Lenovo and HP now making Chromebooks - Google Chrome OS is being Built from the Cloud Up as Microsoft experiences the Side Effects

If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?

William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

Revenge indeed! Apparently the Microsoft Surface has ruffled the feathers of its many PC hardware partners as predicted in my blog article entitled “Microsoft debuts Windows 8 with new Surface Tablets - PixelSense rebranding as the Dark Knight Rises to defeat PC World”. So much so that they’re now slowly turning towards making Chromebooks for Google’s Chrome OS, which lives in the cloud.

First introduced in December 2010 as explained in my blog article entitled “Google Chrome Press Event - Naked Gun 33 and a Third The Final Insult”, the concept of a NC (Network Computer), a Laptop with its head, or at least OS (Operating System) that’s really a Browser and files based in Cloud Servers, seemed farfetched.

Back then it the only Mobile Internet was mostly 3G Internet with its spotty coverage, which meant the earlier models were Wi-Fi only deals. The lack of the ability to locally host your files didn’t make them any more popular; having your files stranded on a Server made many who were familiar with Google’s privacy snafus uncomfortable. Still at least if someone stole your Laptop, they couldn’t get you files and recovery’s a snap as it’s already backed up in the Cloud a plus for this new Class of Computer

Well that was so 2010.

By the Fourth Quarter of 2012, 2 years on, Samsung, one of their original Partners, has now committed itself further to the Chromebook concept, outing a 3G upgrade to what was originally a Wi-Fi only deal. The issue with local hosting of files was also resolved, as users of Chromebooks can now save offline copies to a thumb Drive.

Again, another nice plus; no viruses, as everything kept nice and clean via strong antivirus protection on the Cloud Servers used by the Google Chromebooks. Also with LTE lighting up no in so many cities, this made the Chromebook suddenly an attractive option.

The new 11.6” 3G Samsung Chromebook, which debuted on Thursday October 18^th 2012 costs US$399, only US$100 more expensive than its Wi-Fi compatriot at US$299 as noted in the article “New Samsung Chromebook's 3G model costs $330”, published October 19, 2012 6:59 AM PDT by Don Reisinger, CNET News.

Geezam blog Editor-in-Chief Kelroy Brown had written about the same upgraded 11.6” Samsung Chromebook as staged in the Geezam blog article entitled “Google Introduces new $249 Chromebook”.

It caught Geezam’s interest as the upgrade indicated not only further commitment to the Chromebook concept, but also the possibility that they were making money from the lower cost MacBook clone that’s really a barebones shell of a Laptop at prices well below higher performance models.

This update of the 11.6” model was apparently a follow-on, West indies Cricket Style, of the June 2012 revamping of the 17.1” Samsung Chromebook  as stated in the Geezam blog article entitled “Google releases revamped Chromebooks and ChromeBox empowering Mobile Computing in the Clouds”. With it came the intro of the first Desktop implementation of the Google Chrome OS, an Apple Mac Mini styled BYOMKD (Bring Your Own Mouse, Keyboard and Display) Chromebox Mini Computer. 

Samsung, it seemed, had been getting serious about Google Chrome OS for quite awhile. Samsung’s attraction for the Chromebook’s obvious; no expensive tie in’s to Microsoft, as the Chromebooks use what’s essentially a Browser based Open Source Operating System. The Chromebooks all have attributes of Tablets but with a keyboard; SSD (Solid State Drives) and near instantaneous boot times.

Add to that  phenomenal battery life oweing to the lack of Spinning Harddrive or a CD Burner, with near infinite storage, drawing up on the processing power of the Cloud to process Files and Date stored in Google’s Cloud Drive. Thus the Laptops can be made cheaper and units shipped and sold faster and they’ll sell on the basis of having a Tablet like performance in a Laptop form-factor.

Less than a month later in November 2012, Acer, another of the original partners-in-crime with Google on the Chromebook, also upgraded their 11.6” Acer C7 Chromebook offering, dropping their price in the process to the MPP (Magical Pricing Point) of US$199 as reported in “Google releases 11.6-inch, $199 Chromebook from Acer”, published November 12, 2012 10:43 AM PS by Casey Newton, CNET News.

