Google Netbook Specs Leaked

Foochee noted that specs have leaked for an alleged new Google NetBook. Coupling this with the HTC Google Phone, it really appears that Google is going to be pushing into new spaces in the next few years.

Comments

Re:Cool.

[maeka]

No kidding, TANSTAAFL.

Now if all of these are true, it's like getting a Ferrari for the price of a Mini Cooper.

Pick (at least) one:
A - All of these [rumors] aren't true.
B - You're going to be forced to watch ads.
C - It's going to be bundled with a monthly wireless bill.

10" screen??

[filesiteguy]

Though the idea sounds cool, I'm wondering what benefit having a solid-state drive with a 10" screen will be other than for those few road warriors who have to write long proposals while on an airplane flight.

At the same time, having a bundled deal so that one gets phone service with the netbook isn't that much of a benefit, IMO. You can already do this with a HTC Hero/Android device or even an iPhone.

Re:10" screen??

[FauxPasIII]

> what benefit having a solid-state drive with a 10" screen will be

Perfect silence, negligible random seek time and I can lob it onto the couch without worrying about data loss.

Re:Yeah, but what's the catch?

[TheRaven64]

Can I take the device, nuke ChromeOS and load my own GNU/Linux distribution

It has a Tegra chip, so probably not at all easily. Tegra is currently only supported with Wince, not with Linux. Google may have persuaded nVidia to give them some blob drivers, but it's quite unlikely that have provided open drivers. Google may simply be using a generic ARM11 kernel and ignoring the GPU (although then you'd wonder why they bothered going with Tegra instead of a cheaper ARM SoC), or they may have a blob driver. If it's running Android then this driver will integrate with the Android display server, so you won't be able to use it with X.org without a very complex shim (if at all) and it will depend on the kernel ABI, which will probably change immediately after the device ships if the Linux developers' track record is anything to go by.

In A.D. 2010

[Yvan256]

Orwellian Society was beginning.
User: What happen ?
Router: Somebody set up us the banners.
Computer: We get wi-fi signal.
User: What !
Operator: Main screen turn on.
User: It's You !!
Google: How are you gentlemen !!
Google: All your browsing history are belong to us.
Google: You are on the way to spam.
User: What you say !!
Google: You have no chance to hide make your time.
Google: HA HA HA HA ....
User: Download every 'Linux Distro' !!
User: You know what you doing.
User: Install 'Linux Distro'.
User: For great justice.

Re:Odd

[alen]

HTML 5 supports offline caching and I think even Google will allow it. other than that 64GB SSD's are probably the smallest you will find next year

Re:smartbook is nice, but where are the ARM nettop

[maeka]

Does anyone know why there are no ARM nettops?

I'd love to see something like Beagleboard that I could mount on the back of an LCD.

The advantages, IMHO, of ARM are all tilted for use in the mobile space.
Being 5, 15, whatever watts more efficient than an Atom is a high price to pay for breaking x86 compatibility when you're hooked to a wall outlet, considering your choice in monitor likely has as much impact on your final power bill as your ARM/Atom choice.

Re:Odd

[jhoegl]

Porn

Re:Yeah, but what's the catch?

[jimbobborg]

After reading the other replies here, I'd say the best bet would be NetBSD, since it's been ported to everything else.

Re:Google notebook specs...

[Presto Vivace]

Will they be able to combine GPS tracking w/ browsing history to deliver the most relevant ads? Sigh.

Re:Cool.

[poetmatt]

Actually, when you take out windows margins (cost of windows software and also royalties, etc), it's not that much of a surprise what they are saying they will offer.

Very interesting.

[wvmarle]

This can be interesting, why:

• This would become a non-Intel platform, which means Windows doesn't run on it. I'd really like to see how well it sells when Windows is simply not an option. If it takes off, MS is going to be hit hard, if only because alternative OSes become a serious alternative all of a sudden. Instead of being a niche product.
• Price of under $300, but still subsidised: where is the money coming from? Normally e.g. a mobile phone is subsidised because you are going to pay money to the mobile phone provider (calls, data, etc). I have never paid Google anything, other than for ads that I asked them to place. But not for any of their regular services. So either ad-supported, or only sold together with mobile data plans or so? The first is easy to get around: just install another OS or so.
• Opening up the processor market: if this netbook takes off, we could start seeing really lots of non-Intel compatible computers around, first of all of course ARM based, and maybe a revival of the PPC in the consumer market. I think that would be the best effect of this. Not just because Windows doesn't run on it but because there is so much more than Intel. And I bet there will suddenly be more room for competitors to AMD and Intel: they do not need to license any microcode or so. And porting Linux/*BSD/Chrome to those architectures, if not done yet, will be relatively easy.

IMHO one of the core reasons all consumer PCs come with Intel compatible processors is that Windows runs on them. Equip them with other processors and you can not sell your product with Windows. And that is an absolute suicidal business plan at the moment. Google may get this going, get non-Windows and non-Intel computers to the masses, opening up a lot of space for competitors.

