Tag: Chromebook

HP Announces 4 in 1 Convertible Chromebook x360 For Indian Market
American tech giant, HP has announced the Chromebook x360 convertible in India. As the name suggests, it runs on Chrome OS that also has the functionality to download Android apps from the built-in Play store. It is aimed towards users who mostly use the laptop for online work rather than offline tasks like video editing or playing games.

HP Chromebook x360 Specs & Features

As previously mentioned, the HP Chromebook x360 has a convertible form factor. It can be used in four different formats which include a laptop, tablet, stand and tent. The notebook computer measures 12.81 x 8.93 x 0.63 in and tips the scale at 1.6 kg.

The Chromebook x360 features a 14 inch LED touchscreen that has a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 px. It features a backlit island-style keyboard and multi-touch trackpad that supports gestures like pinch to zoom and swipe with four fingers.

Under the hood, the notebook computer features the Core i3-8130 CPU which is an eighth-generation processor and has dual cores. The CPU has a base frequency of 2.2 GHz which can turbo clock upto 4 GHz if need be. The CPU also has integrated UHD Graphics 620.

The HP Chromebook x360 features 8 GB of DDR4 RAM which is soldered to the motherboard. In terms of storage, it only has 64 GB of eMMC storage which can be further expanded via a microSD card.

Wireless connectivity options on the device include 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2. The HP Chromebook x360 also has a bunch of input and output ports which are as follows:
- 2x USB 3.1 Gen Type C (charging, power delivery and video out)
- USB 3.1 Type-A port
- 3.5 mm audio jack (headphone / microphone combo)
The Chromebook x360 also has a Widevision HD camera which along with the built-in microphone can be used for making video calls.

It also features dual B&O (Bang & Olufsen) speakers are believed to produce impressive audio output. The notebook computer is powered by a 60 WHr lithium battery which is claimed to provide a battery backup of upto 13 hours and 30 minutes.

HP Chromebook x360 Price and Availability

Also Read: Xiaomi Mi A3 To Launch In India On 23rd August

The HP Chromebook x360 will soon be available for purchase from HP Online Store, HP world stores, Amazon.in and Flipkart.com. It is priced at Rs 44,990 and early buyers of the device get 100 GB of Google Drive storage for 1 year.
August 9, 2019
HP Announces Rugged Laptops With Wacom Stylus Support For Students

HP has been delivering great laptops in the form of Chromebooks for quite some time now. While there are several rugged phones in the market, a rugged laptop is hardly ever heard of. But HP has done just that! They showcased two Chromebooks recently – the Chromebook x360 11 G2 and Chromebook 11 G7 Education Editions.

Both the laptops are said to have undergone MIL-STD-810G testing and feature a spill-resistant keyboard. This is a millitary grade testing and the laptops are said to be able to survive drops of up to 76cm on concrete.

Chromebook x360 11 G2 EE

The Chromebook x360 11 G2 EE features an 11-inch IPS display with HD (1,366 x 768) resolution. It has two USB-C ports, one regular USB port, a headphone jack along with an SD card slot. The laptop’s screen has a 360-degree hinge lets you turn the device into a 3.24-pound tablet. It also supports the optional Wacom EMR pen. This is supposedly done to allow students to take notes. There are a few different options in terms of configuration and the laptop is powered by either a dual-core Celeron N4000 or quad-core N4100 with 8GB of RAM and 32/64GB of storage.

Chromebook 11 G7 EE

The second Chromebook, albeit similar in many ways has significant differences as well. The Chromebook 11 G7 EE features the same processor options, RAM, storage option, battery size and display size. The durability rating is similar as well with the same tests having been performed on this Chromebook.

The main difference are in it’s screen. It features three different display options — an HD IPS touchscreen, a matte HD IPS non-touchscreen and an HD SVA option.The hinge on this laptop only lets you lay the display flat on a table instead of a 360 degree fold.

