Chromebook

A Chromebook is a personal computer running Chrome OS as its operating system. The devices are designed to be used while connected to the Internet, though there are a variety of apps that can be run offline. All the data is stored in the "cloud" accessed by an internet connection. A Chromebook is an example of a thin client.

The first Chromebooks for sale, by Acer Inc. and Samsung, were announced at the Google I/O conference in May 2011 and began shipping on June 15, 2011. Lenovo, Hewlett Packard and Google itself entered the market in early 2013. In addition to laptop models, a desktop version, called a Chromebox, was introduced in May 2012. Samsung also launched a Samsung Chromebook specifically for the Indian market, with Samsung's Exynos 5 Dual core processor, in December 2013.

Chromebooks are primarily sold online, both directly from Google and from the company's retail partners. By 2012, schools had become the largest category of customer. That October, Google broadened its marketing strategy to include first-time computer users and households seeking an additional computer. Critical reaction to the device was initially skeptical, with some reviewers, like Joey Sneddon and David Pogue, unfavorably comparing the value proposition of Chromebooks with that of more fully featured laptops running the Microsoft Windows operating system. That complaint dissipated in reviews of machines from Acer and Samsung that were priced at $200 and $250, respectively. In February 2013, Google announced and began shipping the Chromebook Pixel, a high-end machine priced at $1299.

In October 2012, Simon Phipps, writing in InfoWorld, said "the Chromebook line is probably the most successful Linux desktop/laptop computer we've seen to date". Measures of overall success are mixed. As of May 2013, the Samsung Series 3 Chromebook has led Amazon's list of best-selling laptops, a position it established when it launched in October 2012.

Design
Chromebooks are shipped with Google Chrome OS, an operating system that uses the Linux kernel and the Google Chrome web browser with an integrated media player. With limited offline capability and a claimed boot time of eight seconds (actual boot time varies depending on hardware, e.g. the Acer C7 is claimed by Google to boot in 18 seconds ), Chromebooks are primarily designed to be used connected to the Internet. Instead of installing traditional applications such as word processing and instant messaging, users add web apps from the Chrome Web Store. Google claims that a multi-layer security architecture eliminates the need for anti-virus software.

Support for many USB devices such as cameras, mice, external keyboards and flash drives is included, utilizing a feature similar to plug-and-play on other operating systems. Like the prototype Cr-48, Chromebooks have a specialized keyboard complete with buttons for opening and controlling multiple browser windows, as well as a Web search button which replaces the caps lock key (caps lock being activated by pressing both alt+search).

An analysis of the Samsung Series 5 components by iFixit in June 2011 estimated that the unit cost about US$322 in materials and US$12 in labor costs. With a retail price of US$499.99, which also takes into account the shipping, marketing and research & development costs and retail margins, it indicates that the profit margins on the Chromebooks are quite thin, requiring a large production run to make a profit.

While Chromebooks are designed to be used when connected to the Internet, users are able to access Google applications such as Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Keep, and Google Drive in offline mode. Chromebooks also come with a built-in local music player, a photo editor, and a PDF and Microsoft Office document viewer that are functional without internet access. Lastly, Chrome apps such as Amazon's Cloud Reader, the New York Times App, and Angry Birds offer offline capability.

The first-generation, Atom-based Mario, Alex and ZGB Chromebooks used an UEFI-based Insyde H2C to boot the machine. The ARM-based Snow and Daisy use Das U-Boot. All Celeron- and i5-based Chromebooks run Coreboot with Das U-Boot as payload, but additionally use the closed-source Intel Firmware Support Package (FSP) to perform various initializations; they also come with the Intel Management Engine firmware (in a separate flash segment).

Sales and marketing
Google secured a long list of development partners working on hardware Chrome OS, including Acer, Adobe, Asus, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Toshiba, Intel, Samsung, and Dell. Chrome OS for Business had been led, from its inception, by Rajen Sheth, best known as the "father of Google Apps". His strategy for marketing Chromebooks centered on the total cost of ownership, which he claimed could be "dramatically" reduced by lower maintenance, management and security costs, even if hardware costs remain unchanged.

The first two commercially available Chromebooks, the Samsung Series 5 and the Acer AC700, were unveiled on May 11, 2011, at the Google I/O developer conference. They were to begin selling through online channels, including Amazon and Best Buy in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain starting June 15, 2011; however, Acer's AC700 was not available until early July. The first machines sold for between $349 and $499, depending on the model and 3G option. Google also offered a monthly payment scheme for business and education customers at $28 and $20 per user, per month, respectively for a three-year contract, including replacements and upgrades. Verizon offered models equipped with 3G/4G LTE connectivity 100-200 MB of free wireless data per month, for two years.

