Tag Archives: Chrome OS hardware
Video: Samsung Series 5 Close-Up
Posted on 25. May, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 
3 Comments
While we’ve already seen a few grainy clips of Samsung’s Chromebook from Google I/O, here is a polished look at what’s in store coming June 15 when the Series 5 is available to the general public. Judging by this, it appears that Samsung will have greatly improved the Chrome OS hardware experience from the Cr-48 test device that was sent out by Google almost six months ago.
The question is: when is Acer going to start promoting their Chromebook?
The Xi3 ChromiumPC Might be Worse Than a Double Rainbow
Posted on 22. May, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 4 Comments
As if a Lady Gaga Chrome Ad wasn’t enough to make me wonder if someone slipped whiskey in my ginger ale last night, a company called ISYS Technologies, Inc. from Salt Lake City is claiming to be the first company to develop the first Chrome OS desktop called the Xi3. They even got themselves an article in the the Salt Lake Tribune as a result.
But let’s be realistic for a second. ISYS Technologies is working on a hardware device that is based on Chromium OS, not Chrome OS. And take a look at these mythical specifications: “The ChromiumPC will be powered by a dual- or single-core 64-bit, x86-based processor, housed in a chassis measuring 4.0- x 3.656- x 3.656-inches and available in multiple colors, including a chrome-plated chassis.” Not very specific other than the fact this would probably cost more than a Chromebook.
Already we’ve seen the ARM-based Trim Slice, which admittedly is not loaded with horsepower. Yet at $199 and currently available makes for a perhaps better alternative than the Xi3, which ISYS has said it will not divulge further details about until July 4th.
Yes, I said July 4th. By that time, the actual first Chrome OS desktop, the Samsung Chromebox, might have a launch date associated with it – or at least further details. Remember, Google is working closely with hardware manufacturers on all official Chrome OS hardware. Since the Samsung unit will likely be the first device that is the actual inaugural Chrome OS desktop, it will be interesting to see whether or not ISYS will be able to sell any Chrome-plated desktops over the summer.
Does the Xi3 Chromium OS desktop sounds like a device that you would purchase?
UPDATE: These devices are indeed expensive. ConceivablyTech reports that the Suse Linux version is $849 and the Windows 7 box starts at $998.
Video: Introducing the Chromebook
Posted on 11. May, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
Here is the introduction video for the Chromebook that was played during Google I/O’s Chrome keynote.
Google Shows off Samsung Chromebox
Posted on 11. May, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 5 Comments
The Samsung Chromebox is a nettop-style gadget that Google showed off today during their Chrome keynote. This device is coming as a result of talking with some organizations that don’t want their users running wild with Chrome OS notebooks all over the place. Here is what it looks like.
We’re guessing that this comes with an Intel processor, but we don’t know any other specifications right now. What would you use a Chromebox for?
Google’s Chrome OS Notebook: Will You Subscribe to the Cloud?
Posted on 07. May, 2011 by Julian West. 0 Comments
“iPad, in a few days, there might be another post-PC device in town. It only runs a browser. It’s prototype looks like a hybrid of a Thinkpad and your old black MacBook that isn’t anymore. It’s matte instead of shiny. It doesn’t have a caps lock.
iPad: are you afraid yet?
Well, here is the ad.”
“iPad – you can stop crying now.”
OK, kidding aside, were you as surprised as I was that Google has come out with an ad on television? It looks like cloud computing is about to go primetime. We are perhaps just days away from the first thin client — the Chrome notebook — being available to the average consumer.
Google is investing much into Chrome, yet yet some doubt that Chrome will be successful. After all, netbooks are so 2008, and Apple’s post-PC device, the iPad 2, is so popular.
Tablets such as the iPad offer different possibilities in their user interface, which would put them in the post-PC category, some of them quite helpful and fun. However, they are still “fat clients” in little packages. If the app you want to run doesn’t use the particular operating system you are out of luck.
Now, the Cr-48 looks like your typical laptop, a form factor which has existed for decades. One post-PC aspect about the upcoming Chrome notebook is that there might be a different way to purchase it: a subscription plan, complete with “hardware refreshes and repairs,” as if it was a smart phone. Post-PC indeed!
Are We Already at the Post-PC Era?
Posted on 14. Apr, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
The research analysis firm IDC has put out a report about worldwide PC shipments, and the numbers were clearly in decline for the first quarter of this year. Whereas it was expected that PC sales would be slightly up this year, in Q1 the numbers slipped 3.2% worldwide with a 10% drop in the United States.
While the first quarter overall doesn’t appear to be a good quarter for PC shipments, you can see that the numbers are in a decline, and at the lowest since Q1 2009, which came right after the markets crash. Breaking down the number of shipments for individual manufacturers in the U.S. here are the top five.
Acer has seen a dramatic change from 2010 to 2011, which can probably be explained by a bottoming out of the netbook market.
Four of the top five here have expressed interest in selling Chrome OS hardware. The only other one on the list is Apple. The number one manufacturer, HP, threw their support behind the platform, but they may be on the outs now that they want to sell WebOS and Windows dual boot machines.
Dell is interested, as one of their Linux Team members named Doug Anson has put out builds that work with Dell Minis. We’ve heard rumors that Toshiba has been working on Chrome OS, although there has been no official word from them. The company that looks to benefit the most would be Acer, which has seen a huge year over year 42.1% drop in PC sales. Acer was announced as an initial hardware partner in December 2010.
I’m reading a lot that perhaps in the post-PC era that we’re supposedly entering into that Chrome OS doesn’t really fit. I would disagree. While Chrome is expected to arrive first on laptops, it will be on other devices down the line. Google realizes that they best way to enter this market is to try to do it with laptops.
