Google unveils $249 Chromebook

Google Inc. on Friday took the wraps off a new cloud-centric Chromebook laptop whose $249 price looms as its biggest come-on.

 

Chrome and Apps SVP Sundar Pichai said the new machines made by Korean giant Samsung are "much more affordable" and fits its vision of a "computer for everyone."

 

"This gets to the heart of the Chromebook vision. In order to have one, two or more computers around the house, they need to be easy to use and much more affordable. So together with Samsung, we designed a new laptop — the new Samsung Chromebook for $249 — the computer for everyone," Pichai said in a blog post. 

 

The new Samsung Chromebook is initially available for pre-order online from Amazon, Best Buy, PC World and other retailers.

 

By next week it will be available for sale from these same online retailers as well as the Google Play store.

 

Pichai said the new Chromebook is one of the lightest laptops on the market at 2.5 pounds and 0.8 inch thick.

 

The Chromebook boasts more than six hours of battery life for the typical user, and 100 GB of free storage on Google Drive.

 

Also, Pichai said the Chromebook boots in less than 10 seconds and resumes instantly, and can play high-resolution videos (1080p).

 

It has smooth scrolling due to a hardware-accelerated user interface.

 

The machine also allows multiple user accounts, with Pichai claiming Google's apps such as Gmail and Maps will work "seamlessly."

 

A separate article on Gizmodo said Chromebooks "are pretty much the best inexpensive laptops you can get."

 

"But the real spec you care about is that $250. Well, and 'It works real good,' too, if that can be a spec," it said. - SP, GMA News