Google's early marketing efforts relied primarily on hands-on experience: giving away Samsung machines to 10 Cr-48 pilot program participants along with the title Chromebook Guru and loaning Chromebooks to passengers on some Virgin America flights. At the end of September 2011, Google launched the Chrome Zone, a "store within a store", inside the Currys and PC World superstore in London. The store had a Google-style look and feel with splashes of color all around the retail store front. Google said it was planning to open more Chrome Zones in the UK over the next few months.

In addition to these marketing strategies, Google Chrome has created several "Chromebook minis" that demonstrate the ease of use and simplicity of the devices in a comical manner. For example, when the question "How do you back up a Chromebook" is asked, it is implied to refer to data backup, but instead, shows two hands pushing a Chromebook back to the end of a table. This is followed by the statement, "You don't have to back up a Chromebook," showing how all data is stored on the web.

In an article published on ZDNet in June 2011, entitled "Five Chromebook concerns for businesses", Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols faulted the devices for lack of virtual private network capability, not supporting some Wi-Fi security methods, in particular Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2) Enterprise with Extensible Authentication Protocol-Transport Layer Security (EAP-TLS) or Cisco’s Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol (LEAP). He also noted that its file manager does not work, the need to use the undocumented crosh shell to accomplish basic tasks such as setting up a secure shell (SSH) network connection as well as serious deficiencies in documentation.

In one of the first customer reviews, the City of Orlando, Florida reported on their initial testing of 600 Chromebooks as part of a broader study related to accessing virtual desktops. Early indications show potential value in reducing IT support costs. End users have indicated that the Chromebook is easy to travel with and starts up quickly. One stated that "If I just need to stay connected for emergencies, I take my Chrome," but when traveling for business she would still take her laptop. Orlando does plan to continue to use the Chromebooks.

On November 21, 2011, Google announced price reductions on all Chromebooks. Since then, the Wi-Fi-only Samsung Series 5 was reduced to $349, the 3G Samsung Series 5 was reduced to $449, and the Acer AC700 was reduced to $299. By January 2012, commercial sales for Chromebooks were flat, with the exception of the education market. Google had placed nearly 27,000 Chromebooks in schools across 41 states, including "one-on-one" programs, which allocate a computer for every student, in South Carolina, Illinois, and Iowa. As of August 2012, over 500 school districts in the United States and Europe were using the device, as well as universities, corporations and government facilities.

The updated Series 5 550 and the Chromebox, the first ChromeOS desktop machine, were released by Samsung in May 2012. While the two lowest cost Chromebooks emerged later in the fall: the $249 Samsung Series 3 and the $199 Acer C7. The following February, Google introduced the most costly machine, their Chromebook Pixel, with a starting price of $1299. All models released after May 2012, include 100GB-1.09TB of Google Drive cloud storage and 12 GoGo WiFi passes.

By January 2013, Acer's Chromebook sales were being driven by "heavy Internet users with educational institutions", and the platform represented 5-10 percent of the company's U.S. shipments, according to Acer president Jim Wong. He called those numbers sustainable, contrasting them with low Windows 8 sales which he blamed for a slump in the market. Wong said that the company would consider marketing Chromebooks to other developed countries, as well as to corporations. He noted that although Chrome OS is free to license for hardware vendors, it has required greater marketing expenditure than Windows, offsetting the licensing savings.

In April 2013, Intel said that its Bay Trail chips will be used in a series of inexpensive touchscreen laptops primarily running Google's Android operating system. The move would create a direct competitor to Chromebooks (as well as Windows 8 laptops) using Google's other operating system.

Over the summer of 2013 sales of Chromebooks increased to 3.3% of the market, while sales of Windows and Apple laptops declined. Between June 30 to September 7, 2013 computer sales in general were down with chromebooks the only category that were increasing, with 175,000 units sold.

Cr-48


At a December 7, 2010, press briefing,  Google announced the Chrome OS Pilot Program, a pilot study and the first Chromebook, the Cr-48 Chrome notebook, a prototype, to test the Chrome OS operating system and modified hardware for it. The device had a minimal design and was all black, completely unbranded although it was made by Inventec, and had a rubberized coating. The device was named after Chromium-48, an unstable isotope of the metallic element Chromium, and the participants were named Cr-48 Test Pilots. Google distributed about 60,000 Cr-48 Chrome notebooks between December 2010 and March 2011 for free to participants and in return asked for feedback such as suggestions and bug reports. The Cr-48 was intended for testing only, not retail sales.

