Time to shine
Samsung's Series 5 Chromebook will be launching in the UK tomorrow, making Google's Chrome OS available to would-be users for the first time.
The system comes in two varieties, Wi-Fi only and 3G-equiped, priced at £349 and £399 respectively. The 3G option will prove a must have to those planning on using the Series 5 away from a Wi-Fi connection, as Chrome OS is Internet-based, and required an active connection to function fully.
As well as Chrome OS, the Series 5 features a 12.1in display, an Intel Atom CPU, and a meagre 16GB of local flash storage (because, of course, most data will be stored in 'the cloud'). There's a full-size keyboard which boasts a number of special function buttons - including a dedicated search button - as well as an 'oversized' touchpad on board.
At 1.49kg and measuring 0.79mm thick, the Series 5 is a fairly unimposing machine, although given the need to stay in reach of a network, its portability isn't necessarily such a consideration - especially for the Wi-Fi only model. The boasted 8.5-hour battery life will save the need to stay tethered to a power socket, even if being tethered to an Internet connection is inescapable.
It will be interesting to see how much of a foothold Chrome OS gains. The pricing of the series 5 is about on par with netbooks of a similar spec, so the use of Chrome OS doesn't seem to offer much discount over its rival operating systems. However, this is Samsung's first use of Google web-based OS, so it's likely that if it proves successful then more systems - including systems pitched at a lower price point - will become available.
