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I'm not sure if the Chromebook would be successful even back then. I remember the appeal of the Eee was its really low price, and thus consumers were willing to

I'm not sure if the Chromebook would be successful even back then. I remember the appeal of the Eee was its really low price, and thus consumers were willing to compromise. In this case, I'm not so sure. The Chromebook costs close to what a normal budget laptop would cost and is a lot less functional.

netcan 15y ago
I think the reason Google is trying this rental approach is because it's a way to angle in to a market with relatively little room. They think they might have an advantage in the laptop-as-a-service category, more so then in the low-end-laptop category. That would have been different in 2008. BTW, I don't think it's smart comparing chromebook prices to amazon bargain bin prices. These aren't the same market segments. Laptop rentals for home and small business is a substantial existing market. A quick look at the deals going now shows prices generally ranging from $15-$45 per week. These are not particularly high end machines. http://www.radio-rentals.com.au/products/Computer---Office/Notebooks http://www.radio-rentals.com.au/products/Computer---Office/N... http://www.mrrental.com.au/For-Rent/Catalogue/Computers-Office/Laptop-Computers.aspx http://www.mrrental.com.au/For-Rent/Catalogue/Computers-Offi...