Sony To Release Chromebook?

A Sony manufactured Chromebook appears to have been outed by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Images of the computer and the manual have been posted online and suggest that it is indeed running Google’s cloud-based operating system.

Better late than never

The supporting documents for the Sony Vaio VCC11 series appear to have been submitted last September, but were only published last week. According to the images, there is no Windows key on the keyboard, meaning that it is unlikely to be an ultrabook, while the software manual specifically mentions an instruction which reads ‘Start Chrome OS’.

No internal specifications have been disclosed, but one of the pictures features a sticker which states that the computer has a ‘T25 CPU’. Laptop Reviews suggests that this could mean the Nvidia Tegra 2 T25 ARM-based processor and notes that this would be the first Chromebook to run on a non-Intel-based chip.

It can be deduced that the laptop has an 11.6-inch Samsung-built screen, an approximate depth of 21cm, an HDMI port and an SD card reader.

If the device is genuine, then Sony would become just the third manufacturer to release a Chromebook, following in the footsteps of Acer and Samsung.

However Chrome OS has received a lukewarm reception from commentators. Although it has been accepted that Chrome is a decent cloud system, users may find it difficult to adapt to a lack of local storage. Its suitability for enterprise use has also been brought into question, due to high costs, silent updates and the need for constant Wi-Fi access.

Although the arrival of Sony on the scene may grant the platform a stay of execution, some have said that sooner or later, Chrome OS is doomed. No one seems to have relayed this news to UK retailer Dixon, which has predicted that by the end of 2012, one in 10 computers sold will be a Chromebook.

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