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"A Chromebook for everyone"; cool. The article talks about the author's childhood in India, how he dreams of bringing computers to everyone. The price makes i

"A Chromebook for everyone"; cool. The article talks about the author's childhood in India, how he dreams of bringing computers to everyone. The price makes it a device that could be bought by anyone. The size of the computer, the autonomy, the low power, everything looks like it's meant to really democratize computers to an even wider audience, say in developing countries where 3G/LTE networks are surprisingly developed and cheap (depends on the country, of course). But then, its bundled with Verizon, limited to the US and the UK. What are the 3G frequencies? Is this thing locked with Verizon? Say I want to give one to my friend in Vietnam, so he/she can get access to a computer, will the 3G modem support the carrier's frequencies there? Unknown: it's listed as "WLAN : 802.11 a/b/g/n, WWAN : Verizon 3G". Great. The device is nice, the price is nice. But marketing it as "a Chromebook for everyone" is just wrong. It's a laptop for people in the US, that's it. And really, I wonder what kind of "humanitarian" problem it's solving. I understand the low price is to create a following for the product, but I find the "Chromebook for everyone" brand phony. Unless "everyone" == "Verizon customers living in the US".

alanh 14y ago
I think you are somewhat confused. (Edit: I had misunderstood the parent; see below.) The $250 model does not appear to be bundled with Verizon. In fact, I don’t think it has 3G capabilities, just Wi-Fi. The higher-cost Chromebook 550 (Intel) does support 3G. So your entire argument is based upon a misunderstanding, is it not?
- AYBABTME 14y ago
  Sorry, I was refering to the 3G model (329.99$), but I forgot to make it clear in my comment. However, my perspective is that Chromebooks are meant to be used with a connection to the internet, which makes the 3G model sort of mandatory (for 3G/LTE access is more accessible - in my experience - in developing countries than full internet connections). It's in that perspective that I hold this argument. For the case I'm basing this opinion on, a basic internet connection (DSL) in Vietnam costs much more money than a basic 3G/LTE internet connection. Also, a DSL connection will only be usable from home. I know this DSL/3G relation is also the case in other developing countries.
  - alanh 14y ago
    Ah, that does make a lot of sense, and jives with what I've gathered of developing markets, as well. One imagines some sort of tethering to be feasible, if not universally applicable, for those who want a computer form factor and already have 3G Internet on their phone.
  - entropy_ 14y ago
    I don't know about Vietnam, but in the Middle East(at least in Lebanon, Syria and Egypt which is where I've been in the past few years) 3G is usually way more expensive than DSL due to low data caps. I pay 10$/mo[1] and have a 100MB/mo cap + 0.1$ for every MB over quota. DSL is ~30$/mo and a 12GB cap(this is Lebanon). So at least in this part of the 3rd world 3G is useless for anything other than checking your mail, chat and the occasional google search. [1] That is, over and above the 20$/mo for the phone line itself. So if I were to get a line just for 3G usage(so as to put it in a tablet or chrombook, for example) it'd be more like 30$/mo.
  - ditojim 14y ago
    if your chromebook has 3g capabilities, you can connect to global 3g networks. chill. you have no basis for your argument. http://support.google.com/chromeos/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1059122 http://support.google.com/chromeos/bin/answer.py?hl=en&a...
  - bencxr 14y ago
    Exactly. Tablets/Netbooks have been going down in price for some time, so while this is cheap by hardware standards, I would take into account the hidden costs - that many users will need to shell out ~$30 a month on data plans. So this $250 + ~$600-700 over 2 years for a total of almost $1000. I'd consider that instead of the "low sticker price" when comparing options.
    - Retric 14y ago
      Except the 250$ model does not have 3g so it really is 25$. It's the 330$ 3g model that's got the deceptive pricing.
meaty 14y ago
"A Chromebook for everyone" (who wants to be tethered to the Google ecosystem and the preying telcos). A "laptop for everyone" is far easier. There are thousands and thousands for $100 or less on eBay that are far more powerful, easier to repair, have local storage and don't tie you to an ecosystem or a telco. Grab a Lenovo T61, chuck Mint on it and you've got something several orders of magnitude more useful. They even work in space: http://www.wirefresh.com/images/space-station-10-years-thinkpad-1.jpg http://www.wirefresh.com/images/space-station-10-years-think... Sorry but I don't get it. It's a rather expensive (for the limitations) toaster.
- ciupicri 14y ago
  A T61 is more like at least $200, at least here in Romania. Though, buying a second hand or refurbished computer might be a good option.
- steevdave 14y ago
  I have a thinkbook. I love it to death, but I can't leave it on for more than 15-30 minutes before the sound of the fan going annoys me too much. Same with the MacBook Air for that matter. A friend of mine has one and as soon as he launched WoW on it, the fans kicked in and I was amazed at how loud the Air was. These have no fans. No moving parts to worry about. That is one of their biggest advantages. I can use an ARM netbook while my SO is sleeping next to me. Not so for an actual laptop.
  - zarify 14y ago
    I don't think this is a fair comparison. You might as well compare a tablet running a web browser to a laptop running a 3D game. For anything other than gaming, I don't even notice my Air has a fan (I agree it's -very- noisy when it's running, but the point is for the stuff you're going to do on a Chromebook the fan isn't going to be noticeable on any other laptop either), and that's the same for most modern laptops I've used.
    - steevdave 14y ago
      That isn't what I'm comparing though. My use case is obviously different. For me, I'm working on software, I'm compiling software. On an ARM machine with no moving parts, this is a silent activity. On every other machine, this is far from silent. I brought up the Air mostly because I didn't know what the noise was when he started the game. I thought that the Air didn't have any moving parts. In fact, I'm still debating getting one, but a machine that's silent at 250 that can do what I want it to is a much faster decision than one that is ~1000. I know my use case isn't typical, but it is the one I rely on when deciding what to get for myself, and silent is good for my needs, and how much noise the computer makes when I've got all cores running on a compile is a factor, for your needs it may not be, or you may not do the same type of work. The point I'm getting at is that no matter what I do on a machine with no moving parts, it's going to be silent. An older laptop on eBay may be more useful for some people, and I'll never fully move away from a workhorse machine until ARM performance is on par, but it's still nice to have when she's sleeping and I'm still mulling over a fix.

