Hasta La Gadget!

How do you solve a consumer education problem like the Chromebook? You put it into the idle hands of urbanite travelers — that’s how. The fast-booting neither laptop, nor netbook entity with negligible storage and not-yet-defined purpose will find a temporary summer home at select Virgin America gates and New York’s Ace Hotel starting Friday. Jet-setters flying between San Francisco and either Chicago O’Hare, Dallas / Fort Worth, or Boston Logan can get an on-the-fly, marketing-fortified crash course in Chrome OS computing by visiting special ‘Chrome zones’ located near departure gates. Virgin’s also thrown in some free in-flight WiFi to ensure you test drive Google’s Cloud-dependent lap-dweller . And if you’re one of the millions of tourists planning on seeing the Big Apple in all its humid splendor, the Ace Hotel’s got an on-the-house stash that lobby lizards can use, but only guests can take out. But the promotional push doesn’t just stop there: all partners involved have bundled specialized travel-planning apps into the experience — sure to be ripe with cooler-than-thou recommendations. It’s a noble attempt by our search giant overlord to make a name for its portable computing entrant, and a helpful distraction from that armrest hog next to you.

Continue reading Chromebook boards Virgin America, checks-in at Ace Hotel for summer vacation

Chromebook boards Virgin America, checks-in at Ace Hotel for summer vacation originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The US has already tasted its first piece of the Chromebook pie, and now Samsung’s serving up a slice to our friends across the pond. That’s right, the Samsung Series 5 will grace European soil starting this Friday, and will set our European brethren back €399 (or £349) for the Wi-Fi model and €449 (or £399) for the 3G version. The Chrome OS laptop will be available in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy to start, and is said to be on the way to other countries in the next few months. So stop licking your lips already. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Series 5 lands in Europe June 24th, starting at 399 euros

Samsung Series 5 lands in Europe June 24th, starting at 399 euros originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For almost two years now, Google’s been talking up the idea of always-on, always-connected laptops based on a version of its Chrome browser. Local storage, of course, was not an ingredient in the equation. And while a lucky few developers got to put the concept to the test with the help of the CR-48, it never surfaced as an honest to goodness consumer product. At last, though, the Chromebooks are here, starting with Samsung’s Series 5, a cute little number that promises instant-on access, 3G connectivity, and long enough battery life to web surf with the best of ’em. But is this new class of computers — and this solidly built one, in particular — poised to make an impact? Let’s find out.

Continue reading Samsung Chromebook Series 5 review

Samsung Chromebook Series 5 review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We can’t say we expected Gilt to be the first place to offer Samsung’s new Chromebook but, well, here we are. Google’s now sending out emails like the one above to at least some folks that signed up to be a part of the Cr-48 pilot program, telling them that they can join a “limited time” sale on the high-end discount site starting today, June 1st. In true Gilt fashion, the Chromebook (otherwise known as the Samsung Series 5) will also come paired with a “limited edition” sleeve designed by Rickshaw. Unfortunately, “limited” seems to be the keyword here — the sale is only open to those that have received the email, and it’s not clear how many Chromebooks are actually available.

Update: And they’re all gone, but there is a wait list if you want to hang onto some hope of getting one before the official launch on June 15th.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Samsung Chromebook goes on sale early at Gilt (update: sold out) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chromebooks a tad too mobile for you? Sensing the market is at last ready for Google’s web-based OS, Xi3 decided to ship the ChromiumPC, an updated version of the modular, Chrome OS-based desktop it trotted out as a concept last year. The computer (also known as the 5 Series) has a processor module and two I/O ones — a design whose promise is that installing a different operating system should be as easy as swapping out that first board. And, cheekily, the company expects it to go on sale July 4th, a day when Chromium OS owners can “declare their independence from the built-in obsolescence of other computers.” Got that, folks? Your mature operating system and local storage are useless. No word yet on pricing, so here’s hoping Chrome OS isn’t a moot point or anything by the time we find out. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Xi3 modular PC reborn as Chrome OS desktop, promises independence from local storage

Xi3 modular PC reborn as Chrome OS desktop, promises independence from local storage originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 12:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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