Yesterday, Google suddenly unveiled, in cooperation with Samsung, the first ARM-powered Chromebook and for remarkably affordable price -- $249. There also is a $329.99 model, that includes 3G. Both are available for pre-order now from major retailers, and Google Play will join stores selling the WiFi-only model next week.

The question: Will you buy? It's the right time to ask, because the price is so appealing. From my initial testing, about 24 hours now, it's hard not to recommend this new Chromebook, if for no other reason than price. But as I'll further explain in my forthcoming first-impressions review, there are plenty of trade-offs for the price -- and benefits, too.

For Whom?

At this early stage of testing, I see two major buying categories for the new Chromebook: Someone who considered an older model (but was put off by the price), or even purchased one, and buyers looking for something else that doesn't require purchasing a new PC. The latter group could include everyone owning one or more aging PCs to those new to computing and put off by it. Easy is the best way to describe any Chromebook, from setup to ongoing management to daily use. If you can navigate a browser, you can use Chrome OS.

Google and Samsung unveiled the second-generation Chromebook, the Series 5 550, in May for $449. A 3G model sells for $549. I wouldn't recommend either 3G Chromebook. The cellular radio simply is not good enough, when Verizon, which provides the service, is largely standardized on much faster 4G LTE.

How do the WiFi models compare?

$249 Chromebook: 1.7GHz Samsung Exynos 5250 dual-core processor (ARM); 11.6-inch matte display, 1366 x 768 resolution, 200-nit brightness; 2GB RAM; 16GB SSD; SD-card slot; Webcam; USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports (one each); WiFi A/N; Bluetooth 3.0 compatible (dongle required); HDMI port; Chrome OS 23. Weighs 2.5 pounds (1.1 kg) and is 0.8 inches thick.

$449 Chromebook: 1.3GHz Intel Celeron 867 dual-core processor (x86); 12.1-inch matte display, 1280 x 800 resolution, 300-nit brightness; 4GB SDRAM; 16GB SSD; Intel HD graphics; webcam; two USB ports; Bluetooth 3.0 compatible (dongle required); DisplayPort; WiFi A/N; Gigabit Ethernet; 4-in-1 media card slot; and Chrome OS 21.

Yesterday, BetaNews reader Bobby Frank asked: "Should I swap out the two Samsung 550's i just bought last week for my teenagers for this new model and save myself a total of $500? Will this new model perform as well? Btw, is an ARM processor better than the one x86 in my kids' current Samsung 550?"

I answered:

Performance is absolutely slower on the $249 Chromebook. The Q is what's good enough for the money. I really like the keyboard and overall ergonomics better of the cheaper model. At the request of someone on Google+, I did quick Peacekeeper benchmarks yesterday from my live account (extensions loaded) rather than guest account: 971 for $249 Chromebook, 1848 for the 550. The newer one has Chrome OS 23, but the older is (supposedly) up to date at Chrome 21.

Bottom line: I find video to disappoint on the cheaper model compared to the older one. If the teens do Netflix and YouTube, this might not be best choice. Otherwise, the higher screen resolution, better keyboard and coolness (no fan needed with ARM) make up for what performance what your teens will loose from the 550.

I will rerun the same benchmarks from guest mode for my first-impressions review. Meanwhile there is another value proposition regarding both Chromebooks. The cheaper one comes with 100GB Google Drive storage -- two years, for free.

On June 1, Net Applications and StatCounter will release browser usage share for May. But why wait? Ten days ago I asked which is your preferred primary browser. You answered, and Chrome takes the crown, followed by Firefox and Internet Explorer. The days of IE dominance are over. No wonder the European Union is crawling down Google's throat over search.

Q:

How can I burn a slideshow that I made in iPhoto on my MacBook Pro onto a CD?

A:

You can export the slideshow as a video (a QuickTime movie in Apple parlance) and then burn that video to your CD.

Here’s how: In iPhoto, after you’ve created the photo slideshow, with titles, music and so forth, click on the “Export” button at the bottom of the slideshow-creation window. Choose an option for the resolution of your movie and click “Export.”

Then, choose a destination on your hard disk where you’ll temporarily store the movie. Next, insert the recordable CD, and copy the movie into the window representing the CD. Finally, click on the “Burn” button at the upper right of that CD window.

Q:

I have recently gone almost all Google: I moved my business email to Google, am using Google Docs, etc. I am in need of a new laptop and am considering a Google Chromebook. My question / concern is: What about programs I may need, such as iTunes, or some printer / scanner software, or an accounting suite? Will there be room for some of these programs and if so, will they operate on Chrome OS?

A:

This week, post-WWDC keynote, Charlie Rose sat Walt down to discuss the implications and impact of Steve Jobs’s iCloud announcement, and of cloud computing in general. In clip one, Walt lays out cloud computing basics. In clip two, Rose asks Walt about Jobs’s vision of the “post-PC” era.

Once again, the way to buy music is changing.

For years, the legal digital music world has seemed relatively simple to grasp. There were two basic models: the online stores, where you buy singles or albums and store them on individual computers or devices; and the subscription services, where you pay a monthly fee or listen to ads for access to an online trove of songs.

The much awaited laptop powered by Google Chrome (a cloud-based operating system) is all set for launch on June 15.

Here are few things that you need to about the all new Chromebook.

How does it work?

The Chromrebook should always be connected to the Internet in order to make use of its functionalities. In other words, everything will be on cloud and you’ll need Internet to access all of the apps, documents, photos, movies etc. Installing softwares or updating them, taking backup of files or running anti-virus checks and all other PC related tasks will be eliminated as everything will be done over the cloud.

Who will release the laptops?

Google has tied up with Samsung and Acer which will release laptops powered with Chrome OS.

The Samsung’s device will come with 12.1-inch screen with an 8-hour battery life and will retail for $429 (Wi-Fi enabled) and $499 (3G enabled laptop), while Acer’s device will be an 11.6-inch display and a 6.5-hour battery life. Acer’s notebook will start at $349 and up.

No storage

Since Chromebook is Internet based, all of the files and folders will be stored on the cloud. The laptops will be highly integrated with the cloud services and there will be no storage space available. However, the laptop will have slots to plug in other storages devices.

Boot-up Time?

According to Google, Chromebooks will boot in about less than eight seconds. Once it is up and running it’ll check for any updates and will reboot up with the latest version.

Offilne mode?

Yes, you can work with your Chromebook if you’re not connected to the Internet. You can access Google Docs, Google Calendar and Gmail accounts without an Internet connection. (You won’t be updated with new notifications/mails if you’re not connected to the Internet)

Security

Chromebooks uses the principle of “defense in depth” to provide multiple layers of protection, so if any one layer is bypassed, others are still in effect. Your files and folders will be protected and will be kept safe.

Availability

Chromebooks will be available for sale from June 15.

Laptop Specs

Acer Specifications:
11.6″ HD Widescreen CineCrystalTM LED-backlit LCD
2.95 lbs. | 1.34 kg.
6 hours of continuous usage 1
Intel® AtomTM Dual-Core Processor
Built in dual-band Wi-Fi and World-mode 3G (optional)
HD Webcam with noise cancelling microphone
High-Definition Audio Support
2 USB 2.0 ports
4-in-1 memory card slot
HDMI port
Fullsize Chrome keyboard

Samsung Specifications:
12.1″ (1280×800) 300 nit Display
3.26 lbs / 1.48 kg
8.5 hours of continuous usage 1
Intel® AtomTM Dual-Core Processor
Built in dual-band Wi-Fi and World-mode 3G (optional)
HD Webcam with noise cancelling microphone
2 USB 2.0 ports
4-in-1 memory card slot
Mini-VGA port
Fullsize Chrome keyboard
Oversize fully-clickable trackpad
Oversize fully-clickable trackpad

The question is coming up a lot. Google Chromebooks are priced at $20 per month for students and $28 for business. Is that a good deal?

It's considered a deal for the school systems that have tried it. Rachel Wente-Chaney, CIO of High Desert Educational Service District in Oregon said it will actually help retain IT staff. The district will not have to choose between people or licenses and maintenance for Microsoft Exchange servers.

But hardware costs have been decreasing for years. Services get a higher margin. Hardware costs can be near zero if not free for enterprises that are buying a package that includes services.

What do you think?

Google introduced a new way this week for developers to use geospatial data through its Chrome Experiments initiative.

The new project is called Web GL Globe, an open visualization platform for geographic data that runs in Web GL-enabled browsers like Google Chrome. According to Wikipedia, Web-GL is a "Web-based graphics library that extends the capability of the JavaScript programming language to allow it to generate interactive 3D graphics within any compatible web browser."

As a start, the Google Arts team created a globe that shows the world population and Google search volume by language.

