Google Announces Chromebooks from Samsung, Acer

Does Google’s Chromebook threaten Windows’ lock on enterprise computing?

As revealed at Google I/O in San Francisco this week, Samsung and Acer will produce cloud-centric notebooks running the lightweight, Web-based Chrome OS. The Samsung Series 5 Chromebook will retail for $429 for the WiFi-only model, and $499 for a version with a 3G radio. Acer’s WiFi-only Chromebook will retail for $349. Both devices will be available June 15 in the United States via Amazon.com and Best Buy’s online storefront.

Google also has plans to offer Chromebooks to businesses and educational institutions on a subscription basis, along with a cloud-management console so IT administrators can manage devices, applications and policies. The Chromebook business edition will cost $28 per user, per month; the education edition, $20 per user, per month. Those who opt for a subscription will be required to sign a three-year contract.

In addition, subscribers will have access to enterprise-level support, warranties and replacements, and regular hardware refreshes.

How does Chrome OS differ from Windows? For one thing, it boots faster: With no BIOS startup process, a Chromebook needs only eight seconds (Google claims) to ready itself for use. And unlike Windows, where the substantial majority of programs reside natively on the local hard drive, Chrome OS emphasizes the downloading and opening of Web applications, including Gmail and Google Docs, via the Chrome Brower. Because its center of gravity is in the cloud, the first Chromebooks feature 16GB SSDs (solid-state drives)–in other words, not a whole lot of memory for people who want to use a laptop for storing lots of media and rich documents. Battery life is around eight hours for both Samsung’s and Acer’s models.

Ultimately, Google is selling Chromebooks as the new paradigm of simplicity. “Chromebooks have many layers of security built in so there is no anti-virus software to buy and maintain,” read a May 11 posting on The Official Google Blog. “Even more importantly, you won’t spend hours fighting your computer to set it up and keep it up to date.”

For subscribers on a three-year contract, a business Chromebook will ultimately cost you $1,008. During the same timeframe, the education edition will run you $720. That’s not only a substantial markup from the retail non-subscription price, but it essentially places the Chromebook head-to-head in the price category against relatively powerful and tricked-out PCs running Windows 7. 

For more, read the eWEEK article: Google Chromebook Could Struggle Against Windows, iPad.