And if it doesn't work, well we can always continue dreaming.

Re:Very interesting.

[Locutus]

the subsidized price is from 3G network connectivity contracts so the device can get on that Inter web thing people keep talking about. I think Google needs that Inter web thing around. And it might not be so easy as putting another distro in it. Reports have said that Google wants this thing booting in under 10 seconds and that elimination of the standard BIOS is one way to shave a few seconds. It's not impossible but it won't be as easy as using a standard LiveCD.

I'm all for opening up the playing field to competition and seeing ARM, PPC, and others gain marketshare but we are talking about a standard computer type of device and that's not going to fly with Microsoft. Mostly because of what you stated, they don't have Microsoft Windows to put on it. We have already seen a big hardware company CEO apologize for showing an ARM based netbook at this years CompuTex trade show and he did it with Microsoft on stage with him. We also saw the head of the largest manufacturing association say that they fear Microsoft and say something like non PC stuff is ok for them but PC stuff is scary for them because of Microsoft. If you remember Netscape, they know how to kill babies before they get a chance to grow into something tougher to kill. Just look at how they took a Linux platform, the netbook, and turned it into a Windows XP platform in just over one year. Sure Linux is still on 30% of those netbooks sold worldwide but the press tells everyone Windows is _the_ netbook OS and mom and pop believe them.

There's bucket loads of potential and capabilities in ARM on netbooks but Microsoft will not let that grab hold if they have any say in it. So there's a good chance we'll see more illegal activities by them and will probably see them in court again in 5 years. But we may also see that ARM netbook start to blossom and then get mowed down by MS. Intel is no saint either so it's going to be a backroom battle once again. IMO.

LoB

Re:Google notebook specs...

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

We've given up on the goal of not being bothered by commercial solicitation every bloody minute of our lives?

Re:Is it going to be free?

[mister_playboy]

I played with Chrome OS and think it sucks as well. you can't do anything without an internet connection.

Google can't send you ads if you aren't online.

Re:Is it going to be free?

[chill]

I believe they are probably working towards a system similar to Zero Install.

http://zero-install.sourceforge.net/faq.html

Apps would run on the device, but be initially loaded from the web. There is no installed, only cached. When net connectivity isn't available, they run from the system cache. Syncing is done when connectivity is restored. I mean, if it was 100% web based then there wouldn't be much of a need for a big SSD, would there?

It actually has a lot of potential.

Re:smartbook is nice, but where are the ARM nettop

[IntlHarvester]

Because Windows doesn't run on it. I saw a piece on Google news about the netbook fad dying. The premise is that they lost sight of their original goals and are just becoming low powered laptops. IMO, this is mainly down to trying to get windows on netbooks.

I think just the opposite - Windows (especially XP) runs great on atom-based systems, so people are buying them as a primary computers instead of secondary gadgets. (The crowd around the netbook counter at the local Best Buy certainly did not look like the kind of people with multiple PCs.)

If the netbook fad is "dying", it is because WinTel killed it to protect their margins.

This has failed before and will fail again.

[tekrat]

Okay, let's see if I've got this straight...
#1) Google will SUBSIDIZE the cost of the netbook (aka NetPC, which was hacked out of existence).
#2) Unlike NetPC, they won't be using an intel processor, locking out Windows.
        --- so when joey or jane try to download and install their favorite game or chat client, it will fail.
        --- so when grandma can't load in her quickbooks document for the church, it will fail.
#3) As someone who has lurked in many a netbook forum, I can tell you the number one question will be "How do I install Windows XP on it?"
#4) Someone will figure out how to install alternative OSes on it, maybe even write some kind of intel CPU emulator, or real-time recompiler, and then hack Windows into running on it, and then the lawsuits begin.
#5) As soon as people get bored with it, into the trash heap it goes.

Google will lose money on this deal. Chrome will not take hold, in fact, most early adopters will be spending their time trying to get Chrome off of it. When the masses get it they will be disappointed by it's lack of backwards compatibility, and start searching (ironically using Google) for websites to show them how to "jailbreak" the thing into running what they want. Adblocker apps will appear as will other hacks to thwart Google, so people can feel they got a "free netbook".

Re:This has failed before and will fail again.

[Tubal-Cain]

- Plugins. Ok, you surely will have flash...

Not on ARM. Which is probably why Google is moving towards HTML5: the single most popular flash-dependent site on the interwebs is YouTube. Moving it from flash to the video tag will give ARM a chance.

Re:This has failed before and will fail again.

[Eil]

#1) Google will SUBSIDIZE the cost of the netbook (aka NetPC, which was hacked out of existence).

If they're targeting the sub-$300 region as TFA says, they won't have to subsidize much, as similar netbooks (albeit with more expensive chipsets) already sell for less than that. And, uh, it's Google. A company run by hackers doing interesting things with cheap hardware. They're expecting a certain number of them to be hacked or repurposed. Also, they're not selling a separately-purchased subscription or anything with it. All they want is for people to keep using the web and this netbook helps them achieve that.