Both these laptops can hold up to 11.5 hours of power according to HP. The Chromebook x360 11 G2 EE and Chromebook 11 G7 EE will go on sale sometime in April, and the prices have not been revealed as of now.

January 22, 2019
Google Assistant Might Be Heading To Chromebooks

Google is gearing up to launch a few marquee products at its 4th October launch. Along with the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, there are rumours of a new Google Home, and laptops being unveiled at the event. A new leak through a teardown of the Google Home app suggests that Google Assistant might be making its way to the new Chromebooks.

According to a report by 9to5Google, hidden deep in the compatibility section of the app is the mention of Chromebooks:

Listed in the compatibility section of the Chat with your Assistant ‘game’ right alongside phones, Google Home, and Allo is Chromebooks, clear as day. Not only is the text listed out, but a Chromebook icon shows up right along with those for Home and phones, so it seems pretty concrete that this is something Google intended to do, but just slipped out a little early.

It seems like introduction of Google Assistant to Google’s laptop range suggests that the Pixelbook might be launched on October 4th. There are also reports that the new Pixel phones will and Google Assistant will be more integrated than ever and this may be the theme of the October 4th launch. Google Assistant is also getting updates that makes the AI assistant capable of performing more complex tasks and with Google Home Mini also launching, Google might be looking towards making its consumers surrounded by Google Assistant.

The launch event is two days away so stay tuned because iGyaan will bring you all the news from the event!

October 2, 2017
Future Google Laptops May Eliminate the Space Bar Altogether

In an attempt to making laptops more compact, Google has recently signed a patent that may make your future laptop smaller by getting rid of the space bar. In a patent signed by the search giant, the design of the laptop replaced the space bar with an extended mouse trackpad. The trackpad and the rest of the keyboard are separated by a ridge, or a line, which might work as a spacebar button. Sensors beneath the trackpad will determine whether the space is used as a trackpad or a space bar. While typing, a touch to this region will result in a space, while a tap while using the trackpad will result in a mouse click.

Google’s reason for removing the space bar is that by pushing the trackpad up to the area of the space bar would be the first step to creating a smaller laptop. Although, the patent is still presented as ‘questionable’ since Lenovo’s current line of laptops already have trackpads pushed closer to the space bar.

Meanwhile, Google’s space bar patent was rejected four times in the past, according to Patent Office’s digital paper trail system. Will we soon see a smaller keyboard in Google’s Chromebook? We will have to wait to find that out.

April 30, 2015
Google’s Chromebit is a $100 Portable Dongle That Converts Any Display Into a PC

Recently Google supplemented a new product to its range of devices that is a compressed form of Chromebook. Labelled as Chromebit, the gadget is a tiny HDMI dongle of a size smaller than a candy bar that can turn any connected display to a full-fledged computer.

The internet search major spoke about Chromebit –

The Chromebit is a full computer that will be available for less than $100. It’s the perfect upgrade for an existing desktop and will be really useful for schools and businesses.

The tiny little package is a powerhouse that runs on Google’s Chrome operating system. It features a Rockchip 3288 SoC, an ARM Mali 760 quad-core GPU, along with 2GB of RAM. A 16GB of internal storage space is provided with Chromebit to store important stuff. The quintessential features are also equipped with the fresh product, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, together with a Smart Ready controller.

The Chromebit supports connectivity through two ports. One is HDMI that allows you to connect the device to a TV or other external display, and the other is USB port that offers it to be plugged into peripherals like keyboard, mouse or any other mobile devices.

The handy PC is under testing as of now, but the company stated that it will come with an ASUS trademark. The product will retail for less than $100, and will be available later this summer in three colour choices – silver, blue and orange.

Google’s Chromebit reminds us of Intel’s Compute Stick that was designed to perform the similar task; except that it was a straight piece with no bends. Chromebit, on the other hand, is slightly curved at the end that gives it a smooth finish.

Besides Chromebit, the tech firm also disclosed two new laptops – The Hisense Chromebook and Haier 11 Chromebook. Each of them are priced at $149 and are available for pre-orders. The notebooks will be available later this year.