The Cr-48's hardware design broke convention by replacing certain keys with shortcut keys, such as the function keys, and replacing the caps lock key with a dedicated search key, which can be changed back to caps lock in the OS's keyboard settings. Google addressed complaints that the operating system offers little functionality when the host device is not connected to the Internet, demonstrated an offline version of Google Docs, and announced a 3G plan that would give users 100 MB of free data each month, with additional paid plans available from Verizon.

The Cr-48 notebooks featured some unused hardware components, including a Bluetooth 2.1 controller. The USB port could support a keyboard, mouse, Ethernet adapter, or USB storage, but not a printer, as Chrome OS offers no print stack. Adding further hardware outside of the previously mentioned items will likely cause problems with the operating system's "self knowing" security model. Users instead were encouraged to use a secure service called Google Cloud Print to print to legacy printers connected to their desktop computers, or to connect an HP ePrint, Kodak Hero, Kodak ESP, or Epson Connect printer to the Google Cloud Print service for a "cloud aware" printer connection.

The Cr-48 prototype laptop gave reviewers their first opportunity to evaluate Chrome OS running on a device. Ryan Paul of Ars Technica wrote that the machine "met the basic requirements for Web surfing, gaming, and personal productivity, but falls short for more intensive tasks." He praised Google's approach to security, but wondered whether mainstream computer users would accept an operating system whose only application is a browser. He thought Chrome OS "could appeal to some niche audiences": people who just need a browser or companies that rely on Google Apps and other Web applications. But the operating system was "decidedly not a full-fledged alternative to the general purpose computing environments that currently ship on netbooks." Paul wrote that most of Chrome OS's advantages "can be found in other software environments without having to sacrifice native applications."

In reviewing the Cr-48 on December 29, 2010, Kurt Bakke of Conceivably Tech wrote that a Chromebook had become the most frequently used family appliance in his household. "Its 15 second startup time and dedicated Google user accounts made it the go-to device for quick searches, email as well as YouTube and Facebook activities." But the device did not replace other five notebooks in the house: one for gaming, two for the kids, and two more for general use. "The biggest complaint I heard was its lack of performance in Flash applications."

In ongoing testing, Wolfgang Gruener, also writing in Conceivably Tech, said that cloud computing at cellular data speeds is unacceptable and that the lack of offline ability turns the Cr-48 "into a useless brick" when not connected. "It's difficult to use the Chromebook as an everyday device and give up what you are used to on a Mac/Windows PC, while you surely enjoy the dedicated cloud computing capabilities occasionally."

Pixel


The Pixel was priced at $1299 at its release on February 21, 2013. The laptop featured a touch-screen with the highest pixel density of any laptop, a faster CPU than its predecessors in the Intel Core i5, 32 GB of solid-state storage, an exterior design described by Wired as "an austere rectangular block of aluminum with subtly rounded edges", and a colored lightbar on the lid added purely for its cool factor. A second Pixel featuring LTE wireless communication and twice the storage capacity was shipped for arrival on April 12, 2013, priced at $1449. Sundar Pichai, the senior vice president of engineering in charge of Chrome and Android, said that the goal behind the high-end Pixel model was "to push the boundary and build something premium. Google engineers set out on the 'labor of love' project two years ago, asking themselves, 'What could we do if we really wanted to design the best computer possible at the best price possible?'"

From its February 2013 launch, the Chromebook Pixel received a high degree of tech media attention, drawing immediate comparisons to the similarly priced Windows machines and the MacBook Air. In a side-by-side analysis of specifications with the latter, Will Shanklin of Gizmag wrote that the Chromebook had a slightly smaller screen, weighed 12 percent more, and had much less storage capacity: 32GB versus 128GB. The Chromebook's pixel density, 239 pixels/inch, was "the killer spec," delivering a much sharper image than the MacBook Air's 128 PPI display. But he questioned the overall concept of a Chromebook at this price. "Chrome OS was designed for budget laptops, and sold to customers whose needs center primarily around the web. To pay more than a MacBook...for a Chromebook–at this point–would be insanity."

