The launch of Google’s all-browser operating system, Chrome, was tempered somewhat last month by the fact that Acer, one of the two launch partners, didn’t have their hardware ready on time. Although Google announced Chrome OS would launch with a higher-end model from Samsung and a machine for the budget-conscious from Acer, in fact only the Samsung Series 5 has been available up to this point.
Thankfully for Google as well as penny-pinching consumers, Acer seems to have got their act together and has announced that their AC700 Chromebook will be available in the US “this month”. We’re assuming they mean “the next month” as there are only three days left in June.
The WiFi-only AC700 will set you back $350, $70 cheaper than the Samsung equivalent, with a 3G model coming “this summer”. Specs-wise, the AC700 doesn’t differ hugely from its Samsung sibling, sporting an Atom N570 processor, 2GB RAM and a 16GB SSD. The main differentiator between the two models is screen size – the Samsung device sports a 12.1″ screen, while the AC700 boasts a slightly more demure 11.6″ display.
Although the reception to Google’s cloud-only Chrome OS has been somewhat mixed – with most critics concluding that web apps are not quite ready for prime-time, and the hardware somewhat underpowered (the two machines do run on Netbook hardware, after all), Google has caused something of a stir with its pricing model.
For educational institutions, Google is offering Chromebooks up from as little as $20 per month, which includes all software and hardware updates. The search giant also claims that Chrome’s superior security and simplicity means anti-virus software and tech support will become things of the past. The subscription model is also available for private companies for a slightly increased price.