April 1, 2015
Microsoft Expected to Take on Chromebooks with Inexpensive Windows 10 Laptops

While Microsoft enjoys a supremacy in the laptop OS domain with Windows, Google is on top of the mobile operating system game with the widely accepted Android by its side. But the search engine giant has also managed a foothold in the hardware arena with its popular Chromebook series. To recoup its audience, the Windows is planning to roll out two new inexpensive products that can counter Google’s Chromebooks.

According to the online publishing portal Digitimes, the company will release two affordable notebooks in mid-2015. These laptops will be 11.6-inch in size and will run on the latest Windows 10. The price of the notebooks will range from $149 to $179 at the max and will target the education and consumer markets. Unlike bigger laptops with powerful processors and graphics, the forthcoming devices are said to perform basic tasks like internet surfing, social media usage and Microsoft office processes.

If the source is to be believed then the laptops will house Intel’s Bay Trail-T CR (BTCR) processors. The one for educational purposes will be manufactured by electronics company Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) while, for the consumer market, the company will collaborate with China-based 3 Nod to manufacture the laptops.

It has also been learnt that Microsoft may expand its project and release more models in larger sizes to compete with Google’s 11.6-inch, 13.3- inch, and 15.6-inch notebooks.

[poll id=”30″]

March 30, 2015
Google Nexus 5 is No Longer Available for Purchase

Google’s 2013 flagship smartphone, the Nexus 5, which debuted alongside the second generation Chromebook Pixel, will no longer be available for purchase. As promised by the search giant, the flagship remained up for sale during the first quarter of 2015, but now, its MIA in Google’s Play Store and the newly formed non-Play store.

The phone’s page reads ‘The Nexus 5 is no longer available for sale.’ It implies that users who are interested in a pure Google smartphone will have to opt for the expensive Motorola Nexus 6.

Specs of this smartphone included 5-inch display in Full HD (1920 x 1080), the modern Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and either 16GB or 32GB of non-expandable internal memory. With this processor and 2GB of RAM running pure vanilla Android, the device was smooth as butter.

The Nexus 5 is not the only product that Google has stopped. The very first Chromebook Pixel, a high-end laptop that is powered by Chrome OS, is unavailable for purchase too. It seems like Google is on a clean-up spree, which could have something to do with the introduction of the new Chromebook Pixel with two USB Type-C connector.

Nexus 6 is Google’s flagship phone and can be purchased from the Play Store.

March 12, 2015
Google’s Upcoming 2-in-1 Chromebook Will Run on Both Chrome OS and Android

If Google is the frontrunner in the smartphone race with Android, Microsoft is the boss of laptops and computers with the power of Windows. The internet search beast wants to take the charge in this segment as well and is geared to release a hybrid 2-in-1 Chromebook that would be working on both Chrome OS and Android.

The yet-untitled device is a detachable machine that runs on Android in the tablet form, and when attached to a keyboard instantly switches to Chrome OS. Google has gone far ahead with the integration of Android ecosystem to Chrome OS.

Meanwhile, it’s not known that how the two operating systems are going to boot or if Android apps will run on Chrome OS. It seems like the 2-in-1 hybrid machine will switch between the two operating systems automatically as per requirement.

The forthcoming Chromebook is said to be designed by Quanta Computer and will launch under Google branding. The product will complete sometime in the first quarter of this year. Many vendors are said to be joining Google’s 2-in-1 Chromebook later this year.

The Chromebooks did tremendously well in 2014 with a worldwide shipment of 6.5 million units. But to retain that number and increase it, Google needs to carry on, on the path of innovation.

February 17, 2015
Asus Brings the Super Sleek EeeBook to India for Rs. 20,000

Asus has won a lot of hearts in India over the last year with its ZenFone line of smartphones. The Taiwanese electronics company has a healthy portfolio of devices in India which includes, notebook, tablets, desktops and a lot more. The company is now going to bring the affordable and stylish EeeBook to India for a price of Rs. 20,000.