Remember, just because there’s a drop in overall sales there are still millions of PC that are being sold. They’re just not being replaced as quickly as before. We’ve got the iPad and smartphones to help augment the web experience, and more often these days new software is being deployed as web services, which don’t require a lot of user hardware resources. What’s the incentive to replace PC hardware? Many people as well as big companies appear to be lengthening their PC lifecycle to adjust.
Do you think that this is a good opportunity for Chrome OS hardware or not?
Sony Chrome OS PC Rumor is Just… A Rumor
Posted on 20. Mar, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 3 Comments
I came across the information from Sony Insider about the company’s plan to build a Chrome OS device yesterday and decided to pass on writing about it. However, sites like Engadget are covering it, so I have to at least write something.
I don’t find this development particularly inspiring. Sure, Sony might be working on a Chrome OS PC but the reality is that most major manufacturers that want to make money from products not part of the Windows ecosystem are doing the same thing right now. It’s what they do.
Anyways, here are the rumored specs for the device.
- 11.6 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display
- 1 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor
- 1GB of RAM
- 16GB solid state disk
- 8 hour battery
While I like these specifications, I want to emphasize that this could all come to naught for a number of reasons. The Sony Insider report is sketchy at best, and it’s a sure bet that the initial Chrome OS devices will come with Intel processors, not ARM. Intel has a vested interest in being prominently involved with Chrome OS despite the fact that their processors are more expensive.
Sony is known in th PC market for selling devices that are usually in a higher price tier than other PCs, so a laptop with Chrome OS from them would be more expensive than most. With ARM it might be cheaper, but only in order to keep in line with Sony’s high margins.
Would you buy a Sony Chrome OS PC?
via Sony Insider
What’s the Sweet Spot For Chrome OS Pricing?
Posted on 18. Mar, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 9 Comments
Price is a very important consideration for Chrome OS. Becuase it’s a different way of using a personal computer one has to wonder how much a Google-sanctioned device with Chrome will cost. With Apple dominating the mobile gadget market with the iPad and several other rival tablets costing much higher than that, there is potential for cloud-based machines to capture the gadget market below $499.
Netbooks today are generally cheaper than $499, and Asus, who is rumored to be planning a netbook that replaces Windows with a Google OS, currently offers an Intel Atom machine that costs around $310. Take away the Microsoft licensing on that gadget, and you have a latop that may cost around $275 or so.
I think that’s really the best price area for debuting Chrome OS laptops to try to debut in. However, the Asus machine I’m referring to is a bit small by Google’s standards since they have said that they would ideally like to see laptops with full keyboards and larger screens in the 12-13″ size range.
That would require some extra cost, so it’s safe to say that a Chrome OS latop would probably cost around $300 retail. That is a price higher than a smartphone, less than a tablet and a better alternative to Windows netbooks. The question is if hardware manufacturers will be able to balance quality while charging a price that allows them to make money.
What’s the price range that would entice you to buy a Chrome OS PC?
Asus Plotting a Chrome OS Netbook?
Posted on 17. Mar, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 3 Comments
The hit-or-miss Digitimes, which follows the PC manufacturing market in Taiwan, is reporting that Asustek is making plans to develop a cheap netbook that could either come with Android 3.0 or perhaps Chrome OS. The expected price of this unit is estimated to be around the $200-$250 price range.
While the PC market is still strong, sales of netbooks are falling because of the availability of tablets. Asus’ intention is to capture a market for cheap computers that don’t have to pass the Windows licensing premium onto the consumer in terms of price. It’s a valid strategy: sell an Intel Atom-based netbook for a low enough price and you’ll get the interest of wireless carriers, who will help subsidize the cost even more with data plans.
The Asus 1015PED runs Windows 7 and costs $310.
I’m not going to dismiss this rumor, but I would not expect a netbook like this from Asus until at least the fourth quarter of 2011. Google has said that initial Chrome OS devices will be laptops, which are bigger in size than netbooks. Asus’ plan, supposedly, is to offer their cheap netbook with a 10″ screen size. The prototype Chrome OS laptop released by Google, known as the Cr-48, comes with a 12.1″ screen and a full keyboard.
via CrunchGear, DigiTimes
thechromesource Daily: Links for 2/16/11
Posted on 16. Feb, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
The new toolbar format has come to many on Google’s homepage; is this the beginning of a social component?
The Dev channel of Chrome browser has been updated with stability fixes.
Could Chrome OS’s commercial development trigger a hardware price war?
Does IE9 really render HTML5 better than its competitors?
Eric Schmidt sees payments as the next big business on the web.
A Collection of Cr-48 Photos by Users
Posted on 09. Dec, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 3 Comments
I’ve yet to have a Cr-48 arrive at my door, but a number of users have been posting some really great pictures of the test Chrome OS laptop issued by Google. They did start showing up on people’s doorsteps today, and the device really looks quite nice. Here are some of my favorites so far.
“Mario” and “Andretti” Codenames for Chrome OS Hardware
Posted on 26. Nov, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 3 Comments
At this point, some Google employees have been testing a number of hardware candidates for an impending release. Exciting? Yes. Excitingly fast Chrome OS hardware? Seems very likely.
It appears that two devices with promising potential are called “Mario” and “Andretti” after the famous Formula One/IndyCar racer. That’s fitting, since these machines are supposed to be able to get up and running really fast. Plus, the fact that everything is run through one key Chrome browser application means that the machine will remain fast over time.
Chrome OS is also designed so that even if the machine gets bogged down with malware or some other security exploit, it will reset its system files back to a previous restore point.
Of course, the caveat to this is your internet connection speed. But we’re now seeing Verizon marketing its 4G LTE service, which should offer connections faster than many broadband packages. This is arriving in December for select markets. As this rolls out there will be exciting potential to be able to do full-fledged web activities from wherever you want to.
via TechCrunch
