By Carl Laron on May 16, 2011 in
The Internet has been buzzing with word that Google's promised Chrome-based netbook will become real next month. Dubbed the Chromebook, models will range from a $349 Wi-Fi only version from Acer to a $499 3G version with 100 MB of free data per month (for only two years, however) from Samsung. Schools ($20 to $23 per month) and businesses ($28 to $33 per month) will also have the option of leasing instead of buying Chrombooks. We'll have a full report on the Chromebook and its alternatives when we next update our report on netbooks. (Look for that at the end of next month, after the Chromebook officially hits the streets -- and the reviewers' desks.) In the meantime, here's what we know.
Life in the cloud
Without getting too lost (we hope) in the jargon jungle, the Chromebook is a cloud-computing device. The idea behind cloud computing is that instead of keeping programs and data on your own machine, it places them on secure servers scattered across the Internet (the cloud). There are tons of advantages to that approach, but the big one is that you don't need a powerful -- or big -- machine if you can let a remote server do most of the work. The 12-inch Chromebooks certainly fit that profile with their dual-core Intel Atom N570 processors, 2 GB of RAM, and a 16 GB solid-state hard drive -- a hardware lineup that PCMag.com's Mark Hachman says "is almost embarrassed to exist."
Chromebooks run the Google Chrome operating system -- basically a version of Linux married with Google's Chrome browser. Programs are accessed as apps from within Chrome, and apps on the Chrome App Store at launch include everything from games (yes, Angry Birds is available) to productivity, including word processor apps, accounting apps, presentation apps and more. Other benefits that Google touts include automatic, seamless updates and robust security -- though some say that automatic updates that can't be opted out of isn't the hottest idea, especially in a corporate setting, and that some of the security benefits might be overstated.
Back here on earth
Google (of course) and lots of pundits think the world of the forthcoming Chromebooks. For example, ZDNet.com's Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols gives five reasons why Chromebooks could be a Windows killer. Though others have taken shots at the price of the Chromebooks, Vaughn-Nichols says that the lease deal could be a steal for corporate customers. "For $28 a month you get a constantly updated operating system and, this is the killer part, Google will also automatically, with no extra charge update your Chromebook or ChromePC every three years."
However, Chromebooks also put lots of restrictions on their users. If you can make do with the native Chrome Apps, great. However if you need or want to use something a little more heavy duty -- say Photoshop, for instance -- things get trickier. It's one of five reasons why Ed Bott, Vaughan-Nichols' colleague at ZDNet.com, says the Chromebook is NOT a Windows killer. "Hope you love Google, because it's the only first-class citizen in this ecosystem," he writes. By the way, Apple products, including the iPhone and iPad 2, don't play well with the Chromebook, which some say could prevent its success with consumers.
Full reviews of the Chromebook are likely a month away, but in the meantime there are lots of first-impression reviews, particularly of Samsung's offering. You can read a selection of them here. Once more detailed information is available, we'll bring that to you in our report on netbooks.
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