Asus EeeBook will take a direct aim at Google’s Chromebook-based devices. The EeeBook is a lightweight notebook which is powered by a 1.33 GHz Quad-core Intel Atom processor along with 2 GB RAM. It comes with a-11.6 inch display with a screen resolution of 1366×768.

Just like the Chromebooks, the EeeBook is a cloud based device. In the UK, the device comes with a one-year subscription to Office365 and 1TB of OneDrive storage, which is worth £60. There is also a free two-year subscription to Asus’s WebStorage service with 500GB of space. So in terms of space, the cloud will come to your rescue. The 32 GB internal storage gets used up really fast so you’d have to keep an external storage device on you.

The Asus EeeBook gives more functionality than the average Chromebook, as it runs on the Windows operating system so you can use all your favorite softwares on the device. This bit makes it more practical and a better purchase for a country like India where internet connectivity is limited. The pricing of the EeeBook is also lower than the Chromebooks in the market which gives it an extra edge.

January 15, 2015
Google is Offering $240 Worth Cloud Data Free With Chromebooks

Chromebooks are basically Cloud-driven netbooks, which according to most industry watchers is the future of computing in both consumer and enterprise ecosystem. Even though, we have seen a serious price cut on the Cloud data this year, there’s nothing better than free.

Google, wooing customers this holiday season, is offering new Chromebook buyers 1 TB of Google Drive storage to go along with their purchase for two years. To take advantage of the deal, you just have to buy any new Chromebook between now and 1st January, 2015.

Chromebooks run Chrome OS, an operating system based on the Chrome web browser. Everything you want to do on your Chromebook, you have to do on the web. So, instead of saving your Microsoft Word document on your desktop, you use Google Drive to store your docs, spreadsheets, slides etc. in the Cloud. And for that reason, the free data is a sweet deal. That amount of space would usually cost you almost $240.

Google said, “Chromebooks make day-to-day computing fast, simple and secure, whether you’re searching for a great pumpkin pie recipe or sharing a family photo from Google Drive. And now, as a bonus for the holiday season, new Chromebook buyers can get 1 TB of Google Drive storage for two years – a $240 value – absolutely free. That’s enough space to keep more than 100,000 awkward holiday sweater pics safe and shareable in Drive. With that much free storage, you can use your Chromebook for work, play and pretty much everything else you’ll do this holiday season.”

Chromebooks like Acer’s C720 start at $199, though you’d do well to spend more money and get more than 2 GB of RAM. If the Cloud model doesn’t work for you, a new class of cheap Windows laptops like HP’s Stream have been creeping down into the $200 price category lately.

November 22, 2014
Microsoft Is Pulling Up Its Sleeves To Tackle The Chromebook Frenzy

Yesterday, at WPC 2014, Microsoft’s COO Kevin Turner revealed company’s plan to take over Google Chromebook. Turner said that HP is planning to release a $199 laptop running Windows this holiday season. He didn’t provide any specs for HP’s “Stream” device, but he did show detailed $249 laptop options from Acer and Toshiba.

Acer’s low-cost laptop will ship with a 15.6-inch screen and a 2.16GHz Intel Celeron processor, and Toshiba’s includes a 11.6-inch display. It appears that Intel’s Celeron chips will help Microsoft’s PC partners push out cheaper devices in the race to the bottom.

Microsoft explains why Windows is better!

It is also revealed that HP will release its 7- and 8-inch versions of new “Stream” PCs for $99 along with the main variant, and both running versions of Windows. Microsoft has been gradually cutting Windows license costs to help PC makers to reduce their device prices, and it’s clear the company is taking the Chromebook threat seriously now that its popularity is rising day by day.

As Microsoft points out, there are some things you can do on a Windows machine that you cannot on a Chromebook. You can run the full version of Microsoft Office, be sure that most printers and other peripherals will support your device, and run native Windows apps. You can also install the Chrome web browser and do nearly anything you would be able to do on a Chromebook.

