Google sets sights on enterprise, education with subscription 'Chromebooks'

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Google announced on Wednesday that it will offer subscription "Chromebooks" running its Chrome OS Web-based operating system at a cost of $28 per month for business users, and $20 per month for students.



Google made the announcement to developers at its I/O 2011 conference, where it showed off two Chromebook hardware options launching this June. Samsung will sell a ChromeOS-powered computer with a 12.1-inch screen and instant-on capabilities for $429, or $499 with 3G connectivity, while Acer has a 11.6-inch model starting at $349.



But business and education customers will be able to bypass standard purchasing options and instead subscribe to Chrome OS. The search giant announced that government and small business customers will be able to subscribe for $28 per month, while students will pay $20 per month.



Paying a monthly fee will allow Google to offer a complete hardware and service package that includes the hardware, technical support, warranty, and replacements. And when the hardware lifecycle is over, Google will automatically upgrade users to new hardware at no extra cost.



Google Chromebooks from Samsung. Google I/O photos via Gizmodo.



The new Chromebooks will be available starting June 15 in the U.S., France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, U.K. and Italy. Subscription plans will also be available for schools, businesses and governments in June.



Google Chrome OS Web applications. Google I/O photos via Gizmodo.



Google showed off Chrome OS to attendees on Wednesday, pitching the new operating system as a browser-based solution that offers "Nothing but the Web." But content such as word processors and games like Angry Birds will be accessed within the browser, and can even be accessed when the device is not connected to the Internet.



Google also showed off the Chrome Web store, and revealed that it would take a flat fee of 5 percent from all transactions, leaving developers with 95 percent. That's higher than the 30 percent cut that Apple takes from App Store transactions for the iPhone and iPad.
«13456719

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 372
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member
    $20/month? What a ripoff!
  • Reply 2 of 372
    drobforeverdrobforever Posts: 400member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cpsro View Post


    $20/month? What a ripoff!



    You need to remember this includes service/upgrade etc for the schools, which is a huge cost to schools, it's not consumers renting this for $20/month.
  • Reply 3 of 372
    2 cents2 cents Posts: 307member
    Delete
  • Reply 4 of 372
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    So it is a cheap PC using a traditional mouse / keyboard interface with a very limited OS. This is too little too late piece of junk makes an iPad look like something from the 23rd Century. I really think Google must have started planning this before they thought of copying iOS and somehow forgot to cancel the project. This will be another Beta project that will fizzle out. Google have more chance with Honeycomb, after all there is about 17% or the tablet market to fight over for the iPad copycats.



    Schools are far better of with iPads BUT Apple need to beef up educational pricing and apps and ebooks.
  • Reply 5 of 372
    guch20guch20 Posts: 173member
    Jesus, Google is going after schools now too? They're just attacking Apple on all fronts and with their momentum, I don't see how they can be stopped.
  • Reply 6 of 372
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by guch20 View Post


    Jesus, Google is going after schools now too? They're just attacking Apple on all fronts and with their momentum, I don't see how they can be stopped.



    Wait and see.
  • Reply 7 of 372
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by guch20 View Post


    Jesus, Google is going after schools now too? They're just attacking Apple on all fronts and with their momentum, I don't see how they can be stopped.



    Many such projects may fizzle. If the life expectancy for one of these laptops is 2 yrs it will cost close to $500.-. A wifi iPad with educational discount should match that if paid on a monthly basis (at the end of which the machine will still have value). Given the choice I cannot see why anyone would not choose the iPad.
  • Reply 8 of 372
    guch20guch20 Posts: 173member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    So it is a cheap PC using a traditional mouse / keyboard interface with a very limited OS. This is too little too late piece of junk makes an iPad look like something from the 23rd Century. I really think Google must have started planning this before they thought of copying iOS and somehow forgot to cancel the project. This will be another Beta project that will fizzle out. Google have more chance with Honeycomb, after all there is about 17% or the tablet market to fight over for the iPad copycats.



    I'm not huge on following Chrome (I absolutely refuse to use any Google product besides YouTube), so I have no idea what makes it a "very limited OS." Can you please enlighten me? Not that I'm asking you to go out of your way to type out the whole history or anything, since I'm sure you're a busy person, but I'd just like to know a bit more about it without having to read some in-depth story on Wikipedia or something.



    Thanks.
  • Reply 9 of 372
    guch20guch20 Posts: 173member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paxman View Post


    Many such projects may fizzle. If the life expectancy for one of these laptops is 2 yrs it will cost close to $500.-. A wifi iPad with educational discount should match that if paid on a monthly basis (at the end of which the machine will still have value). Given the choice I cannot see why anyone would not choose the iPad.



    I agree that nobody should choose it over an iPad, but never doubt an idiot's ability to ignore quality in favor of flashy ads or easy availability (the dominance of Android is a testament to that).
  • Reply 10 of 372
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by guch20 View Post


    Jesus, Google is going after schools now too? They're just attacking Apple on all fronts and with their momentum, I don't see how they can be stopped.



    This is an attack on Microsoft not Apple. Completely different war. This is about Google Docs vs. Office. iPad does have iWork but Google Docs with a real keyboard and mouse is probably better for writing and collaborating in an academic or business environment. Not to take anything away from iPad, but it really is a bit clumsy when working on longer documents especially with the horrible spelling suggestion feature. I swear I cannot write a single sentence without having to fight off that word replacement fiasco.
  • Reply 11 of 372
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by drobforever View Post


    You need to remember this includes service/upgrade etc for the schools, which is a huge cost to schools, it's not consumers renting this for $20/month.



