Google announces Chromebook with 3G model priced at $330

At last year’s Google I/O Google announced the Chromebook that was described by Hugo Barra, Director of Android Product Management at Google as a tablet with a keyboard. He added that the attributes that make phones and tablets great are being brought to the notebooks. Since its launch, it did not gather as much steam as expected. However, it now appears that Google has come back with a new model, this time around teaming up with Samsung to launch the 11.6-inch Chromebook that will be available for $249.99, while the 3G equipped model is priced at $329.99.

As per a post on Google’s official blog, Sundar Pichai, SVP, Chrome & Apps stated that many people use the Chromebook today as the additional computer for their home. For families, it becomes easy to use and share, with the ability of having kids doing their homework on the couch, parents catching up on emails in the kitchen counter and grandparents staying connected by using the video chat. He states that there is no need to worry about security updates and maintenance is easy. All one needs to do is charge the battery to get it up and running.

Easy enough for everyone to use

The feature that sets this Chromebook apart from others available in the market is that it comes with an ARM-based processor. The Samsung Chromebook is powered by a Samsung dual-core Exynos 5 Dual 5250 processor.

Here is a look at the highlighted features of the Samsung Chromebook:

• 11.6-inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768
• 0.8 inches thin - 2.5lbs/ 1.1kg
• Over 6.5 hours of battery
• Samsung Exynos 5 Dual Processor
• 100GB Google Drive Cloud Storage with Solid State Drive
• Built-in dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
• VGA Camera
• 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0
• HDMI Port
• Bluetooth 3.0 Compatible

Commenting on the weight of the device, Pichai stated, “It’s one of the lightest laptops on the market. You can easily carry it around all day — it’s 2.5 pounds, a mere 0.8 inches thick, with more than 6 hours of battery life for the typical user.”

Pichai has also spoken about the other features of the Chromebook and he said that even though it features a compact design, it still features good performances and has the ability to boot up within 10 seconds and resumes instantly as well. Pichai stated, “And as you‘d expect from a Chromebook, it’s easy to share with others. Everyone—mom, dad, grandparents, tech lovers, tech haters—can have separate accounts where all of their stuff is kept safe. Finally, if you’re an active Google user of products like Gmail, Drive, Search, Maps, YouTube, Play or Google+ Hangouts, everything just works seamlessly.”

The Samsung Chromebook is available online for preorder from online retailers such as Amazon, PC World and other retailers. From next month the Chromebook will be available on the same online retailers as well as the Google Play Store. As of now, there is no word on when this laptop will launch in India.