David Pierce in The Verge praised the Chromebook Pixel, but lamented the limitations of Chrome OS for such a high-end laptop. "I can't remember the last time I so unequivocally enjoyed using a device. Its display, keyboard, trackpad, and overall fit and finish are as good as any laptop I've ever used, and in some cases is my new standard-bearer for laptop reviews going forward." Pierce singled out Pixel's unusual 3:2 display aspect ratio, which, he argued, gives needed vertical room compared to the more common 16:9. "And yet, when it came time to write this review, edit and upload pictures, and do real research, I opened up my MacBook Air again." He found he needed to work offline using Photoshop and Evernote, a more sophisticated application than Google's pre-Keep Scratchpad text editing application, as well as to quickly move between three windows. Pierce concluded that "everyone should want a Chromebook Pixel—I certainly do. But almost no one should buy one."

Ed Hewitt of OMG Chrome argued that while the price is high, it is not overpriced. "Let say it shipped with Ubuntu", he wrote, referring to the Ubuntu Linux distribution. "Is it now worth the £1000 price tag? I think majority would say yes. £1000 gets you one of the most well designed laptops on the market, the best display and a fast processor. If people are spend[ing] £1250 for a Macbook Pro with Retina Display, then the Chromebook Pixel is priced correctly....it's in-line with the competition." The question remains, he wrote, whether the price is too high for consumers.

Other observers saw the Chromebook Pixel as a concept machine, a bid by Google to push its hardware partners into producing more feature-rich devices. CCS Insight analyst Geoff Blaber said that "Chromebooks have struggled for relevance", stuck between tablets used largely for entertainment and more functional PCs. The Pixel "won't transform [the Chromebook's] prospects but Google will hope it serves as a flagship device that has a halo effect for the broader portfolio."

One of the Pixel's most high-profile users is Linux inventor Linus Torvalds, who praised the screen but not the operating system, which he felt was better suited to slower hardware. With the help of Red Hat Engineer David Miller, Torvalds replaced Chrome OS with Fedora 18.

Acer C710


Originally called the Acer C7, the C710 was released on November 13, 2012 for $199.

HP Pavilion Chromebook
HP's first Chromebook, the HP Pavilion 14, was released February 4, 2013 for $329.99.

HP Chromebook 11
HP introduced the Chromebook 11 on October 8, 2013 in the US at Best Buy, Amazon, Google Play and HP Shopping for $279. In December 2013 it was discovered that some HP laptop cords were overheating while plugged in, forcing Google and HP to recall 145,000 chargers. Sales were halted until they could resume with a redesigned charger in January 2014.

Samsung Series 5


Reviewing the Samsung Series 5 specifications, Scott Stein of CNET was unimpressed with a machine with a 12-inch screen and just 16 GB of onboard storage. "Chrome OS might be lighter than Windows XP, but we'd still prefer more media storage space. At this price, you could also get an 11.6 in Wi-Fi AMD E-350-powered ultraportable running Windows 7." On the other hand, MG Siegler of TechCrunch wrote a largely favorable review, praising the improvements in speed and trackpad sensitivity over the CR-48 prototype, as well as the long battery life and the fact that all models are priced below the iPad.

In June 2011 iFixit dismantled a Samsung Series 5 and concluded that it was essentially an improved Cr-48. They rated it as 6/10 for repairability, predominantly because the case has to be opened to change the battery and because the RAM chip is soldered to the motherboard. iFixit noted that the "mostly-plastic construction" felt "a little cheap". On the plus side they stated that the screen was easy to remove and most of the components, including the solid-state drive would be easy to replace. iFixit's Kyle Wiens wrote that the Series 5 "fixes the major shortfalls of the Cr-48 and adds the polish necessary to strike lust into the heart of a broad consumer base: sleek looks, 8+ hours of battery life, and optimized performance."

Shortly after the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook was released to the public in July 2011, the review site Chromebook Ratings praised the Series 5 and its 8-second boot-up time, claiming that "You can literally go from a cold machine to searching the internet in about 10 seconds. It’s one thing to see it described, but it’s another to experience it first-hand." They also lauded the Series 5 for its "exceptionally long battery life" that exceeded the battery life of the Acer AC700 Chromebook.

Reviewing the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook in July 2011, Benjamin Humphrey of OMG! Ubuntu! concluded that while the device is "a lovely piece of hardware and a perfect start to the Chromebook lineup", it doesn't handle some of the basics: copy and paste in the File Manager or playback of common local formats. He noted Chrome OS's six-week release cycle that had already addressed some of his concerns and suggested that most people should hold out until later in the year "to let the software mature a bit more. If you’re simply after a tablet with a keyboard however, the Series 5 might just be the perfect purchase.

