The cloud computing-centric Chromebook laptops are now officially available in Canada, Google announced today in its blog.
HP previously announced its Pavilion Chromebook would be available at the end of February and Chromebooks made by Samsung could be found by those with a keen eye from some computer sellers like TigerDirect. But now Google’s Web browser-as-operating-system will be more widely available in the Great White North and easier to find, at big box stores like Future Shop and Best Buy.
Samsung’s Chromebook will sell for $269.99, Acer’s for $249.99, and HP’s for $329.99, according to Google. There is also bulk ordering available for schools or businesses. The laptops can also be bought on Google Play.
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Chromebooks differ from traditional laptops in that they require a user to be connected to the Internet at all times. Instead of using installed software and storing files on a local hard drive, almost all of the computing on a Chromebook depends on Web services and many of them are supplied by Google. To encourage users to embrace the cloud model, Google is giving away 100 GB of storage on Google Drive for two years with the Chromebooks.
As a low-cost computer, Chromebooks are being positioned by Google as a secondary device that you might buy instead of a tablet or netbook. They are made to be lightweight and portable, and have low-power processors to last for longer on a single battery charge. But the dependence on an always available Internet connection may not work for all users.
Source: Google Canada Blog
