Virgin America will offer in-flight Chromebooks to lucky fliers

Forget an extra ginger ale or free pillow for your next flight; Virgin America has a better idea. In a move that one-ups American Airlines' free in-flight Android tablets, Virgin will allow passengers to use Samsung Chromebooks on certain flights. Travelers trekking from Virgin's main hub in San Francisco to Boston, Chicago, and Dallas will be able to take advantage of the new program.

The Chromebook runs Google's web-based Chrome operating system, making Virgin's free wifi a perfect fit for such an amenity. Chrome OS uses the internet as its interface, allowing users to run web apps and perform other tasks without ever leaving the web. Users can browse, rate, and download apps in the Chrome Web Store, which anyone who is familiar with the iTunes App Store will immediately feel comfortable with.

In a world dominated by a handful of operating systems, Chrome OS is a bit of a wild card. Allowing airline passengers a chance to spend a few hours going hands-on with the concept is a win-win for both Virgin and Google for obvious reasons. However, it remains to be seen whether the sometimes unpredictable nature of airborne internet is the ideal testbed for a device that requires the web in order to function in any meaningful way.

Virgin America via Mashable

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