Samsung Series 5 550
In May 2012, Samsung introduced the Chromebook Series 5 550, priced at US$449 for the Wi-Fi model and US$549 for 3G.

Reviews generally questioned the value proposition. Dana Wollman of Engadget wrote that the Chromebook's keyboard "put thousand-dollar Ultrabooks to shame" and offered better display quality than on many laptops selling for twice as much. But the price "seems to exist in a vacuum—a place where tablet apps aren't growing more sophisticated, where Transformer-like Win8 tablets aren't on the way and where there aren't some solid budget Windows machines to choose from."

Joey Sneddon of ''OMG! Chrome!'' in May 2012 also found fault with Samsung's pricing, arguing that $500 is unrealistic. "People coming to ChromeOS will be prepared to make sacrifices – but more money for less speed is unlikely to be one of them. I can’t help but feel that Samsung have priced the Chromebook to fail."

Joe Wilcox of BetaNews wrote that "price to performance and how it compares to other choices" is "where Chromebook crumbles for many potential buyers." He noted that the new models sell for more than their predecessors, and while the price-performance ratio is quite favorable compared to the MacBook Air, "by the specs, there are plenty of lower-cost options."

Samsung Series 3


In October 2012, the Series 3 Chromebook was introduced at a San Francisco event with the Samsung Chromebook XE303. The device was priced at $249 and was thinner and lighter than the Chromebook 550. Google marketed the Series 3 as the computer for everyone, due to its simple operating system (Chrome OS) and affordable price. Target markets included students and first-time computer users, as well as households looking for an extra computer.

The lower price proved a watershed for some reviewers. New York Times technology columnist David Pogue reversed his earlier thumbs-down verdict on the Chromebook, writing that "$250 changes everything." The price is half that of an "iPad, even less than an iPad Mini or an iPod Touch. And you’re getting a laptop." He wrote that the Chromebook does many of the things people use computers and laptops for: playing flash videos, and opening Microsoft Office documents. "In other words, Google is correct when it asserts that the Chromebook is perfect for schools, second computers in homes and businesses who deploy hundreds of machines."

Joey Sneddon of OMG! Chrome! also praised the pricing on the Series 3 Chromebook on October 18, 2012, indicating that Samsung had at last got it right. "We weren’t alone in criticising the prices of the Samsung Series 550 Chromebook released earlier this year. They were priced above and beyond the ‘tipping’ point of casual consumers, and sat firmly in the enthusiast land" resulting in sales below Google's expectations. Acer's second generation Chromebook was also missing in action, he wrote. But not ready to give up, "Google and Samsung are back with a newer, cheaper, ARM-powered Chromebook."

CNET's review of the Series 3 Chromebook was even more favorable, saying the machine largely delivered as a computer for students and as an additional computer for a household—especially for users who are already using Google Web applications like Google Docs, Google Drive, and Gmail. "It's got workable if not standout hardware, its battery life is good, it switches on quickly, and the $249 price tag means it's not as much of a commitment as the $550 Samsung Series 5 550 that arrived in May." The review subtracted points for performance. "It's fine for many tasks, but power users accustomed to having more than a couple dozen browser tabs open should steer clear."

Chromebox models
Chromeboxes are the desktop variants of Chromebooks. Classed as small form-factor PCs, the devices typically feature a power switch and a set of ports: local area network, USB, DVI-D, DisplayPorts, and audio. As with Chromebooks, Chromeboxes employ solid-state memory and support Web applications, but require an external monitor, keyboard, and pointing device.

Samsung Series 3 Chromebox
Samsung released the first Chromebox on May 29, 2012 for $329.99. Upon release, ''OMG! Chrome!'' described the Chromebox as a "tough sell". Google, Samsung, and Acer were currently having a tough time selling Chromebooks, and the Chrome OS concept itself. Those issues, combined with high price of the Chromebox, were expected to give Samsung "an uphill struggle" to gain market share.

Asus Chromebox
The new Asus Chromebox is scheduled to be released in March 2014.

HP Chromebox
HP announced that they will enter the Chromebox market in the spring of 2014. Their 5-inch square box with come with a 4th generation Intel Core i7 processor, both HDMI and DisplayPort ports, and will be available in black, white and teal.

Alternate operating systems
Some Chromebooks include SeaBIOS, which can be turned on to install arbitrary Linux distributions, though this requires the use of developer mode.

All-in-one PCs
In January 2014 LG Electronics unveiled its Chromebase all-in-one with a 21.5-inch display at International CES in Las Vegas.