Google has just announced Samsung’s latest Chrome OS devices, starting with an updated Chromebook coming in at US$449.99 for the Wi-Fi model and US$549.99 for a model with 3G and Wi-Fi. Not only is the new laptop faster, has a new trackpad, but it also includes the new Chrome OS UI, dubbed ‘Aura’, that’s been in public testing for a few months now.
The Chromebook specs include:
- Intel Celeron 867 Processor @ 1.3Ghz
- Intel HD Graphics 3000
- 4GB of RAM
- 16GB SSD
- 12.1″ display
- Webcam
- Wifi
- USB 2.0 x2
- Displayport++
- 2 x 2w Speakers
- Microphone/headphone jack
The new version makes Chrome OS look more like a real OS with window support instead of a fullscreen Chrome browser. It also has a Windows 7-style dock, window-snapping and yet the same less than seven second startyp and instant resume from sleep. Google is also saying the new Chromebook is almost 3 times faster than the previous generation. As usual, Chrome OS is simply just a browser, but for some that would be absolutely fine. As I’ve written before, the web is the next OS in my mind, and I, for one, could surely replace my laptop with this, but not my desktop. Which is where the next bit of the new lineup comes in.
The Samsung Mac-mini-style Chrome OS desktop machine has also been announced, called a Series 3 Chromebox. For US$329.99, the box runs at a faster speed than the previous Chromebooks, as the new Chromebook does, and has a number of ports allowing you to replace a desktop machine with Chrome OS. It’s a little pointless, but that could be said about any of the above.
The specs for the Chromebox include:
- 4GB of RAM
- Intel Celeron B840 processor @ 1.9Ghz
- Intel HD Graphics 3000
- 16GB SSD
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth 3.0
- DisplayPort x2
- DVI out
- USB 2.0 x6
- Microphone/headphone jack
- Integrated mono speaker
As usual, neither will be coming to Australia until Google or Samsung says so, so that could be never or it could, but is very unlikely, to be announced at Google I/O.