Looks like these attributes explain the phenomenal sales numbers for the Chromebook made by Google’s other partner, Acer. Acer’s President Jim Wong’s reported that 5 to 10% of their Laptop Sales are Chromebooks, sales that seem poised for future growth as stated in “Acer reports brisk Chromebook sales while Windows 8 still lags”, published Jan 28, 2013 8:31 AM by Jared Newman, PC World.

Meanwhile sales of Microsoft Windows 8 barely moving as stated in “Acer Chromebook sales eating away at Windows 8 revenues”, published Jan. 28, 2013 - 10:04 AM PST By Kevin C. Tofel, GigaOM.     

In fact, the Chromebook is now the No. 1 Selling Laptop on Amazon, so much so to the point of being out of stock as stated in the article “As netbooks crash and burn, Amazon’s best-selling Laptop is a Chromebook”, published January 2, 2013 at 5:17 PM by Zach Epstein, BGR.

Nothing surprising there, though, as it’s obvious they’re making moolah, right?

Surprise!

All of a sudden Lenovo, No. 2 computer maker Globally, announced on Thursday January 17^th 2013, their offering of the 11.6” Lenovo ThinkPad X131e Chromebook which came out on the heavy side with a price-tag of US$619 as stated in “Lenovo joins Chrome OS party with Laptop for schools”, published January 17, 2013 9:32 AM PST by Stephen Shankland, CNET News.

Lenovo’s a little more clear, aiming the product at High Schools and College Students as stated in “Lenovo’s first Chromebook is heading to school”, published January 17, 2013 by Jennifer Bergen, DigitalTrends, an indication that this model’s taking advantage of the omnipresent Free Wi-Fi access that’s now a part of every student’s life and may really be a Wi-Fi only model.

A big step for Google, making many wonder if Microsoft was somehow worried that it’s PC partners were slowly abandoning them, vexed over their launch of the Microsoft Surface as recorded in my blog article entitled “Microsoft debuts Windows 8 with new Surface Tablets - PixelSense rebranding as the Dark Knight Rises to defeat PC World”.

Now it seems the rivalry just “tun’ up” as now HP (Hewlett Packard) has now jumped into the ring, with the first 14” HP Pavilion Chromebook 14-c010us described on spec sheet posted on HP’s website as reported in “HP Spec sheet shows HP entering Chromebook market”, published January 28, 2013 9:44 AM PST by Stephen Shankland, CNET News and “HP preparing to launch its own Chromebook”, published January 28, 2013 By Kwame Opam, DigitalTrends.

Guess my predictions of a Google Chrome OS Tablet as stated in my blog article entitled “HP TouchPad a target for Modders - PopCaan Raving Chicken Run Lazarus effect for Cloud-Based Chrome OS Tablet” may not be too far behind.

Great for High Schools and Colleges, which would explain why 2000 schools around the world are using Chromebooks as stated in “Chromebooks now used in 2,000 schools around the world”, published February 1, 2013 by Mariella Moon, DigitalTrends, with the Chromebooks being offered to Teaching Staff at discount prices.

Thus these developments mark the revival of the Laptop from the Dead as I’d predicted in my blog article entitled “Google Chrome OS and Smart Books - Connection between SSD's, the Fountain of Youth and Lazarus”. Good to note here HP also has plans for their own Tablet in 2013 as their Printing business is slowly being killed off by Tablets as noted in my blog article entitled “HP to make Tablets that run on Windows 8 – Resident Evil Retribution for Printing”.

Possibly a Google Chrome based Tablet, powered by their Cloud Servers?

Farfetched but very much in the realm of possibility. For the record, HP’s No. 3 in the PC Market. If Dell joins in, Microsoft will be undone. More as this story as Google Chrome OS is being Built from the Cloud Up and Microsoft experiences the Side Effects (2013) of Revenge of the PC Makers.