If you think about it, Google’s Chromebook could pose a huge threat to Apple and their Macbook Air experience. Take a quick look at some of the specs comparing the Samsung Chromebook, Acer Chromebook, and 11-inch Macbook Air.
The Chromebooks are MUCH cheaper, you can get them with 3G connectivity, they last longer, and have mostly all the same multimedia/connectivity options like webcams and HDMI out. While the Macbook is little bit lighter and higher powered, Google is banking on two ideas:
- A huge number of people really just need a fantastic web browsing machine
- Web browsing capabilities and efficiencies are improving at a rapid pace
Part of the lure for the Macbooks, even if you’re only using it as a web browsing tool, is the brand name. While perhaps Samsung or Acer couldn’t have pulled off an affordable web-only notebook as “cool”, adding the Google and Chrome branding and concept (Chromebook) brings it a long way in terms of perceived value. If Google has successfully pinned down this market of web-wanting computers who prefer keyboards and web access, Chromebooks could be pretty popular within the next year.
Visit our Chrome Forum where we’ve got special sections for the Samsung Chromebook, Acer Chromebook, Chromebox and more! And just to make you extra intrigued… check out this promo video we snagged from Google IO: