Toshiba launches the US$280 Chromebook CB35-A3120 against Windows 8.1 and Apple

Samsung, Acer, Lenovo and HP (Hewlett Packard) have all made one. Now it seems that Toshiba has finally decided to join in the fray with the debut of their first Chromebook, the US$280 Toshiba Chromebook CB35-A3120 as reported in “TOSHIBA RELEASES $280 13-INCH INTEL-POWERED CHROMEBOOK”, published February 5, 2014 By Konrad Krawczyk, Digitaltrends.

Good to note here that since October 2012, the slow defection of the PC World to Google’s Chrome OS has been steady and surefooted as reported in my blog article entitled “Lenovo and HP now making Chromebooks - Google Chrome OS is being Built from the Cloud Up and Microsoft experiences the Side Effects”.

HP even updated their Chromebook with another, the US$279 HP Chromebook 11 in October 2013 as reported in my blog article entitled “US$279 HP Chromebook 11 with stylings mimicking the Google Chromebook Pixel - Low-end Laptop with high-end specs and sub-US$300 pricing is a great Christmas present for Millennials” signaling to the world that they are back in the PC Game.

By November 2013, Acer had updated theirs with the US$299 Acer Chromebook C720P as I then reported in my blog article entitled “US$299 Acer Chromebook C720P launched as the Second Touchscreen Chromebook - Affordable Google Pixel Chromebook clone that’s sure to please this Christmas”.

Toshiba jumps on the Chrome OS Bandwagon – Cloud Defense against Rising Tide of Hybrid Laptop/Tablets

Toshiba bided their time; they weren’t to be rushed into a hasty decision, especially as they had such a good relationship with Microsoft, even better than the others.

The continued slump in PC sales is balanced by the increasing relevance of Tablets, with 2014 predicted to be the year that the Pc may breathe it’s last as per my prediction in my blog article entitled “Tech Predictions for 2014 - PC killin' Tablets and Wearable Computers, Personal Drones and Autonomous Vehicles Hydrogen Fuelled Cars”.

The diminishing fortunes of PC’s, which also includes Laptops in the general sense, was made worse by the initial lacklustre reviews of Windows 8. Throw this in the roaring funeral Pyre for PC’s and it’s easy to see what possibly forced Toshiba’s hand and thus their decision to jump onto the Google Chrome OS Bandwagon, as the PC World is looking very uncertain.

Hardware innovations as Touchscreen, Voice Command and 3D Motion Tracking Technology from Leap Wireless that’s slowly being embedded into PC by HP and Asus as explained in my blog article entitled “Leap Motion Controller went live on Monday July 22 2013 - How a Theremin Computer Device revives PC sales as Everything is Possible to be controlled by Voice and Motion” are a long ways off.

Chrome OS’s cheaper and a sure bet – Windows 8.1 Rising Tide as Apple prepare to go to Hybrid School

Like Windows 8, Americans may not react very well to the idea of a computer with no need for a mouse or keyboard that can respond to you by just talking, touching the Screen or using air Gestures. Hardware innovations need to be standardized among many partners, otherwise they’ll become very expensive gimmicks that cost a lot and fade with time if they don’t catch on with the masses.

The deal and drool worthy US$999 Ideapad Yoga 2 Pro, an  impressive UltraBook Laptop/Tablet Hybrid given it Ideapad Yoga 2 Pro’s price point as argued in my Geezam blog article entitled “US$999 Ideapad Yoga 2 Pro is a quirky Windows 8.1 Ultraboook with an Ultra-HD Screen” is an example of a Hardware Trend that’s catching on. It also makes Windows 8.1 look really sexy as it boosts the concept of an UltraBook Laptop/Tablet Hybrid.

Still, despite this lucky breakthrough, the decision to go Chrome OS was an easier one, as a Chromebook requires less demanding specs, needs merely a Fast Multi-core Processor and a good amount of RAM and minimal Hard-Drive space, saving significantly on acquiring Hardware from various supply chains to make a Chromebook. Best of all, it’s a sure bet, as Chromebook are hot right now, as evidence from the other PC Partners now playing in the Clouds.

The Specs for the US$280 Toshiba Chromebook CB35-A3120 are fairly decent, not much to report home about, especially as it comes only in one colour, that being Sunray Silver:

1.      Processor: 1.4 GHz Intel Celeron 2955U processor

2.      OS: Google Chrome OS

3.      Screen: 13.3-inch

4.      Resolution:  1366 x 768 LED display

5.      Weight: 3.3 pounds

6.      RAM: 2 GB

7.      Hard-Drive: 16 GB SSD

8.      Internet Connectivity: 802.11n support

9.      Ports: USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI out

10.  Accessories: Memory card reader, Bluetooth 4.0

Product offers:

1.      100GB of Google Drive storage for free

2.      12 free sessions of GoGo® Inflight Internet

It’s good to point out that Windows 8.1 isn’t half bad as its showing signs of Growing Strong, Game of Thrones Style since the start of January 2014 according to analyst NetMarketShare as analyzed in my blog article entitled “NetMarketShare Stats shows Windows 8.1 and Internet Explorer poised for Growth - Rising Tide of the Microsoft Surface and Windows 8.1 Tablets in Real-Time”.

Even I have been bumping into Laptops sporting Windows 8.1 in the Wild here in Jamaica while living out my dream as a On Call PC Repair Technician having to develop strategies to cope with unlocking such Laptops when people forget their passwords as noted in my blog article entitled “How to unlock your Windows 8 Laptop or PC's Password if you accidentally lost your Windows Password - Windows 8 Takes a little practice but keep this software handy”.

Apple may also have something up their sleeve to counteract the growing threat of BOTH the Microsoft Surface and the Chromebook Crowd. This as they allegedly are working on a Hybrid Laptop/Tablet as concluded in my blog article entitled “Apple rumoured to be making a Laptop sized Tablet with a Built in Keyboard - Windows 8 Microsoft Surface and Chromebooks Barbarians after Bill Gates Rising Tide”.

Looks like we have a three-way competition shaping up here folks! Tablets are on the Rise but need built-in Keyboards and meatier processors to be useful for doing actual creative work. So we may be seeing not only Chromebooks but also Windows 8.1 UltraBook Laptop/Tablet Hybrid battling it out with an Apple iPad that wearing Microsoft’s clothes!

Here’s the link to purchase:

Toshiba Chromebook CB35-A3120