facebook rss twitter

ASUS, HP and Toshiba to launch Haswell powered Chromebooks

by Mark Tyson on 29 November 2013, 15:08

Tags: Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), Chrome OS, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Hewlett Packard (NYSE:HPQ), ASUSTeK (TPE:2357), Acer (TPE:2353), Toshiba (TYO:6502)

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qab5ur

Add to My Vault: x

News comes from Taiwan-based industry sources today (via DigiTimes) saying that Hewlett-Packard (HP), Asustek Computer and Toshiba are all preparing Intel Haswell powered Google Chromebooks for the new year. The computer systems makers’ bean counters and market analysts must be tipping Chromebooks as the next big thing, as we have been hearing for years now. Meanwhile in Google’s own offices staff rely upon a huge fleet of 43,000 Mac systems upon which to work on their day-to-day duties.

Follow Acer’s lead?

Acer recently announced the launch of its Haswell based 11.6-inch Chromebook C720P with touch screen capability priced at a keen US$299. Now it looks like at least another three huge systems makers want to follow in the footsteps of the ailing Acer who are desperately trying to steer through difficult times with recent top management shake-ups.

DigiTimes reports that the new Chromebooks from ASUS will arrive initially equipped with 11.6- and 13.3-inch displays and be priced at between US$199 and US$329. Toshiba is also going to follow with its own efforts soon, with its manufacturing outsourced to Inventec.

Google employees use Macs by default

BGR reports that Google revealed, at the recent LISA ’13 conference, that it has to manage a fleet of over 43,000 Macs for the use of its employees. “There was a time when Macs were a small part of the Google fleet,” Google system engineer Clay Caviness said, “but as of now if you start at Google and want to use a platform other than Mac you have to make a business case.” It would inspire more confidence in ChromeOS if Google did a bit more dogfooding.

‘Pawn Stars’ make fun of Chromebooks in new Microsoft ad

Microsoft has made another ad which directly attacks a rival company product. This time the Google Chromebook is put under the focus. In the ad, one of the reality TV show ‘Pawn Stars’ explains to a hapless customer, wanting to trade her Chromebook for a ticket to Hollywood, that “it’s not a REAL laptop”. He adds that when it is connected to the internet, and offers up its limited functionality (no Windows, no Office), the Chromebook is merely a tool for Google to target you with advertising. If you want to take a look at the advert it’s embedded below.



HEXUS Forums :: 11 Comments

Login with Forum Account

Don't have an account? Register today!
Hurrah!
I'd like a Haswell chromebook, and put Suse or Debian on it.
BGR reports that Google revealed, at the recent LISA ’13 conference, that it has to manage a fleet of over 43,000 Macs for the use of its employees. “There was a time when Macs were a small part of the Google fleet,” Google system engineer Clay Caviness said, “but as of now if you start at Google and want to use a platform other than Mac you have to make a business case.” It would inspire more confidence in ChromeOS if Google did a bit more dogfooding.
Couldn't agree more with that last sentence. Is it the case, Mr Google, of “do as we say, not as we do”? Actually would have thought that Google would have been on own-build Linux or perhaps Windows.
bobharvey
Hurrah!
I'd like a Haswell chromebook, and put Suse or Debian on it.
You mean … upgrade it to a proper operating system! :D As you can tell I'm not a ChromeOS fan.
crossy
… As you can tell I'm not a ChromeOS fan.

Any particular reason? I've used the open source version on VMs a couple of times to check on progress, and I have to say I found it really very usable. A lot of people only need a computer to send emails, check facebook and play Angry Birds, and it fits that usage pattern very nicely indeed.

tbh having used ChromeOS a bit it doesn't surprised me at all that Google doesn't run on ChromeOS - that's a bit like expecting them to all run Android tablets as their main work PCs. ChromeOS has never been touted as a full desktop replacement OS, but as a companion device OS for small light notebooks. It's for keeping in touch with the mean office while you're off-site. For that, it seems pretty good…
I thought Chrome OS can work without a web connection all the time - I was under the impression you can install apps to hard drive / Memory device and use them without a connection.
You can, but a lot of them will be a lot less use without a web connection. Don't forget that all apps are delivered - essentially, anyway - within a Chrome browser. So while you can cache a lot of apps and use local storage, the real power of it (ad pretty much of all Google's offering, tbh) is in coneccted use: docs, drive, gmail etc.