back to article The Chromebooks are coming! New models due late 2013

While sales of Windows PCs and notebooks continue to disappoint, Acer, Asus, and other hardware makers are readying a new volley of Chromebooks to launch in the second half of 2013, sources close to the companies' Asia-based supply chains claim. According to a report in Taiwanese tech pub DigiTimes, the new push will be …

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  1. Neil Barnes Silver badge
    Paris Hilton

    I begin to see a pattern

    It seems to be that netbooks are going the same way as ereaders and phones. The device is paid for not in the initial purchase price but by the projected sale of applications, adverts, or content.

    Such sponsorship is all very well but I see the end of small cheap general purpose computing devices - makers will be required to lock down their devices to prevent any use other than that of the sponsor.

    1. The last doughnut
      Thumb Down

      Re: I begin to see a pattern

      Er hello. Since when is an ultrabook small or cheap? And have you seen the bloatware they come loaded with.

  2. Paul Crawford Silver badge

    The high-res one is attractive - as a machine to put Ubuntu, etc, on.

    The normal ones for students? Cheap perhaps, but useful, really?

    I can see them being a good buy for the utterly-IT-incompetents . I can think of certain friends/family in that category who just should never, ever, be allowed to do more than access a web browser. And even then pinned full-screen so I don't get a phone call about something having gone "stamp sized" and that no they really did not touch anything...

    1. Shagbag
      Thumb Up

      I can see them being a good buy for the utterly-IT-incompetents.

      Taking market share from Apple then?

      1. abitbolshy

        Re: I can see them being a good buy for the utterly-IT-incompetents.

        Dear Shagbag

        I really don't agree.

        I don't wan't to start a slanging match but your statement to me makes it sound like you think that anyone who ever used a dumb terminal is an IT incompetent?

        Whereas I think that pretty much all the IT that currently exists including the Internet was developed by people using dumb terminals (VT100 and the like) accessing remote server systems.

        Then came terminal emulators running on PCs and workstations, and gradually we have moved into the fully client-server type model which was envisaged in the 1980s and 90s. Again all current and probably future IT will be developed using this model.

        The advent of Chromebooks to me just marks the democratising of that client-server model. I don't need to spend thousands on a X-windows based Sun workstation.

        Instead for less that £200 I can buy a lightweight portable and almost disposable device that gives me access to almost infinite computing power (CPU cycles, memory, disk storage etc).

        And as with a dumb terminal rather than having to spend my time managing my client device (installing MS-Windows upgrades and the like) I can use my Chromebook to do whatever I want to do on the cloud - including writing programmes if I so wish.

        I get your joke about Apple users being utterly IT incompetent.

        But again I don't agree with your suggestion. I think eventually really IT competent people get past the platform-religion argument and realise that IT regardless if Windows/Mac/Unix, or Google/Apple/Microsoft, is a powerful to tool to do interesting, fun and useful things for other people.

        Best

        1. abitbolshy

          Re: I can see them being a good buy for the utterly-IT-incompetents.

          PS What I would like personally from the next generation of Chromebooks is simply lower prices and bigger screens.

          I sometimes envy my colleagues who have big screens on their mac and pc notebooks. The weight of current chromebooks is great - but if more screen size can be added while keeping weight down I think they will certainly have a place.

          I am not sure about an "Androidbook". Isn't a Google Nexus 10 with a bluetooth keyboard pretty much an Androidbook already?

          My Chromebook is lighter and less cumbersome than that combination and apart from playing games I can do similar things.

    2. Martin
      FAIL

      Why not useful?

      The normal ones for students? Cheap perhaps, but useful, really?

      Why ever not?

      The vast majority of students will need them for basic word processing, plus internet surfing and mail. For that, they are perfect.

      Geek students will buy one to hack on to see what they can do with them, as they are nice and cheap.

      And they are useful for the utterly-IT-incompetents too. But actually, these days, there aren't that many - students grew up with technology, and are used to things that just work, and expect them to continue doing so. Hence, a chromebook - you open it and start using it.

      1. jason 7
        Happy

        Re: Why not useful?

        Yes its really nice to open up my Samsung Chromebook and have it ready to go in just a few seconds.

        I was sceptical about them at first but now I've had mine a few months, it's my go to machine for general usage.

        Just plain straightforward no fuss computing. I don't even use my tablet as much.

        1. The last doughnut
          Thumb Up

          Re: Why not useful?

          Very happy with my ubuntubook - which will soon become an xubuntubook. It used to be a windaz XP laptop from 2006 but its more useable now.

  3. mark l 2 Silver badge

    I still don't understand why these chromebooks have an Intel x86 chip in them since they are designed to run only very limited local apps as everything runs in the cloud surely they would be better with a ARM SOC which should make them cheaper to produce.

    Of course having an Intel chip makes them more attractive to the root and hack crowd who will want to install full fat linux on them but surely this is only a small percentage of the market

    1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      There are probably two reasons for being x86: firstly, it's an easier target to compile for than ARM so Google can just ship the binaries. Manufacturers would otherwise have to maintain their own build processes for their particular ARM flavour. Secondly, all the chassis and components for netbooks can be reused.

      That logic will, of course, be turned on its head if anyone seriously starts to produce Android-based gear. But that needs Google to adapt Android to keyboard and mouse inputs first. The arguments against ARM would still apply but would have to be weighed up against binary compatibility with existing apps.

      I agree with you that there isn't much of a market for chromebooks outside the hacker crowd looking for cheap but usable hardware. Though I'm sure they'd be just as happy with ARM if the device drivers are there.

      1. jocaferro

        @Charlie Clark

        Wrong. As a matter of fact the Samsung Chromebook is powered by an ARM Exynos and is not the cheapest of them although close to the Acer C7. This Samsung Chromebook is in the #1 position Amazon Best Sellers laptop for many weeks/months - at least since December 2012 to be more precisely. Not nowadays but was the #1 Amazon uk too.

    2. jocaferro

      @mark l 2

      Samsung Chromebook (not the Series 5 ones) - ARM Exynos 5250

    3. K Cartlidge
      Happy

      There are indeed ARM versions.

      I have one.

      I prefer it to a tablet, but still use Windows 8 for serious work.

      BTW I do software/web development/design and after the initial shock of the new UI find myself far more productive than under Windows 7.

      1. Martin
        Happy

        Re: There are indeed ARM versions.

        I have an ARM one as well - the fairly recent Samsung jobby.

        Annoyingly, it means that one of the most useful items (RealVNC client for Chromebook) doesn't yet work - it only works for Intel Chromebooks.

        If you're reading this, RealVNC - I'm waiting patiently....

  4. RyokuMas
    Childcatcher

    Disregarding any pro or anti Microsoft sentiments...

    The fact is that Microsoft is over twenty years older than Google. Given how fast the IT industry moves, that's comparable to a lifetime.

    Google are younger and fresher, with a founding on more up-to-date concepts, so it's natural they are at the peak of their game. However, they are now hitting the point where people are starting question their ethics.

    Microsoft are attempting to rejuvenate their image, but are mired with years worth of bad rep - plus their foundation is based on an earlier era. What they are trying to do is not impossible, but it is very difficult and there's lots of potential for everything to go horribly wrong.

    Regardless of the outcome for Microsoft, the chances are in twenty years time we'll all be slating Google for their data-harvesting/licencing/patent trolling/whatever else they might get up to, while cheering on another younger, "better" company... and round we'll go again.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Suggested a Chromebook for my mother

    and she totally loves it. It's a bargain £200, and does everything she wants from a ultrabook, It's instant on, amazing battery life, really light, good display, nice keyboard.

    Best of all, nothing to update EVER, it's always bang upto data, and virus free. She has since convinced several other friends from the bowls club to buy them direct from Google.

    I won some SERIOUS brownie points the day I suggested Chromebook was the way to go...

    1. Brewster's Angle Grinder Silver badge

      Re: Suggested a Chromebook for my mother

      But it won't play Heroes of Might and Magic, so that's my mum out the picture.

      1. Captain Scarlet
        Coat

        Re: Suggested a Chromebook for my mother

        Yeah but for the price its hard to resist, if all you need it for is surfing the web and watching youtube it looks good. They must also have some remote desktop options available and vpn as well which can extend functionality for anyone who can configure it.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Suggested a Chromebook for my mother

          Try travelling with one, installing Skype locally ... not having a very cheap, or even any network data connection. It's a laptop, supposedly portable, for travelling away from home, who knows where, possibly further than your local town with wi-fi in at least a couple of cafes. A friend's ended up stuck in the bicycle pannier bag for most of our trip across a couple of European countries (well, three actually). Useless without a network connection.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Suggested a Chromebook for my mother

            Certainly not useless without a network connection.

            That's a myth that Microsoft would want you to believe, and was partially true of the early Chromebooks. However since then, all the apps work offline just fine, and sync as soon as you connect.

            It's also a doddle to tether to my 3G phone and sync.

            Not that my mum needs any of that...

            Like a said, perfect for at least 90% of the populations PC needs. But there will always be 10% it's not a great fit for...

          2. jason 7
            Facepalm

            Re: Suggested a Chromebook for my mother

            So you didn't do your homework then before you bought it? Tsk Tsk.

            Or read up that you can still use quite a bit of the functionality without a connection.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    woah!!!!!

    Think I read somewhere that chromebooks are garnering something like 0.02% of the total pc/laptop market. That is an order of magnitude BEHIND winRT. Go Google!!!! Oh, and bring on the down votes 'cause Google is Linux innit???

    1. jason 7

      Re: woah!!!!!

      Interesting how that works out when the Chromebooks have been Amazon No.1 sellers for quite a few months.

      Plus at the moment I'd really say Chromebooks are still in extended Beta. The big push it yet to come.

      Everyone I've shown mine too (Windows/Mac and Li...well actually no Linux fans as I don't know any in person) have all loved it and several have bought one.

      I do find it ironic that Linux may yet get its day on the desktop via being the underlying core of ChromeOS. But it's just not in the way that the Linux crowd would have wanted.

  7. Robert Moore

    Acer C7

    I bought one. Yesterday as a mater of fact.

    I really have not had much of a chance to play with it yet, but I am fairly impressed with the speed to cost ratio.

    I am however less than impressed with chrome. I think I am going to dual boot it. But I am going to give Chrome a few days to see what I really think.

  8. AdamCB

    The Chromebook Concept

    I've got to give credit to Google for not giving up on the Chromebook, and instead investing effort to improve the devices. The Chromebook concept is intriguing to say the least, and I'm sure that more businesses, schools, etc. will find use cases for a low-maintenance device that starts up fast and is easy to use.

    That being said, not everyone is willing or able to give up on their Windows applications. But there are solutions to overcome that obstacle. For example, Ericom AccessNow is an HTML5 RDP client that enables Chromebook users to securely connect using RDP to Terminal Server, VDI virtual desktops and PCs, and run Windows applications and desktops in a browser.

    AccessNow does not require any client to be installed on the Chromebook, as you only need the HTML5-compatible browser.

    Check out this link for more info:

    http://www.ericom.com/RDPChromebook.asp?URL_ID=708

    Please note that I work for Ericom

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