Global population:

Search volume by language:

In a blog post, Doug Fritz describes the challenge to draw several thousand 3D graph spikes as smoothly as possible. The team used Three.js, a JavaScript library for building lightweight 3D graphics:

For each data point, we generate a cube with five faces - the bottom face, which touches the globe, is removed to improve performance. We then stretch the cube relative to the data value and position it based on latitude and longitude. Finally, we merge all of the cubes into a single geometry to make it more efficient to draw.

He further describes how they animated the globes:

Thanks to WebGL, we're able to display thousands of moving points at high frame rates by using the user's graphics processing unit (GPU) for 3D computations. Each state of the globe has its own geometry and we morph between them with a vertex shader, saving precious CPU resources. Additionally, to make the globe look nice, we took advantage of the possibilities of GLSL and created two fragment shaders, one to simulate the atmosphere and another to simulate frontal illumination of the planet.

Developers are encouraged to make their own globes. The data format is represented in JSON. The the code is available here.

This feels like a taste of what we expect to see at Google I/O this coming week. Google shows its real strength when it starts showing how data can be shaped to make discoveries. That approach fits well into application development and the further use of data in next generation information architectures.

As one of the lucky recipients of the Cr-48 Chrome OS test notebook, I've been experimenting with how well I can unwire to live "in the cloud," as they say. If you're unfamiliar, the Cr-48 notebook computers are being used in Google's Pilot program for its new browser-based computer operating system named for its Web browser, Google Chrome.

Built on top of Linux, the feel of Chrome OS is that of just using a Web browser running on a small notebook computer. This leads to some obvious limitations, of course. For example, how do you transfer files from a USB device to Google Chrome OS? The short answer: you don't. But I found an exception just the other day - I managed to access photos on a USB Flash drive in a surprising way.

No One Uses USB Flash Drives, Right?

I knew that plugging in a USB flash drive to my Chrome OS would get me nowhere. As a Web-only operating system, Chrome OS isn't designed (for now, at least), to access external storage. According to Google's own Help documentation, the USB port on the notebook's right side allows you to connect the "most common devices" including things like "external monitors with VGA connections, USB mice and keyboards, headsets, and microphones."

Not USB flash drives. I mean, really - who uses that stuff anymore?

Well, I guess I do, although not by choice. This particular USB flash drive was given to me by another family member and it had photos of my daughter's 1st birthday party on it. In Google's world, those photos should have been uploaded to the "cloud" - Google Docs, perhaps, Picasa Web Albums, maybe or a competitor's service like Flickr, Facebook, etc. Too bad grandma didn't get the memo about the cloud. What to do now?

Using Facebook to Get to USB Storage from Chrome OS

Surprisingly, I found that I could upload the photos in question to Facebook by the way of Facebook's own photo uploader. It allowed me to dig into the Linux file structure under Chrome OS, locate the external storage drive media, and choose the photo I wanted. It was buggy, but it worked.

Instead of using the photo upload button from the Status Update box on my Facebook profile page, I went into my Facebook photo albums. From a new album I created, I clicked the button to add photos.

In the window that appears, click "Select Photos:"

Then, you'll be into the Chrome OS file system. Find the Media folder. (Sorry, I didn't have any way to screenshot these since I was now no longer in a webpage where I could access my "screenshot taking" Chrome extensions).

Google CEO Eric Schmidt wrote a blog post today about why the network computer failed and how cloud computing has made it possible to support a Web-based operating system.

Schmidt calls the announcement of the Chrome OS notebook earlier this week one of the most important developments of his working life. He says the news is testament to the advancement of computer science that allows developers to use lightweight tools supported by complex back-end systems to create products and services that are easy for people to use.

In the early 1980s, Schmidt worked at Sun Microsytems on the 3M computer. M stood for one megapixel, one megahertz and one megabit. Schmidt said that as part of that, Sun introduced a diskless computer.

In 1995, Netscape did its IPO. The browser was born. By 1997, Schmidt was part of a group that launched a network computer. The effort failed. The infrastructure was not there.

It was a time when the Web was still nascent in its development. On the other hand, IT had become central to corporate strategy. That power rested in providing desktops that provided powerful capabilities to knowledge workers everywhere.

Today, the networked computer is back and the Web is becoming the simple interface for complex systems, powered by technology that has followed the path of Moore's Law. The cloud provides a foundation that makes it possible to support a networked computer and operating system. The browser is the front-end for business and consumers to do their work and conduct personal tasks.