#2) Unlike NetPC, they won't be using an intel processor, locking out Windows.
--- so when joey or jane try to download and install their favorite game or chat client, it will fail.
--- so when grandma can't load in her quickbooks document for the church, it will fail.

This won't be marketed as a general-purpose computer. The things that you mentioned won't work on a Linux netbook either and that hasn't stopped netbooks from being shipped with Linux preinstalled. (Dell Mini 10, HP Mini 110, Acer Aspire One, MSI Wind, etc.) Most people just want a web browser, an email client, and instant messaging. That's the market that Google's netbook targets. Whoever buys this thing expecting to put their Windows XP Pirate Edition on it instead, deserves whatever complete lack of support they get.

#3) As someone who has lurked in many a netbook forum, I can tell you the number one question will be "How do I install Windows XP on it?"

An the #1 answer will be, "You don't. You just use it like it is." Not so hard, is it? Again, it's not meant to be a general-purpose computer. It's a specific device with a specific job: getting you on the web. Asking how to install Windows on it will make about as much sense as asking how to install OS X on a Nintendo Wii.

#4) Someone will figure out how to install alternative OSes on it, maybe even write some kind of intel CPU emulator, or real-time recompiler, and then hack Windows into running on it, and then the lawsuits begin.

Uhhh, what? The only "alternative" OS that a hacker can port to ARM is Linux or maybe one of the BSDs. Emulating an x86 CPU with any reasonable speed is simply not going to be feasible. And if it were, where would the lawsuits come from? Microsoft does not care what kind of computer you install Windows upon. And I highly doubt that Google will include an Apple-esqe EULA stating which kinds of software you can and cannot install.

Also, the Chromium OS is open source, is very well documented, and Google encourages external hacking and development.

#5) As soon as people get bored with it, into the trash heap it goes.

If you get bored with it, you either didn't need one in the first place, or you're just bored with the Internet in general. I don't think there's a lot that Google can do to prevent either of those.

When the masses get it they will be disappointed by it's lack of backwards compatibility, and start searching (ironically using Google) for websites to show them how to "jailbreak" the thing into running what they want.

The whole thrust of your thinly-veiled argument is that nobody will want it if it can't run Windows. What you fail to realize is that:

1. With the notable exception of hardcore PC gaming, there are really not many computing tasks that absolutely require windows any more. Despite Microsoft's best efforts, Internet content these days is very much OS-independent. We're to the point where most people can do e

SUBSIDIZED

[SharpFang]

$300 price tag due to the device being subsidized.

And since Google is not a charity organization, that means there will be other costs.
Most likely a wireless contract.

unless Google is willing to promote its new OS so hard, that it intends to sell these at loss just to gain a market share. Sounds extremely unlikely but knowing Google and its wild ideas (free 1GB email with POP3 anyone?) not entirely impossible.

Re:Odd

[alen]

Toshiba just doubled the density of their NAND chips. flash memory prices are plummeting on a per GB basis, just like hard drive prices 10 years ago

Re:Bullshitus Netbukus

[hairyfeet]

For one the 64Gb SSD smells like BS to me. If you are making a "cloud" device, one that you intend to subsidize no less, WTF do you need that much storage for? Checking Newegg the cheapest SSD that size is $120, or nearly a third of the cost of the device. Even buying a metric ton of the suckers I doubt they'd get the price below...say $90 as the cost of the chips for those aren't exactly bargain basement.

It just doesn't track. Google is the "king of the cloud" and would want to encourage you to do everything in Google Land. With that much storage space it would be too easy to just do anything you wanted offline and ignore Google. More likely if Google is gonna build a device you will be looking at a max 8Gb SSD, more likely 4Gb, just enough for the OS and enough offline storage so you can do work between hotspots.

That said even if they managed to pull this little miracle of pricing off I wouldn't have it on a bet. Why would you pay $300 for a device locked down tighter than a nun's thighs and be forced to run what Google wants you to run when Netbooks start at the same price, can run what you want to run, and can even run Windows if you so desire or dual boot? This seems like a solution in search of a problem. Those that just want a "browser in a box" have the iPhone and other smartphones, and those that want "baby laptops" have Netbooks that can run their Windows apps and are cheap to boot. If they do manage to come out with this it will be interesting to see if Google can make it just on their name alone, or if the highly locked down nature of the device will turn folks away. I know the big selling point of Netbooks to my customers is the fact that most run XP so they can run all their favorite apps anywhere they want. But I think the SSD size is a giveaway that it is bullshit. Like I said it just doesn't track with Google and the cloud nature of ChromeOS.

Re:smartbook is nice, but where are the ARM nettop

[nxtw]

If power usage is not limited by battery life, ARM hasn't been truly competitive with Intel (or AMD or IBM) for a long time. I don't think there any ARM CPUs that are even close to having as much performance as a dual-core Atom, let alone something based on the Core or Nehalem microarchitecture.

Re:Bullshitus Netbukus

[Thing 1]

Perhaps the SSD is so large because Google expects to make "the cloud" run on the netbooks, as well as being served to them?