Hasta La Gadget!

Google just launched the latest iteration of its Chrome OS-based laptop here in San Francisco — the $249 (or £229, for those in the UK) 11.6-inch Samsung Chromebook. It’s ARM-based (fanless), 0.8-inches thick, weighs only 2.43 pounds, runs 6.5+ hours on battery, boots in under 10 seconds and supports 1080p video playback. Pre-orders start today at Amazon and PC World, and the laptop includes Google Now integration using Google Drive as a transport and comes with 100GB of free storage for two years. It will be available for sale on the Play Store and featured prominently at retailers like Best Buy, and naturally, we’re expecting this one to make a bigger splash than prior models based on the bargain bin price alone.

Under the hood, there’s a dual-core A15-based Samsung Exynos 5 Dual (5250) SoC, 2GB RAM, 16GB of built-in flash storage, WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth, all of which should act to give this Chromebook a lot more oomph compared to slower, earlier models. Other specs include a 1366 x 768 native screen resolution, a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 socket, combo headphone / mic jack, an SD card slot and a “full-size Chrome keyboard.” Hit up the links below for the nitty-gritty, or hop on past the break for a promo vid.

Update: Our hands-on with the new Chromebook is live!

Continue reading Google launches 11.6-inch ARM-based Samsung Chromebook: $249, ultrathin, 6.5-hour battery, 1080p video

Filed under: Laptops, Google

Google launches 11.6-inch ARM-based Samsung Chromebook: $249, ultrathin, 6.5-hour battery, 1080p video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We talked a bit about Google considering offering rental Chromebook computers in the past. Little over a year ago, the topic came up with prices expected to start at about $20 per month. Google has now announced the launch of rentals for Chromebooks and bulk purchases for its Apps customers.

The catch is that renting a Chromebook is going to cost you more than we thought last year with prices starting at $30 monthly. After renting the machine for the first 12 months, the rental fleet will go down to $25 per month and then for the third year the rental fee will be $20 per month. The rentals are actually being provided by a 3rd-party, CIT, so you’re not dealing directly with Google for the deal. Granted Chromebooks are relatively inexpensive to begin with so an outright purchase makes a lot more sense, in my opinion.

Google also allow people to rent Chromeboxes, the desktop equivalent to the Chromebook. The rental price for the desktop version of the machine is $25 per month with that rate declining to $18 over time. The best news is that these are month-to-month services, so if you’re not sure a Chromebook is for you at least you can try out for a couple months with no commitment. The bulk purchase of Chromebooks is also available at $599 per unit – with support, which seems very expensive for what you’re getting, but maybe it makes sense to corporate clients.

[via TheNextWeb]

Aw, wouldn’t you look at the cute little… wait. Right, there’s a Chrome OS update. At its heart, the upgrade to Google’s cloud-based platform introduces a streamlined app list that both occupies less space and carries an internet-wide search box. It’s also possible to save files directly to Google Drive, and audio can now play through either HDMI or USB. Don’t lie to yourself, however: the real reason you’ll rush to update your Chromebook today is newly added support for custom wallpapers, which guarantees all-day, everyday viewing of your most favorite dog in the whole wide world. Or at least, a nice change of pace from Google’s run-of-the-mill backdrops. Isn’t it so sweet?

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software

Chrome OS update revamps app list and Google Drive saves, allows relentessly adorable wallpapers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 20:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember Google’s Chromebox? The company is giving attendees at I/O one of the machines absolutely free. That’s not a bad present on top of the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus Q, and Nexus 7s that were given away yesterday. If you recall, the Chromebox is running Google’s Chrome OS and is designed to be a lightweight PC for basic multimedia and productivity tasks.

Specs for the Chromebox include an Intel Celeron dual-core processor clocked at 1.9Ghz, 4GB of RAM, and 16GB of local storage, plus a whole host of connectivity options including six USB ports, two DisplayPorts, DVI, Ethernet, and WiFi. Naturally, the box is designed to take advantage of Google’s various cloud services, hence the limited amount of storage.

Still, we doubt many will be complaining about receiving a $329 machine for nothing. If you’re at I/O then you’ll be able to pick up your free Chromebox at the Gear booth. If you’re not there, you’ll just have to buy one or convince someone who went to give it to you for free. Just remember to say “pretty please”.

Google I/O attendees score free Chromebox is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Google is getting serious about spreading the reach of Chromebooks. At its day two I/O keynote, it just revealed that the Chrome OS laptops are in 100 Best Buy retail stores across the US, effective today. British stores are getting a similar amount of care with a Chromebook presence in Dixons stores throughout the UK. We’re still waiting on more details, such as which models will grace shelves, but there’s good reason to suspect that Samsung’s Series 5 550 will be front and center. If you haven’t had the chance to make it out to a library or a cross-country flight to try a Chromebook for yourself, all you’ll have to do now is swing by the local electronics shop to give that cloud computer a real shakedown.

Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012’s developer conference at our event hub!

Google sends Chromebooks to some Best Buy and Dixons stores, starting today originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 13:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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