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Google To Offer Chrome OS Notebooks For $20/month
An anonymous reader writes "Hot on the heels of the $25 ARM computer, Google is to offer a $20 per month package for students, which includes a Chrome OS laptop (like the Cr-48) and an online component, which will likely include a storage bump for a user's Google Docs, Gmail, Picasa Web, and Google Music files. This would serve two purposes for Google: first, Google will be able to expand its existing user base for Chrome OS. For half the price of a typical cell phone contract, students will be able to pick up a netbook with 3G connectivity. Second, Google will be able to test the package offering publicly prior to eventually adding an enterprise version for Google Apps users."
they will begin offering Angry Birds on Chrome! http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/11/angry-birds-gets-a-web-version-in-google-chrome/
what's next....free...
Lemme take a wild guess: Google is still working towards a strategy for the Canadian market, and will release there "soon", alongside Google Voice, Google TV, and flying cars.
A basic thinkpad costs around $800
Thinkpads last 7+ years, assuming a useful life of 5 years, cost per year = $160 $20/month
i have a beta cr-48 and haven't used it in months. even my wife rarely uses it anymore unlike her iphone.
it's OK and pretty fast but completely useless unless you have a network connection. ipad runs rings around it in hardware quality and functionality.
I think this has the most value in K12. A lot will depend on support contracts and additional costs, but for a 1:1 program this is a reasonable structure. Many people will compare this to buying a laptop for under $400 that can be used anywhere versus a $240 dollar annual cost for a device that only works over the web. What most people will miss and what will be important for this to work, is reducing the management and maintenance costs of the devices. If you combine the $240 appliance with wireless access at school, administrative control of the device, replacement structures for broken and stolen devices, and the ability to integrate with an LMS, this could be a valuable reduction in costs.
A $300 netbook that I can use for $0/month! That's right, ladies and gents, zero dollars per month!
And that's not all. It's even capable of storing up to 320 GB of data INSIDE the device itself! How amazing is that? You can carry your data right along with you, and not have to depend on "the cloud" or have problems with their data breeches.
If I keep it for 5 years, that's $1200 saved compared to a $20/month plan. And since I have both 802.11 and a cell phone anyway, I can still get network connectivity anywhere.
It's a damn amazing thing, I tell ya what.
As far as I know Dell and other vendors offer computers on installment payments. Isn't that a better choice than renting?
Google hit upon the secret for Desktop Linux success -- charge more than Free, track your users, and limit what the OS can do when its capable of more!
Another monthly bill to worry about
Now you just need to make sure you never lose your connection to the internet, otherwise you're screwed.
In Canada, that'd be roughly a third, or less, of a typical cell phone contract. I'm paying close to $80 CDN a month for 65 minutes, unlimited texting, caller ID and a gb of data on a smartphone... and I know Canada's not the worst, although we're pretty bad.
The right to offend is central to the right to free speech.
So your math isn't realistic. This is a dumb terminal for $20/month. I can give you a shovel, and you might find an old Televideo in a landfill some place that might be adaptable to WiFi.
Google believes convenience is going to rule, but there's little compelling for $20/month.
---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
As an owner of a Chrome OS laptop, the only way I'd get one of these (or recommend it to a friend) is if they came with unlimited 3G. The 100mb cap is not nearly enough.
Sent from my CR-48
I'd like to see definite proof in the form of a signup page rather than slashdot's repost of an extremetech repost of Forbe's repost of Engadget's speculation. Can anyone provide that?
I thought they would give it up after the lukewarm response to their beta devices.
That's Google for you, not afraid of failure--even when it's staring at them squarely in the face.
-dZ.
Carol vs. Ghost
I was writing a paper on the PC^W Google laptop, and it was, like, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep^W^W^W^W^W Google Docs crashed, and then, like, half^W all of my papers was gone. And I was, like ? meh. It devoured my paper. It was a really good papers. And then I had to do it^W them all again and I had to do it^W them fast so it^W they wasn't as good. It's kind of^W^W^W really a fucking bummer.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
I can't tell from TFA if this price is supposed to include a 3G data connection. If it is, that would be revolutionary. If it doesn't, then I imagine the deal would only be interesting to students that get free wifi in their dorms and already have an XBox for their gaming needs. Sounds like a pretty good market, especially if they can get a deal with schools to offer it as part of tuition or dorm rent, etc.
