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Unless you were lucky enough to get into Google’s Chrome OS pilot program, you probably haven’t seen one of the ChromeOS notebooks in real life, never mind had the chance to try out one out. However, if today’s Google I/O keynote is anything to go by, you should be seeing a lot more Chrome OS laptops around this summer.
Google today revealed two new Chrome OS notebooks from Samsung and Acer. Acer’s model starts at $349 while Samsung’s model, the razor-thin Series 5 ChromeBook pictured above, will start at $429 (for the WiFi version). Users looking for additional 3G support will have to fork over $499.
Specswise, we know the Acer model boasts an 11.6-inch HD widescreen LED-backlit LCD, a dual-core Atom CPU, 2xUSB 2.0, a 4-in-1 memory card slot, support for HDMI and a battery that supports six hours of continuous use. Samsung’s press release for the Series 5 ChromeBook details a 12.1-inch SuperBright display, an Intel Core 2 Duo N570 1.66Ghz CPU, up to 8.5 hours of battery, 2xUSB 2.0 ports, and support for SD, SDHC, MMC. 11.6" HD Widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit LCD.
Of course, you don’t need us to tell you that these both run Google’s web-based Chrome OS as their only operating system. The search giant today revealed a couple of new features for ChromeOS, such as the addition of support for Netflix and Hulu along with offline versions Gmail and Google Docs, and both of these laptops will feature these improvements right out of the box. Other Chrome OS users are promised these new features sometime this summer. Both Acer and Samsung's ChromeBooks will be up for pre-order on June 15.
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Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.