Google sold 2.1 million Chromebooks in 2013

But some of Microsoft’s allegation on Chromebook are not entirely true. You can use some Chrome web apps even without an internet connection, use Google Cloud Print to send print jobs to supported devices, Google Drive (or Microsoft Office Web Apps) for some document editing, or even load Ubuntu, Debian, or another Linux distribution if you want desktop apps.

Furthermore, Chromebooks boot quickly, offer a secure platform since apps run in a sandboxed security mechanism, and the ease that comes with knowing that almost all of your data is backed up in the cloud so you can pick up where you left off just by logging into any other machine connected to internet.

Google has been praised for how clean and user-friendly its Chrome OS has been, while Microsoft’s Windows 8 has struggled to catch on since it launched in 2012. Google sold 2.1 million Chromebooks in 2013. Meanwhile, the ultraportable Windows 8 laptop-tablet hybrids declined by 7.4% last year. While Microsoft is now competing on price, only time will tell if the underpowered devices can match the smooth performance of a Chromebook.

July 15, 2014
Samsung Officially Launches Leather Wrapped Chromebook 2, Starts at $320

Samsung already has a Chromebook which was available sometime back at a price of $249. Samsung, has now launched the its successor, the new leather wrapped Chromebook 2, which is available in two variants, 11.6 inch and 13.3 inch and runs on Chrome Operating Systems.

Samsung was rumored to launch these new fake leather stitched Chromebook and now the company has officially launched these new Chromebooks.

The 13.3 inch display model comes with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 , which is powered by the Samsung’s latest Exynos 5 Octa processor. This Chromebook is equipped with 4 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. Samsung claims 8.5 hours of battery life which seems great, this variant is priced at $400. On the other hand, the 11.6 inch display model has a resolution of 1366 x 768, and has a slightly slower processor, and eight hours of battery. But it keeps everything else the same, but this is priced at $320.

March 4, 2014
Samsung is Rumored to Launch a New Leather Wrapped Chromebook

After the launch of its flagship Galaxy S5, Samsung is also focusing on other products. Started from the Galaxy Note 3, the leather like back panel is adopted by the Galaxy Grand 2, and now it seems that Samsung is planning to launch other devices with the same approach.

As per Evleaks, Samsung will launch a Google Chromebook wrapped with the leather like plastic coating that the company loves so much these days. Not much information is available on this, but if rumors are to be believed, we can expect a Samsung Chromebook with leather like coat really soon.

March 3, 2014
Acer C720 Chromebook Will Be Available Starting Today Priced at 22999 INR

The Acer C720 Chromebook was launched last week by Acer, and will now be available in Mumbai and Delhi from 17^th October onwards. The Chromebook is mainly targeted at consumers in the home and education segment, the device boots in less than 7 seconds and comes with a matte anti-glare display, this is what the company claims.

The battery on the Chromebook runs for upto 8.5 hours, and the C720 also features a 2 GB DDR3 RAM. The Acer C720 Chromebook keeps data safe when the device is used by multiple users, such as for collaboration in the classroom and for projects for home, school or work. The device features a 16 GB SSD out of which 10 GB is user available and users get a 100 GB storage on Google Drive, for which the company claims will protects files, documents, and photos safely in the cloud, and ensures that the most current version is always available. Users will also be able to access files offline, and even open and edit MS Office documents as well as Google Documents.

The Acer C720 is a significant step forward for our highly-acclaimed Acer Chromebook line, as it delivers speedy performance, quick boot times, a matte anti-glare display and a slimmer design that is portable enough for anywhere use,” said Mr. S. Rajendran, CMO, Acer India. “Thesekey advances allow families and students to continue collaborating, learning and playing in exciting ways, all while staying secure since Chrome OS includes multiple layers of protection from online threats.”

