A look at Samsung's Series 5 550 Chromebook

Indeed, the name "Chromebook" comes from the fact that the laptop is running the so-called Chrome OS - basically an embedded version of Google's Chrome Web browser. If you've used the Chrome browser on Windows or Mac, you know that it asks you to log in, and then it syncs your bookmarks, Google identity, Google Docs, and Google Drive files. The Chromebook works the same way, except there's no way out of that browser. Apps can run on a Chromebook, but they're Web apps; they load through the browser.

That's not to say the Chromebook can't do anything offline: it can read files and play movies and music anytime. And Chrome OS has gotten better at file compatibility PowerPoint, Word docs, Excel files, ZIP files, and PDFs all load well and look great. You can't edit documents without first uploading to Google Docs, though. Photos can be viewed and even lightly edited with brightness and contrast adjustments, rotation, and cropping. The files can be resaved or uploaded to Picasa.

Our experience with the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook last year left us underwhelmed: it had smoothly running hardware and a clean operating system, but with such a limited set of uses compared with Windows, a high sticker price of over $400, and the requirement of being online to use most apps like Google Docs, the Chromebook didn't add up to a logical choice for anyone other than a Google cloud devotee. A year later, the new Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550 has slightly improved hardware and improved Chrome OS software, but its price - a whopping $449, or $549 with a Verizon 3G wireless antenna - is flat-out crazy.

Here's the biggest problem with the Chromebook: the hardware's fine, and the simplified Web-based OS is clever, and even versatile if you don't mind its limitations. Still, it's a radically reduced subset of what you can get on a Windows or Mac laptop...or even an iPad or Android tablet, for that matter. Yet, it costs more than a new iPad 2, a thinner, keyboard-enabled Android tablet like the Asus Transformer Pad, or a fully featured 11-inch ultraportable laptop like the AMD-powered HP dm1z. If the Chromebook were $99, this could have been a revolutionary product. As it currently stands, it's merely an invitation to pay a lot of money to be part of a Google experiment.

Google New Chrome Box hurdles Apple Mac Mini

Google Chromebox challenges Apple Mac Mini. Google has launched a New Chromebook laptop and a new, Mac Mini-style Chromebox that it hopes will boost its Chrome OS operating system.  The devices both use the latest version of Chrome OS, the expanded version of Google's popular web browser that can power an entire new model of computer.

Chrome OS has proved popular with some educational establishments and some businesses because it is automatically upgraded to the latest version and reduces the need for IT departments to manage anti-virus systems. Despite this, the existing laptops, made by Samsung and Acer, have failed to capture the consumer imagination, and overall sales have been low.

300,000 Chromebooks offer will be sold this year, accounting for less than 1 per cent of the laptop market. The two new devices include an improved, faster laptop, the Series 5, and a smaller box that will plug into existing monitors or televisions to provide access to the latest Chrome OS on a new platform. Google's Linus Upson said the Chromebox had been developed by engineers who "wanted something to plug in to their TVs and play media through", but denied that it challenged Google's existing Google TV products.

Many users have bought Mac Mini computers as media PCs. Chrome OS currently relies heavily on a network connection, and until recently had neither a Windows-style desktop nor a file management system. Incremental upgrades have made offline access to Gmail possible, and offline access to documents is also launching soon.

A beta version is already available. Within the next two months, Google will also integrate Chrome OS with Google Drive, which it says will automatically back up all file whenever the machines can connect to the web. It has also recently added the ability to pin apps to the taskbar and to resize windows. A growing number of Chrome apps are available and Google says it is committed to reducing the limitations on what Chrome OS can do when it does not have access to the web.

The new Chromebook runs 2.5x faster than existing models, and the Chromebox runs 3.5x faster. Both models use an Intel Core processor and contain 16gb of flash memory. They will cost £379 and £279 respectively. Models from other manufacturers are also expected to be released soon. Google said Chrome OS could now open more file types than ever before, including Microsoft Office documents and PDFs, and added that the bid to sell Chromebooks would include a new push to introduce so-called 'Chromezones' in Best Buy shops across America. London's flagship brand of PC World featured Google's first retail store.

The new models will be for sale online and in store. Prices for the New Chromebook, called the Samsung Series 5 550, are similar to those for existing models. A range of analysts has suggested that Chrome could take off as a PC for those who are unfamiliar with computers, or people needing a cheap basic laptop, but stressed that the new, second generation models were still a new concept.