It all depends on whether that $20/mo includes the data plan, or if the laptop only contains a 3G modem. If it does include the data plan, you're essentially getting a free notebook with the purchase of the data plan, which isn't too bad in itself.
It's $20/month/user for K12 and College
But how well would it work for students majoring in software engineering or computer science?
This will be a HUGE benefit to low income students. They may not be able to afford the for them large outlay of money all at once, buthtey can afford $20 a month, and it will allow them access to information and potentially allow them to excell in school. It would be very useful in schools and affordable enough to carry to class. Most people on this list are not the target market.
One where they film people going around repossessing laptops.
Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
were attended by 100s of students. I can't see there being much capacity available to upload or download 10s of Mbytes per student for 100s or 1000s of students in a small campus area. I don't believe the infrastructure in most places would be able to handle "download your textbook and turn to the section on..." in a timely manner.
Nullius in verba
Every post here is (understandably) negative. But, come on kids, we are not the audience here. Programmers are not the audience. Hackers are not the audience. Gamers are not the audience.
People who spend all day on facebook, gmail and last.fm are the audience. And this is probably a very good solution for them.
lorem ipsum, dolor sit amet
How many high schools do you know of that allow students to use a personal laptop in class?
That depends on each student's individualized education plan. A gifted student with certain mental disabilities (such as ADHD or Asperger syndrome) may get computer time between the lecture and the end of the period.
It is considered a distraction.
Whom does it distract?
I'm not paying a contract for a laptop. I have a real laptop with an SSD and a PAYG mobile dongle so I only pay for 3G when I use it and my laptop runs real software / games. If you can't pay for a laptop up fornt get it on financing rather than being locked into a contract for what'll no doubt be a handicapped netbook.
I was about to make a snarky comment about turning in your geek card, but then realized we now have a generation of geeks who legitimately don't know that ^W = Control-W => Delete Word.
Can we get a "-1 Wrong" moderation option?
"individualized education "
How do you get that?
Let me Google that for you. If it is demonstrated that a K-12 student's difference in ability has an adverse effect on the student's educational progress, the student is entitled to an IEP.
Lacking 3G coverage, most areas have EDGE network available, and the 3G radio should fall back to that.
Yeah, it's slow - but at least it works (big difference between "slow" and "nothing"). 'tis rare that my iPad gets no service whatsoever, as most "middle of nowhere" areas still have EDGE at minimum.
Upshot: if your cell phone works, and you're not doing international roaming, it will at least function passably until you return to suitable civilization.
Can we get a "-1 Wrong" moderation option?
I like many things abut Google, but I am starting to dislike more and more and i am convinced they will be evil some day.
According to http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/chart/reCenter.jsp?z=24&n=24, Cr-48 is is radioactive, with a half life of about 21.5 hrs.
It decays by inverse beta decay (electron capture) which is funny since Google applications seem to stay in beta forever.
...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
Data Pricing: http://www.google.com/chromebook/#features-connectivity
Business Pricing: http://goo.gl/3BLXW
Ryan Singer
All the data that Google will be able to collect from these laptops and the Google services they enable are going to be worth way more to Google than $20 / mo. Google should be providing the laptop free of charge in exchange.
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Just what I need... doing homework on rented equipment.
I feel like a lot of the commenter are missing that this includes 3G access. That alone covers more than the $20 monthly asking fee.
^H is the GET OFF MY LAWN key sequence
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
I usually read through the first couple comments for Slashdot stories, because I generally like the arguments that are made. I read through the first couple for this article because I'm interested in the brewing war between Windows and ChromeOS, and this whole topic is a disgusting shitstorm: fights about nationalism, racist crap, petty name-calling....what the fuck? I know I'm not making it any better, but I was just so surprised I had to comment on it.
Will they be available to us Canadians?
If not, then I guess I will have to buy in the US, but will it be worthwhile, anyone have thoughts or POC for this?