Chromebooks are designed to make computing faster, simpler and more secure for everyone, and we’re delighted that we can now bring this experience to India. Chromebooks have become the go-to laptop for many people around the world and if you love using Chrome on your PC, you’ll get going on a Chromebook in seconds”, said Mr. Caesar Sengupta, Vice President, Product Management, Chrome OS.

The Acer C720 includes a full-sized keyboard, and the device weighs 1.25 kg. The Chromebook Acer C720 features a 29.5 cms (11.6 inches) ComfyView™ HD display with a 1366 x 768 resolution. The Acer C720 also have an integrated HD webcam. The Acer C720 can connect to various electronics devices such as camcorders, digital cameras and smart phones via USB 3.0 port as well as a USB 2.0 port. The device also has an HDMI port for pushing video and content to external displays and HDTVs. The Chromebook also features a SD card slot.

Intel has a long history of developing compelling products for client computing while enabling new and innovating operating systems. We would like to congratulate Acer on the launch of their Chromebook using Intel processors based on the Haswell microarchitecture. The launch of the Intel processor based Chromebook demonstrates our ongoing work to ensure Intel architecture is the platform of choice for customers and we continue to provide a spectrum of experiences to the end-user” said Sandeep Aurora, Director of Marketing & Market Development, Intel South Asia.

The Acer C720 has been launched with a retail price of only Rs. 22,999 in India. Company has introduced financing schemes and some internet packages from various providers.

[toggle title=”Press Release “]Mumbai, India, October 17th, 2013: The much-awaited Acer C720 Chromebook, which was launched last week by Acer, will be available exclusively at select Croma and Reliance Digital outlets in Mumbai and Delhi from 17th October onwards. Targeted at consumers in the home and education segment, the Haswell-based Acer C720 Chromebook is lightweight, performs faster, boots in less than 7 seconds and comes with a matte anti-glare display.

Consumers can begin their online fun, research and social networking quickly with the Acer C720 Chromebook. The battery keeps consumers productive for up to 8.5 hours, ideal for all day productivity and fun. Consumers can power through web pages and docs, and will also enjoy fluid HD video and apps with the support of up to 2GB of DDR3 memory.
“The Acer C720 is a significant step forward for our highly-acclaimed Acer Chromebook line, as it delivers speedy performance, quick boot times, a matte anti-glare display and a slimmer design that is portable enough for anywhere use,” said Mr. S. Rajendran, CMO, Acer India. “Thesekey advances allow families and students to continue collaborating, learning and playing in exciting ways, all while staying secure since Chrome OS includes multiple layers of protection from online threats.”

“Chromebooks are designed to make computing faster, simpler and more secure for everyone, and we’re delighted that we can now bring this experience to India. Chromebooks have become the go-to laptop for many people around the world and if you love using Chrome on your PC, you’ll get going on a Chromebook in seconds”, said Mr. Caesar Sengupta, Vice President, Product Management, Chrome OS.
Multiple layers of security features including data encryption and verified boot defend the Acer C720 Chromebook against online threats, malware and viruses. The Acer C720 Chromebook also keeps data safe when the device is used by multiple users, such as for collaboration in the classroom and for projects for home, school or work. Storage on Google Drive protects files, documents, and photos safely in the cloud, and ensures that the most current version is always available. Consumers can also access files offline, and even open and edit MS Office documents as well as Google Documents.

“Intel has a long history of developing compelling products for client computing while enabling new and innovating operating systems. We would like to congratulate Acer on the launch of their Chromebook using Intel processors based on the Haswell microarchitecture. The launch of the Intel processor based Chromebook demonstrates our ongoing work to ensure Intel architecture is the platform of choice for customers and we continue to provide a spectrum of experiences to the end-user” said Sandeep Aurora, Director of Marketing & Market Development, Intel South Asia.

The new Acer C720 includes a full-sized keyboard, so consumers can comfortably create and edit documents and spreadsheets. The device weighs only 1.25 kg, making it easily portable device in a backpack or bag. The slim and sleek size of the Acer C720 provides for a vibrant 29.5 cms (11.6 inches) ComfyView™ HD display with a 1366×768 resolution that keeps websites, images and video crisp and clear. The Acer C720’s integrated HD webcam delivers sharp and detailed images and rich color saturation.

