Prices Are Dropping on Chromebooks
Chromebooks are dropping in price -- but the question is whether the drop will help to raise their appeal. The new price cuts, as much as 30 percent, affect Acer AC700 models and Samsung's Chromebook Series 5.
The laptops, based on Google's Net-oriented operating system Chrome, have not yet caught on, but the new pricing could give them a boost. The Acer Wi-Fi model will go for about $300, from its former price of $350, and the Verizon 3G model has been cut from $449 to $399. Samsung's Series 5 Chromebook, formerly $430, will now be $350.
'Tis the Season'
Google's Web-oriented Chrome OS came out in 2009, with the idea that a Net-based computer could be an attractive alternative to Microsoft's and Apple's platforms. The Chromebooks, which first became generally available this summer, use the cloud for all work, play, communication and storage.
In a posting Monday on the Google Chrome Blog, entitled "Tis the season for Chromebooks," Google Software Engineer Miranda Callahan noted that the Chrome OS has recently undergone "a bit of a facelift," with a boot-up in eight seconds and a "fresh, clean login experience."
"We've also been working closely with our partners to continually improve the overall Chromebook experience while making them even more affordable," he wrote.
A new Tab page makes it easier to manage apps, bookmarks, and most visited sites, and there are new shortcuts, such as to File Manager, music apps, and games.
When the Chromebooks came out in the summer, the key advantages touted by Google included the machines' always-connected state, instant-on, an all-day battery, the ability to "access your stuff everywhere," built-in security, and continual improvements to the OS and apps that did not require user updating.
Pay-As-You-Go
From the standpoint of security, the companies have described Chrome as "the first operating system designed from the ground up against the ongoing threat of malware and viruses."
There's also an a la carte approach that Google and its partners have hoped would appeal to users, and especially to businesses. Chromebooks available through Verizon Wireless have access to pay-as-you-go day or monthly passes for 3G. Chromebooks can be rented for $28 per user per month, including a Web management console, support and warranty. Schools can get a similar deal for $20 per user per month.
But the laptops have to compete with price-dropping laptops, $250 Netbooks and tablets. There's also the issue of wireless speed and availability since, unlike other devices, when the Net is slow, down or not present, the device is essentially neutered.
And there's the key question of whether Chromebooks' advantages are that strong compared with, say, using a more functional Netbook or a lapbook with a Chrome browser full screen.
Some observers have suggested Chromebooks might have appeal to certain kinds of businesses where the primary applications are Web-based, such as salespeople who use Salesforce.com all day. In that case, employees could simply check-in and check-out their Chromebook, and it wouldn't matter which unit they took.
