Chrome OS smartbooks to be more expensive than Windows netbooks?
March 12, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Google ‘s Chrome operating system is not expected to launch until the second half later this year. Many question marks over OS remain, however what we do know is that Chrome OS will be heavily cloud based and Google is likely to dictate hardware requirements for devices running it.
Whilst the requirements are under wraps for now, it is believed to include relatively high performance graphics, SSDs and accelerometers. This has led Bob O’Donnell, VP of clients and displays at International Data Corp, to say that Chrome OS smartbooks will be even more expensive than Microsoft Windows-based netbooks. “PC OEMs say the hardware requirements—still under NDA–will make the systems actually more expensive than a Windows device, yet they don’t have anywhere near the applications support,” O’Donnell said.
He also questions Chrome OS’ online-only use, especially since as many as 40 percent of Wintel netbook owners use their devices offline around 40 percent of the time. “There’s a serious challenge for Chrome, and I don’t think people will like it,” he said. O’Donnell is bearish on smartbooks in general, mainly as people will want to use familiar applications as in the desktop Windows environment.
“Clamshell systems need Windows or Mac OS because if a system looks like a notebook people want it to act like one. I think there are interesting opportunities for ARM with specialized devices because they can have a proprietary OS kernel and other elements. That’s an area ARM will have opportunities, but the x86 owns multipurpose systems,” O’Donnell said.
He says that smartbook sales will not exceed 2m units by 2011. In contrast, tablet devices will ship as many as 16m, whilst e-readers should reach 6m units. Netbooks will continue to see strong growth, IDC expects 45m units shipped by 2011.
Via EETimes.
March 12th, 2010 2:55 PM
You will see Google’s own branded Google OS netbooks spec’ed higher than Windows netbooks, but available at the same price – mainly because they will use ARM hardware with a high integration level, and because cloud based applications will reduce storage and RAM requirements, and they will run faster than similar priced Windows netbooks because of cloud based applications and reduced RAM and CPU requirements, and better video and graphics acceleration.
You will see third party Chrome OS netbooks (ARM and Atom based) with similar graphics chips and CPUs which are cheaper than Windows, but have similar performance because apps are cloud based and so RAM and CPU requirements are lower.
Summary:
-Google branded Chrome OS netbook = same price but faster user experience than Windows.
-Non Google branded netbook = same performance as Windows netbook, but cheaper.
March 12th, 2010 2:57 PM
I do agree that ARM based Tablets will be more popular than low end netbooks.
March 14th, 2010 12:54 AM
Does anyone really want to keep using Microsoft office.
March 15th, 2010 1:43 PM
I thought we lost Wintel FUD (Fear, uncertainty, and doubt ) propaganda tactics at last century. Shame on netbookchoice.com!
Most people realize that Wintel monopole is losing battle. Pure mathematic: ARM’s are cheaper & more effective & efficient, open source operative systems are almost free, and so on.
x86 & Windows will be soon abandon-ware. BUT:
“hardware requirements—still under NDA–will make the systems actually more expensive than a Windows device” ???????? Please, gimme a break.
Try run Vista on your Atom, or counterpart. NO WAY. Win7, after 1 month of using (!) is becoming slower than Vista.
I hope you are paid well for this advertising.
April 30th, 2010 2:58 PM
I’m coming to the party a few weeks late but idk why you guys are so against this article.
Chrome is going to use SSD’s only. SSD’s cost waaayyy more than HDD’s. Netbooks don’t have accelerometers or high quality graphics either. So I think for an equivalent price you’ll be getting a better user experience. I’m still a little worried about almost everything being in the cloud. Thankfully they’ll have a media player and hopefully they’ll have something like gears so that you can use docs and other google services offline.
I really wish they’d just merge android and Chrome from the start. Make Android boot really fast and stick a proper google Chrome browser on it. Or just give Chrome the ability to run Android apps. Then you can have that great cloud experience and still have some offline apps. I’d like basic things like maybe a dictionary. And I know Chrome has a pdf viewer but they’ll need to do something to make Chrome tablets at least be able to read ebooks in a more enjoyable form.
All that said I am very excited about hopefully getting rid of my windows laptop in a year or so and using only a Google branded smartbook as my main computer whether its Chrome or Android.
Do you think that Chrome/Android devices will support a wide variety of USB devices? Cause I think that’ll be the kicker for if this can be someones main computer or if they want to force people to buy multiple devices. A main computer and then a mobile computer. I’m thinking USB HDD’s, printers, optical drives etc. Do I want to buy a whole second device just to print, rip CD’s and store data? A nettop wouldn’t be terrible but those aren’t exactly tasks that take a lot of power.
Sorry if I’m going off topic, I’m just trying to think about how a device will actually fit into my life and how I’ll actually use it.