The Acer C720 connects to popular consumer electronics devices such as camcorders, digital cameras and smart phones via its fast USB 3.0 port as well as a USB 2.0 port. It also has an HDMI port for pushing video and content to external displays and HDTVs. In addition, consumers can easily access their content at home or on the go – with 100 GB of free storage on Google Drive for two years. By visiting the Chrome Web Store users can customize their Acer C720 Chromebook with applications for work or play. Other media and files can also be accessed through the SD card reader.

Pricing, Availability and Warranty
The Acer C720 has been launched with 2GB of memory and a 16GB SSD at a retail price of only Rs. 22,999 in India.
Acer has introduced some unique offerings for the benefit of consumers. With Easy Financing schemes from Bajaj Finance at nominal processing fee, owning an Acer C720 is simple and easy. The consumers will also benefit from Acer’s hassle-free customer service & support as the Acer C720 comes with a 2 year warranty.
Users can also enjoy high speed wireless connectivity on their Acer C720 through exciting data bundle plans by Airtel and Tikona, the service is only available in selected locations depending on the service provider. At just Rs. 2499, consumers can opt for a free Airtel 4G dongle worth Rs 1500 with monthly 10 GB data for 2 months, or choose a free Airtel 3G dongle worth Rs. 1299 along with monthly 6 GB data for 3 months. Consumers desiring broadband connectivity at home can get a free 4 mbps speed Tikona home broadband connection of 8GB data with a validity of 45 days or 100 GB data with a validity of 20 months at just Rs. 3499. Consumers can also receive a free Wi-Fi router along with 100 GB data with a validity of 20 months at just Rs. 4999.
All Acer C720 Chromebooks are backed by toll-free service and support.

About Acer
Established in 1976, Acer is an information and communication technology company dedicated to the research, design, marketing, sale and support of innovative products that enhance people’s lives. Acer’s green supply chain delivers environmentally friendly PCs, displays, projectors, servers, tablets and smartphones — tools our customers need to explore beyond limits and experience more. Ranked No. 3 for notebooks globally (IDC 2012), Acer employs 8,000 people, and 2012 revenues reached US$14.7 billion. Please visit www.acer.co.in for more information.

© 2013 Acer Inc. All rights reserved. Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Inc. Other trademarks, registered trademarks, and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the property of their respective owners.[/toggle]

October 17, 2013
Pros and Cons of Buying a Google Chromebook in India
-By Rohan Naravane

Google announced the launch of their cloud-centric ChromeBooks in India. Two models; namely the Acer C720 and HP Chromebook 14 are going to be sold via select outlets of Croma and Reliance Digital and online via Flipkart.com. Priced at Rs. 22,999 and Rs. 26,990 respectively, these will go head-to-head with a variety of traditional Netbooks and Laptops available at those price points. With respect to hardware, they’re almost similar but instead of running Windows or Linux as their OS, they run Chrome OS. Chrome OS is a lightweight Linux-based Operating System designed to work purely with web applications. That means, there are very few ‘native’ apps baked into the OS; most of the work you’ll do is online, powered by the built-in Chrome browser. So, what are the Pros and Cons of buying a Chromebook in India over a regular laptop?

