Another wave of laptop computers running on Google’s Chrome operating system will be hitting stores this summer in the latest challenge to Microsoft’s dominant Windows franchise.
Among them are the first two Lenovo Chrome notebooks targeting consumers, the N20 Chromebook and N20p Chromebook starting at $279 and $329 respectively.
Lenovo is the world’s top PC seller.
“Our first consumer Chromebooks perfectly complement people’s changing mobile digital lifestyles,” said Dilip Bhatia, vice president, worldwide marketing and design at Lenovo. “Equipped with thousands of apps, the N20 and N20p Chromebooks are also fast, secure and incredibly simple for anyone to use and manage. With touch and two unique modes on the N20p Chromebook, users are getting a great technology experience at a handsome price.”
The latest line of Chromebooks unveiled Tuesday run on a new generation of Intel microprocessors. The machines will be shipped by major personal computer makers such as Lenovo Group, Acer, Dell, ASUS and Toshiba. They will sell for $300 to $400.
Lenovo’s Newest
Intel highlighted new Lenovo devices in a news announcement.
“Both the N20 and N20p sport an 11.6-in HD display, but only the latter boasts a hinge that allows its keyboard to be swiveled so far back that it becomes the base of a touch-enabled screen angled for movie viewing comfort,” notes website Gizmag. (Read the review online.
Adds Computerworld:
“Well, gang, get ready: Lenovo’s new N20p Chromebook is anything but ordinary.
“The Lenovo N20p Chromebook, officially announced this morning, has a touchscreen that can rotate 300 degrees into a backwards-facing “stand” mode. The idea is to give you the ability to tilt the system into a more slate-like setup — a slate with a stand attached to its back, that is.” (Read the full review online.
“Lenovo’s N20p Chromebook and Thinkpad YOGA 11e Chromebook offer options for touchscreen and hinge designs that enable tablet or tented-angle usage, so they’re just as easy to use at your desk or coffee table, on your lap or at school,” Intel announced in a blog.
“ASUS is following the success of their Chromebox (now the most popular desktop on Amazon.com) by introducing two new laptops: The ASUS C200 Chromebook (11-inch) and ASUS C300 Chromebook (13-inch).
“New versions of the Dell Chromebook 11 and the Acer C720 Chromebook will be powered by Intel’s Core i3 processor, which packs the additional performance to help you get things done faster. These new Chromebooks, along with a new 13-inch Toshiba model, a Chromebox from HP, and the LG Chromebase (the first all-in-one computer running Chrome OS), will be available in retail over the next few months.”
The widening selection of Chromebooks signifies the building momentum for Google’s attempt to create a compelling alternative to Windows-powered machines and Apple Inc.’s Mac computers.
Microsoft Allies, But …
Intel Corp. and the PC makers embracing Chromebooks also are longtime Microsoft Corp. partners that helped make Windows so influential.
But most of Microsoft’s longtime allies have been exploring new avenues amid a two-year decline in PC sales that has been driven by the growing popularity of smartphones and tablets. The technological shift has triggered the slump in PC sales, raising questions about Windows’ staying power over the next decade.
Microsoft also alienated some PC makers by releasing its own tablet, Surface, that runs on Windows. Although Surface still hasn’t become a hot item, Microsoft’s move into the tablet market demonstrated the software makers’ willingness to compete against its PC partners.
Intel, perhaps Microsoft’s most important partner, has been aggressively expanding beyond Windows. Besides branching into smartphones and wearable technology, Intel also now makes chips for 20 different Chromebook designs, up from just four designs last September.
“We will embrace multiple operating systems,” Navin Shenoy, an Intel vice president, said Tuesday.
Battling Chrome Reputation
Meanwhile, Google has been gradually trying to overcome early perceptions that Chromebooks are an inferior breed of PCs because they aren’t equipped with a hard drive to store data. In most instances, the Chromebooks require an Internet connection to get to information and applications stored in large data centers run by Google or other technology providers.
Since the first Chromebook came out in 2010, the machines have been upgraded with progressively faster chips, longer-lasting batteries and more online services to accommodate for the lack of a hard drive.
Google also has developed ways for Chromebook users to get work done and entertain themselves even when they are without Internet access. As part of Tuesday’s announcement, Google said that the ability to watch movies and TV shows while offline will be included in a free update to the Chrome operating system that will available within the next few weeks.
Despite the broadening support for the product, Chromebooks still account for only a small fraction of PC shipments. About 2.5 million Chromebooks were sold last year, or less than 1 percent of the worldwide PC market, according to the research firm International Data Corp. More than 80 percent of the PCs sold last year ran on Windows.
Chromebooks so far have gained the most traction in classrooms, where the machines’ low cost and free software support has won over teachers and school administrators. Google says Chromebooks are now used at about 10,000 schools, doubling from 5,000 last September.
