The Chromebook, a laptop that uses Google’s Chrome Web browser for everything on a computer from OS to software to storage, has hit the stores in the UK.
The Samsung made models are priced at £349 for the Wi-Fi-only version, and £399 for the 3G-enabled version. The Samsung Series 5 Chromebook weighs about 1.5kg and has a battery life of 10 hours.
The devices have only16 GB storage space as users are expected to store their data on the cloud, and they take seconds to be active after being switched on.
Users do not have to install software via a CD as in computers running on traditional operating systems such as Microsoft’s Windows or Apple’s Mac OS. The Chrome Web browser installs the required applications on a remote server and updates them automatically.
The device is integrated with Google services like Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Docs. The company plans to have these services in offline mode as well soon along with Google’s ‘Cloud Print’. However, it is not possible to use rival services such as Skype on the device.
Google Product Management Director for Chrome Caesar Sengupta said that the Chromebook removes hassles about installation of applications and back-up.
Sengupta told Metro.co.uk, ‘What you don’t get from this is headaches. With current operating systems, you have to get anti-virus software, you have to worry about backing up your data, you have to worry about what version of the software you’re running, you have to worry about malware."
‘The Chromebook’s a lot more no-hassle. You open it up, it just works, you don’t have to worry about viruses – it has a pretty crazy amount of security in it – and it’s very easy to share. You just use your computer, close the lid, walk away, come back, open the lid and you’re back to where you were.’
