Google Chromebooks are being heavily discounted to $299 (£191) in the run up to Christmas, as manufacturers seek to remind people about the devices amid all the coverage of tablets and ultrabooks.
Google Chromebooks are essentially notebooks that run the lightweight Chrome Operating System, which is designed for powering web applications through the Chrome browser.
Google introduced the Chrome notebooks from Samsung and Acer at the Google I/O developer conference last May as speedy machines that boot up in less than eight seconds and power down in less than that.
The Samsung Series 5 Chromebook was launched with a price tag of $429 (£274) for the Wi-Fi-only model, whereas the WiFi+3G model cost $499 (£318). Acer’s Acer AC700 Chromebook cost $349 (£223) at launch. The new $299 (£191) price point is for the Wi-Fi versions only.
The Series 5 was originally launched in titan silver and arctic white. Samsung is now selling a black version of its Wi-Fi only Samsung Chromebook Series 5 for $349 (£223), a notebook that is currently available to American users only.
Google is trying to punch up interest. The search engine giant is inviting potential customers to test Chromebooks at the Samsung Experience in New York City and has tapped Virgin America to let travellers on four different flight routes check out and use Samsung Series 5 Chromebooks paired with complimentary Wi-Fi access free for the duration of their flight.
Folks who fly Virgin America from San Francisco, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth or Boston can “check out” a Series 5 Chromebook from a so-called “Chrome Zone” near their departure gate.
Meanwhile, Chromebooks and the rest of the Chrome ecosystem are getting upgrades. Google refreshed the Chromebook operating system – which, like the Chrome browser, gets upgraded every six weeks. Google claims Chromebooks now sport a new log-in experience.
Moreover, Google refreshed the New Tab page in Chrome to make it easier for users to access and manage applications and bookmarks; these include shortcuts to the File Manager on Chromebooks and to music applications and games in the Chrome Web Store.
Suspended prison sentence for Craig Wright for “flagrant breach” of court order, after his false…
Cash-strapped south American country agrees to sell or discontinue its national Bitcoin wallet after signing…
Google's change will allow advertisers to track customers' digital “fingerprints”, but UK data protection watchdog…
Welcome to Silicon In Focus Podcast: Tech in 2025! Join Steven Webb, UK Chief Technology…
European Commission publishes preliminary instructions to Apple on how to open up iOS to rivals,…
San Francisco jury finds Nima Momeni guilty of second-degree murder of Cash App founder Bob…
View Comments
The price is not discounted - it is comparable to the price of similar specced Windows netbooks which are slower and have a shorter battery life. The initial price was high as many have commented, and that was presumably because Google was aiming sales at early adopters and the education and business market which is less sensitive to initial price and and more sensitive to TCO. Therefore the laptops were offered on a subscription model with support to businesses and education, and at a premium to early adopters. The sales to consumers must have been unexpectedly good to remain on the Amazon best seller list for so long without advertising or a retail presence - you have to sell in decent numbers to do this, it just isn't possible to top the Amazon best sellers list without selling well, despite what some are claiming.
I think the adoption of competitive pricing means that Google has realised that there is a consumer market for Chromebooks, and Google has decided to target it.