    It's a ripoff. My personal data is far more valuable than negative $20/month.
  • Reply 12 of 372
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    So it is a cheap PC using a traditional mouse / keyboard interface with a very limited OS. This is too little too late piece of junk makes an iPad look like something from the 23rd Century. I really think Google must have started planning this before they thought of copying iOS and somehow forgot to cancel the project. This will be another Beta project that will fizzle out. Google have more chance with Honeycomb, after all there is about 17% or the tablet market to fight over for the iPad copycats.



    Schools are far better of with iPads BUT Apple need to beef up educational pricing and apps and ebooks.



    I think Chrome OS brilliant. It?s not any more powerful than a netbook but it feel faster for the tasks it?s designed for and it?s tricking the consumer that it will run resource heavy apps simply because it?s running the resource heavy Windows OS. It also has a full size keyboard and trackpad.



    It?s WebOS on a desktop in that it?s a WebKit-based OS. it doesn?t mean you have to be connected to the internet for it to be useful but understands that PC users typically have routine, in not constant, web access.



    I?ve been a fan of this since before it was ever announced. Assuming the HW is good enough and the result is as stable as Chrome browser on Mac OS I?ll be recommending these machines to people I know that want more than a tablet, don?t want to pay for a Mac, and don?t need the complexity and utility of Mac OS and Windows just for getting online for basic web browsing and email.



    Also, I see Chrome OS being huge in developing countries where these can be sold or rented from ISPs, telcos, cable and other companies at reduced prices for service to help get a huge portion of the world online where before they had no real options. I don?t see the iPad or Mac doing that.



    This has the opportunity to wear away at Windows marketshare in a way that Mac OS could never do simply because it?s a premium product. This is a good thing!
  • Reply 13 of 372
    suddenly newtonsuddenly newton Posts: 13,819member
    LMFAO! So this is Google's big idea?! It's Netbook 2.0. Remember the thin client craze of the early 2000s? Yeah, same thing. Except now everything is written in JavaScript. Hello? The year 1999 called: it wants it's user experience back!
  • Reply 14 of 372
    tjwtjw Posts: 216member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paxman View Post


    Many such projects may fizzle. If the life expectancy for one of these laptops is 2 yrs it will cost close to $500.-. A wifi iPad with educational discount should match that if paid on a monthly basis (at the end of which the machine will still have value). Given the choice I cannot see why anyone would not choose the iPad.



    Because an iPad is so brilliant for office applications and collaboration through web apps....



    The difference here is that for a work horse machine a chromebook can replace a laptop an iPad is not even close to doing that.
  • Reply 15 of 372
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by guch20 View Post


    Jesus, Google is going after schools now too? They're just attacking Apple on all fronts and with their momentum, I don't see how they can be stopped.



    Apple has been making insane profits on game changing products that are constantly selling out for a number of years now. They have far more momentum than google.

    Maybe this chrome netbook will do well but I'm skeptical.
  • Reply 16 of 372
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Google also showed off the Chrome Web store, and revealed that it would take a flat fee of 5 percent from all transactions, leaving developers with 95 percent. That's higher than the 30 percent cut that Apple takes from App Store transactions for the iPhone and iPad.



    So, I'm not so good at math...what is 95% of $0?
  • Reply 17 of 372
    As the IT manager (among many other things) for a small business I'm wondering why a business would move to this type of environment. We do use google apps, but just for the emailing. What happens when you lose your connections to the internet? Or you are unable to log onto a Wifi at a clients. Call me old fashion but I like to keep my documents where I can access them any time I have power.



    Also, the second issue is that everyone is starting to cap data usage. How quickly could you go through a 4GB limit using this in 3G mode.



    Regarding schools - what good is this for family that do not have internet access?



    I see this solely as a consumer product.
  • Reply 18 of 372
    For all Google's apparent benevolence, they are only after 1 thing...everything there is to know about you...so that they can push advertising and either directly or indirectly sell your personal information. Period.



    Every little app and/or tool that Google shares provides them a little more information about you, what you are interested in (Google search), who you communicate with (gmail, googletalk, android, etc) and what you say, what you buy (google checkout), where you live (google maps), what you do for a living (google docs), what you and your friends look like (Picasa web albums), what amuses you (YouTube), etc., etc., etc. Go to the Google home page and Google labs and open your brain a little and you can imagine all the different ways that Google gathers information about you.



    Personally, although a devout Apple enthusiast, if forced to make a choice other than Apple, I'd take Microsoft over Google any day.
  • Reply 19 of 372
    How fast would this really be? It might start up fast but using the web products that could cause a network to slow way down. At my office we have a T3 for data and voice and I can tell when someone is doing internet intense work as the whole network slows down.



    I also assuming that you would place all your video and music in the google music and then stream that to the device - there you go eating up your data cap (4GB for phone companies and 150 to 250 GB at home) streaming your own music and video.



    I'll pay the extra money because I know that my MacBook's will be around for a very long time and won't be obsolete any time soon.
  • Reply 20 of 372
    christopher126christopher126 Posts: 4,366member
    " ...This is too little too late piece of junk makes an iPad look like something from the 23rd Century."



    Very funny digitalclips! made me laugh.



    Couldn't agree more. Google is really picking up where MS left off. This is what happens when programmers are left to their own devices with minimal direction.



    Is it just me...But if I have to have $20 coming out of my checking account every month, it's an instant turn-off! Don't get me wrong, I don't mind paying for value and certainly don't expect everything for free, but I hate the subscription model.
Sign In or Register to comment.