Schmidt:

"Chrome and Chrome OS are possible today for several reasons. First, time. Moore's law is a factor of 1,000 in 15 years--so 15 years ago versus today, we have 1,000 times faster networks, CPUs and screens. That's a lot more horsepower at the networking and disk level, which means the disks are faster, and the network is more reliable. Then, technology. Asynchronous JavaScript XML, or AJAX, came along in 2003/04, and it enabled the first really interesting web apps like Gmail to be built. All of a sudden people were like "Wow! This web thing is actually kind of useful ... I can write some pretty interesting applications and they can update themselves!" And then a more general technology now known as LAMP, which stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP--and Perl, Python and various other Ps--evolved as a platform for the back-end."

The Chrome OS is a new alternative to the desktop. The network is reliable and the disk, as Schmidt says, has disappeared.

Schmidt points to Chrome OS but there are many examples of how the convergence of powerful back-end systems, big data and lightweight applications have lead to simplicity for people in work and their personal lives.

Schmidt's post is a reminder that cloud computing is a powerful force but it is the combined convergence of faster networks and new dynamic programming languages that have also provided us with entirely new ways to innovate.

The rumors are true: Google's big Chrome event today was all about Chrome OS. As expected, Chrome OS is a "nothing but the web" operating system that runs entirely on web apps, with the Chrome browser at the center of the experience. Google walked through the whole Chrome OS user experience at the event, and it really looks like a solid choice for everyday users who just want to browse, share, work and play games on the web.

Setup for Chrome OS takes less than 60 seconds. In four steps, you can create a user account that already has access to your Google Apps data, and even carries over the themes, bookmarks and other settings from your existing Chrome browser. If you close the lid of your Chrome netbook and then open it again, your system and your internet connection resume faster than you can even type a Google Search.

In terms of sharing, each user's data on a Chrome OS machine is kept totally separate, so you can let your family make their own accounts (or let a friend use guest mode, which starts an Incognito session) and nobody will see anybody else's browsing history. Meanwhile, anything you do in Chrome on any of your computers will be synced to your account on the others. That means you can install an app or delete a theme on your Mac or PC, and it'll sync to your Chrome OS netbook in a few seconds.

German authorities have recently expressed skepticism about cloud computing and the potential it has for breaking data protection laws.

According to the Information Law Group, there is no imminent danger of a European crackdown but legal experts are advising international companies to address the potential concerns in their planning and operations.

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The controversy stems from Dr. Thilo Weichert, head of the data protection commission in the northernmost German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Weichert is calling for the abolition of the Safe Harbor framework and doubts the ability of companies to protect the rights of Europeans, who enjoy some of the strongest personal privacy laws in the world.

One quote from an IBM executive stands out in the post that Chris Cameron wrote today about IBM's augmented reality app for the U.S. Open.

Rick Singer, IBM's Vice President of Sports Technology Partnerships said it all comes down tthe information generated with every tennis stroke, volley and serve:

"This is all about data. It's about how you take data, aggregate it and make it simpler to use," says Singer. "This is like having your best friend with you that knows everything about the Open right by your side because you can take all of that data and you can make better decisions."

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IBM is using the U.S. Open to demonstrate its commitment to cloud computing.

Salesorce.com acquired Jigsaw earlier this year. This past week, Salesforce.com unveiled the integration.

The service integrates Chatter, the Salesforce.com microblogging platform. When a contact is updated through Jigsaw, the subscriber gets an update in their Chatter feed.

Jigsaw for Salesforce CRM is an example of how microblogging services are becoming message platforms for crowdsourcing tools. Microblogging tools are serving as social middleware technologies that surface information from enterprise applications.

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It reminds us of services such as Socialtext Connect, which launched in June. The Socialtext service uses the Twitter Annotation spec to connect legacy apps by surfacing events that appear in an activity stream.

As the cloud computing market gets more crowded, a number of Web-based calculators are popping up to lure customers.

These online calculators deserve their fair share of scrutiny. For the most part, they are there for the vendor to tell their own story in a way that shows the benefits of their service. Huge savings and incredible returns are pretty much what you are given when you pop in your numbers, requirements and company information. In the end, what you get is barely insightful. What the vendor gets is far more.

At their best, these cloud computing calculators provide a thumbnail view of the market. At their worst, they are slick tools for generating sales leads.

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