Google today announced the first commercial devices (following the Cr-48 pilot program) to be powered by its Chrome OS. Dubbed Chromebooks, they will be available from Acer and Samsung starting on June 15th.
These are not typical notebooks. With a Chromebook you won’t wait minutes for your computer to boot and browser to start. You’ll be reading your email in seconds. Thanks to automatic updates the software on your Chromebook will get faster over time. Your apps, games, photos, music, movies and documents will be accessible wherever you are and you won’t need to worry about losing your computer or forgetting to back up files. Chromebooks will last a day of use on a single charge, so you don’t need to carry a power cord everywhere. And with optional 3G, just like your phone, you’ll have the web when you need it. Chromebooks have many layers of security built in so there is no anti-virus software to buy and maintain.
The first Chromebooks will be available as of June 15th from Amazon.com and Best Buy in the US. Acer models (11.6-inch HD display, dual-core Intel processor) will start at US$349. Samsung models (12.1-inch WXGA display and dual-core Intel processor) will start US$429 for Wi-Fi-only and US$499 for 3G/Wi-Fi models. There is no word yet on availability in Canada.
Google will also offer Chromebooks on monthly subscriptions starting at US$28 per month per user for business and US$20 per month per user for educational institutions.