alanh 14y ago

I think you are somewhat confused. (Edit: I had misunderstood the parent; see below.) The $250 model does not appear to be bundled with Verizon. In fact, I don’t think it has 3G capabilities, just Wi-Fi. The higher-cost Chromebook 550 (Intel) does support 3G. So your entire argument is based upon a misunderstanding, is it not?

AYBABTME 14y ago
Sorry, I was refering to the 3G model (329.99$), but I forgot to make it clear in my comment. However, my perspective is that Chromebooks are meant to be used with a connection to the internet, which makes the 3G model sort of mandatory (for 3G/LTE access is more accessible - in my experience - in developing countries than full internet connections). It's in that perspective that I hold this argument. For the case I'm basing this opinion on, a basic internet connection (DSL) in Vietnam costs much more money than a basic 3G/LTE internet connection. Also, a DSL connection will only be usable from home. I know this DSL/3G relation is also the case in other developing countries.
- alanh 14y ago
  Ah, that does make a lot of sense, and jives with what I've gathered of developing markets, as well. One imagines some sort of tethering to be feasible, if not universally applicable, for those who want a computer form factor and already have 3G Internet on their phone.
- entropy_ 14y ago
  I don't know about Vietnam, but in the Middle East(at least in Lebanon, Syria and Egypt which is where I've been in the past few years) 3G is usually way more expensive than DSL due to low data caps. I pay 10$/mo[1] and have a 100MB/mo cap + 0.1$ for every MB over quota. DSL is ~30$/mo and a 12GB cap(this is Lebanon). So at least in this part of the 3rd world 3G is useless for anything other than checking your mail, chat and the occasional google search. [1] That is, over and above the 20$/mo for the phone line itself. So if I were to get a line just for 3G usage(so as to put it in a tablet or chrombook, for example) it'd be more like 30$/mo.
- ditojim 14y ago
  if your chromebook has 3g capabilities, you can connect to global 3g networks. chill. you have no basis for your argument. http://support.google.com/chromeos/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1059122 http://support.google.com/chromeos/bin/answer.py?hl=en&a...
- bencxr 14y ago
  Exactly. Tablets/Netbooks have been going down in price for some time, so while this is cheap by hardware standards, I would take into account the hidden costs - that many users will need to shell out ~$30 a month on data plans. So this $250 + ~$600-700 over 2 years for a total of almost $1000. I'd consider that instead of the "low sticker price" when comparing options.
  - Retric 14y ago
    Except the 250$ model does not have 3g so it really is 25$. It's the 330$ 3g model that's got the deceptive pricing.

meaty 14y ago

"A Chromebook for everyone" (who wants to be tethered to the Google ecosystem and the preying telcos). A "laptop for everyone" is far easier. There are thousands and thousands for $100 or less on eBay that are far more powerful, easier to repair, have local storage and don't tie you to an ecosystem or a telco. Grab a Lenovo T61, chuck Mint on it and you've got something several orders of magnitude more useful. They even work in space: http://www.wirefresh.com/images/space-station-10-years-thinkpad-1.jpg http://www.wirefresh.com/images/space-station-10-years-think... Sorry but I don't get it. It's a rather expensive (for the limitations) toaster.

ciupicri 14y ago
A T61 is more like at least $200, at least here in Romania. Though, buying a second hand or refurbished computer might be a good option.
steevdave 14y ago
I have a thinkbook. I love it to death, but I can't leave it on for more than 15-30 minutes before the sound of the fan going annoys me too much. Same with the MacBook Air for that matter. A friend of mine has one and as soon as he launched WoW on it, the fans kicked in and I was amazed at how loud the Air was. These have no fans. No moving parts to worry about. That is one of their biggest advantages. I can use an ARM netbook while my SO is sleeping next to me. Not so for an actual laptop.
- zarify 14y ago
  I don't think this is a fair comparison. You might as well compare a tablet running a web browser to a laptop running a 3D game. For anything other than gaming, I don't even notice my Air has a fan (I agree it's -very- noisy when it's running, but the point is for the stuff you're going to do on a Chromebook the fan isn't going to be noticeable on any other laptop either), and that's the same for most modern laptops I've used.
  - steevdave 14y ago
    That isn't what I'm comparing though. My use case is obviously different. For me, I'm working on software, I'm compiling software. On an ARM machine with no moving parts, this is a silent activity. On every other machine, this is far from silent. I brought up the Air mostly because I didn't know what the noise was when he started the game. I thought that the Air didn't have any moving parts. In fact, I'm still debating getting one, but a machine that's silent at 250 that can do what I want it to is a much faster decision than one that is ~1000. I know my use case isn't typical, but it is the one I rely on when deciding what to get for myself, and silent is good for my needs, and how much noise the computer makes when I've got all cores running on a compile is a factor, for your needs it may not be, or you may not do the same type of work. The point I'm getting at is that no matter what I do on a machine with no moving parts, it's going to be silent. An older laptop on eBay may be more useful for some people, and I'll never fully move away from a workhorse machine until ARM performance is on par, but it's still nice to have when she's sleeping and I'm still mulling over a fix.