Pros of a Google Chromebook:
- Instant Boot: Chrome OS strips many of the unnecessary processes that a typical computer goes through when you power it on. Thus, a Chromebook is able to typically boot up in about 10 seconds. This is pretty fast; considering a regular laptop running Windows or Linux may take as long as a full 30 seconds for the same. When you close the lid, the Chromebook goes into sleep mode. But when left unused for an extended period, it may shut off to save battery. The good thing is, when you start it again, it would be less agonising of a wait before you can get back to using it.
- Multi-user features: Chromebooks are designed to be shared. The multiple-login feature, that allows multiple users to keep their data and settings private, and the Guest mode that protects your data when somebody else is using it aren’t unique features as they’re available in other Operating Systems too. But one unique thing is — since very little data is residing on the Chromebook itself, when you log into your Google account on any Chromebook, your desktop, shortcuts, wallpaper…basically everything you personalised shows up the way you left it on any other Chromebook.
- Virus Protection and Auto Updates: Chrome OS is fairly immune to viruses as it is based on Linux, which by itself has been reasonably virus-free as compared to Windows. Beyond that, Google has baked in the Verified Boot, which stores the initial booting code in read-only memory, so a malicious app cannot take over when your Chromebook boots up. Then there’s the Trusted Platform Module (TPM); a specialised chip that serves hardware-based authentication. Also, all the apps installed from the Web Store run in a sandboxed mode, which means a malicious app cannot mess up the core of the OS. Finally, since there aren’t any apps natively installed in Chrome OS; web-apps by default run their latest version. And Chrome OS updates by itself; much like how the Chrome browser does on other Operating Systems.
Cons of a Google Chromebook:
- Cannot use native applications: Because Chrome OS is a Linux-based OS that boots into the Chrome browser, there’s no scope for installing native applications. So, if you need to use Tally, Photoshop, MS Office, Skype or any other typical applications people use on computers, beware that you cannot install them on a Chromebook. Sure, you can use web-based alternatives to these apps that may be available on the Chrome Web Store, but they may not provide you with the kind of usability you’re used to.
- Can’t use Printers and Scanners in a Typical fashion: Google promotes the use of ‘Cloud Print’ with their Chromebooks. What this means is, you’ll need to have a Cloud Print Ready Printer , or have a printer connected to a computer with Internet and Chrome browser installed with Cloud Print set up, to be able to fire a Print from your Chromebook. So, although you may have noticed the USB ports on that Chromebook, you can’t simply plug it in and print or scan, like you can on a regular computer.
- Can’t store a lot of files locally: Many Chromebooks (especially the ones mentioned above) come with a 16GB SSD as the primary storage. Out of this, roughly 10GB is available to the user. So, if you intend to tank up the Chromebook with photos, videos, music and other big files, you’ll be running out of space pretty soon. Then again, the concept of Chromebook involves you not having to store anything locally, but rather store it on the Internet (Google offers 100GB of cloud storage complimentary for the first two years). In comparison, typical laptops in its price range come with an ample 500GB hard disk that you can fill up to your heart’s desire.
- Can’t use discs: Chromebooks don’t come with optical drives, nor do they support external ones that connect over USB. If you require to use CDs and DVDs from time to time, the Chromebook is a no-go for you.
- It needs the Internet to work (most of the time): Although Chrome OS has supports apps to work offline, the crux of the matter is that your content is still online. With the puny 10GB internal storage, most of us possibly cannot have everything we need stored in that much space. So, to retrieve something, the Chromebook is going to need the Internet. And in a country like India where easy-to-connect, open WiFi networks are non-existent, it could be cumbersome when you’re out in the open. Sure, you can use a 3G dongle, but then be prepared to incur the expenditure to access every file that could have just resided on a typical computer.
Weighing the Pros and Cons suggests that the Chromebooks are suitable only to a certain type of audience — the kinds who are assuredly going to have Internet omnipresent, and for whom the only application they use on a computer is the web browser. Some people argue that Chromebooks aren’t meant to replace computers; rather serve as inexpensive 2nd computers. Compared to their cost in the US, the Chromebooks launched in India are being sold good 25 to 35 percent higher. In fact, their India pricing is at par with traditional laptops from the same manufacturers. This makes a tough case for Chromebooks to the Indian consumer. But even if it got cheaper, would you want to get one? Or are you not yet ready to migrate to a cloud-only computer?

Rohan Naravane manages the content for PriceBaba.com. He is usually found rambling tech on Twitter @r0han.
October 17, 2013