battery life ('over 6 hours', same as the x86 one), i guess the battery wasn't spared from the cost-cutting. Exynos 5 also means USB 3.
And do we know if you can definitely get linux on these (==interesting), or might they be super locked-down?
Definitely a device worth recommending to the former netbook/ 'only use my computer for facebook' crowd.
e: the battery is 2 cell, AFAIK even cheap x86 laptops come with 6-cell batteries, so it is a case of cost-minimizing.. shame, i'd lap this up with a 12-18hr battery life.
[+] [-] steevdave|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rryan|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mtgx|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mtgx|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ConstantineXVI|13 years ago|reply
[0] http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-XE303C12-H01US-Chromebook-3G-1...
[+] [-] ChuckMcM|13 years ago|reply
So I'm really sort of conflicted by Chromebooks, I love the concept, but wonder why it doesn't come with 4G/LTE (seems like a 'new' device should), what sort of data plans and are they dynamic like the iPad? (month to month) And 100MB a month? Seriously? That is what 5 minutes of 3 mbit video? 10 minutes of cheezy 1.5mbit video a month? Web sites that start up a youtube embed video when you visit? poof go the mBytes. Heck the WSJ is like 20 - 30MB per issue these days. Seems like 2.5GB is a healthy net allocation for a tablet/laptop experience, that 25x more.
Looking forward to seeing one 'in the flesh' as it were.
[+] [-] tobyjsullivan|13 years ago|reply
Because that would eat your 100MB data plan in 42 seconds. Not too mention it would probably increase the price. Nobody actually needs 4G yet, we just like it in our fancy things. It has no place in budget (attainable) hardware.
"And 100MB a month? Seriously?"
Because that is what Verizon, a company that makes its money off selling wireless data, is willing to give away for free (or a subsidized price paid by google). I'm sure they will not hesitate to sell you more if you are in the minority who need to watch 3Mb videos on the bus...
[+] [-] VikingCoder|13 years ago|reply
And when we've needed it, we've used the "unlimited for 24 hours," which has been fine. It's a tad pricey.
I mean, the 3G in the Chromebook is NOT going to be your new ISP. You will continue to use WiFi the vast majority of the time. But every now and then, you won't have WiFi. 3G to the rescue.
My wife used it last year, while we were driving cross-country, to watch Youtube videos for class, write a paper for one of her classes, and apply to summer educational opportunities (on a web page with hundreds of questions). Without the 3G, we would have had to NOT DRIVE on our trip, which we also needed to do. We would have had to buy a 3G fob from Best Buy or Verizon, or sign up for tethering the phone with Verizon - both of which are MORE expensive for the one or two times a year when you really need it.
[+] [-] kitcar|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ConstantineXVI|13 years ago|reply
Can't find anything yet either way if these will still have the developer switch. If the build is as good as the 550 and this particular Exynos has decent performance; it'd make an awfully good cheap Linux laptop (not to say CrOS is worthless, far from it).
[0] http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/samsung-chromeb...
[+] [-] nsns|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] fr0sty|13 years ago|reply
Processor: Atom n450 (single-core 1.6ghz vs Arm 15 (dual core 1.7ghz)
Fan: Yes vs No
HDD: Spinning rust vs. SSD
Weight: 2.75lbs vs 2.lbs
Screen 10.1" 1024x600 vs 11.6" 1366x786
Innovation continues apace from what I can see.
[+] [-] podperson|13 years ago|reply
Microsoft Surface with Keyboard: $600. Chromebook: $249
[+] [-] polshaw|13 years ago|reply
Putting the time difference aside, how many of those does your gateway have? The processor is probably a little faster, too.
[+] [-] vyrotek|13 years ago|reply
http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/chromebooks.htm...
Edit - After a bit more consideration, I might be interested if the HDMI output is decent and the network TV websites won't block the browser. I would use the Chromebook as a replacement HTPC for my Google TV which is basically a brick now.
[+] [-] mtgx|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] MatthewPhillips|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] metatronscube|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dholowiski|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] TomAnthony|13 years ago|reply
It links to this PC WOrld page for the UK model which just confuses me further: http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/chromebook-1460-commercial.htm...
I was interested in buying, but I'm totally confused. Wikipedia also just lists the 550 model as the one released now, and has nothing matching the spec in the Google post.
Anyone worked it out? Sorry if I've missed something...
[+] [-] stuartmemo|13 years ago|reply
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/samsung-series-3-xe303c12-wifi...
£229 or £249 in-store. Bananas.
[+] [-] smackfu|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] richbradshaw|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sp332|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mtgx|13 years ago|reply
If Google would partner with Verizon or AT&T to offer these things for free (much better marketing than say a $50 price) with LTE and a 2 year contract, I think they would see even more sales, especially from businesses and professionals. Obviously they should be getting the data plans they get with an USB modem, not the amount they get with a cellphone plan.
[+] [-] andyking|13 years ago|reply
Last time I checked, the exchange rate wasn't £1=$1!
[+] [-] monkeyfacebag|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wickedchicken|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ShawnBird|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] fierarul|13 years ago|reply
A 250 euro Chromebook (VAT included) would be a nice buy. This means an ARM-based Chromebox should be around 150?
It's unclear from the announcement if Flash works or not since Youtube could be streaming H264.
Edit: Specs, including prices on https://sites.google.com/a/pressatgoogle.com/samsungchromebo...
[+] [-] benvanderbeek|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mtgx|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wmf|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dkhenry|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] chris_mahan|13 years ago|reply