Google Details Its Chromebook Subscriptions

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Google this week announced an interesting deal for students and businesses looking at its new Chromebooks as computing options.

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Jane McEntegart
Jane McEntegart
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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.

24 Comments Comment from the forums
  • acadia11
    Screw off google, do all evil!!!! Where is the new kid on the block?
    Reply
  • irish_adam
    I think its a great idea for students that cant afford to pay upfront for a laptop, as a uni student i def see a use for the subsciption. I have a PC for my uni work at home but for note taking and research while at uni it would be a great tool to have thats pretty cheap
    Reply
  • dread_cthulhu
    Honestly... This would probably make a great textbook replacement. Give every kid a laptop, teach em how to use it day one, and lock it down so they can't screw it up. We pay enough in taxes, and schools could use their massive textbook budgets to grab a number of these babies. Of course, I'm not an educator, so I really don't know how the actual numbers would add up, or if they'd come out cheaper this way, but still... neat idea.
    Reply
  • kinggraves
    See, here's my problem with Google's logic. Part of the fee involves service, support, and upgrades. Now, if I terminate the contract, I'm not getting 3 years of service, support, and upgrades, so why would I have to pay the FULL contract? Even at the maximum, the termination fee should involve the price of the machine + the service received thus far, minus what's already been paid.

    Now, I'll admit that these contracts are for businesses and education, and part of the contract for businesses requires a minimum purchase of 10, so this contract is for major establishments who can likely commit to the machines for 3 years. Still, the price seems to be insane for a machine that will be outdated sooner than the first year. Google used to be the good guy, but with every step they take, they seem to be getting closer to a worse corporate entity than MS or Apple. I have a feeling that contract will draw the attention of the feds into their business practices.
    Reply
  • I pity the people forced to use one of those pieces of crap for 3 years because their employer was cheap.

    Atom cpu and an OS that is just a web browser. Those poor bastards!
    Reply
  • What do you get with the "free software and hardware upgrades" what is are we calling hardware? is it that i get a new laptop every year then I am cool with the cost.
    Reply
  • My company was apart of the pilot program. They were used in our sales department and I have to say everyone loved it. Sure not all of our departments could use it for everything , but considering our CRM and email are all web based it really was helpful. Now I am not happy about the price. I think that price is a little high. Not if they also included the free that most businesses pay to use google apps (50 bucks a year) then maybe. I personally own one of the originals and I can honestly say I use it more that my regular laptop.
    Reply
  • this is by far one of the worst products to come out in recent memory, cost more and does less than even the cheapest pc's out there, it looks like Google is catering to Americas "Stupid" Demographic with this one.
    Reply
  • reggieray
    Google who is in bed with the Obozo regime can take their new laptop
    Reply
  • The screen is too small, Atom and especially it's graphics are too weak to adequately do tasks such as Flash, video and Javascript, or 3D even if the cloud is doing the heavy lifting. For just a little more, you can get a real laptop and some el cheapo cable internet for 3 years.
    Reply