The new Samsung Series 3 Chromebox is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Priced at $329.99, the desktop is powered by a 1.9GHz Intel Celeron B840 dual-core processor, a 4GB of DDR3 RAM, an Intel HD graphics and a 16GB SSD. The Google Chrome-powered computer provides several connectivity options such as Bluetooth 3.0, six USB 2.0 ports, a pair of DisplayPorts, DVI, Ethernet and Wi-Fi. What makes the Samsung Series 3 Chromebox special is that it has a built-in virus protection that helps prevent malware and viruses from accessing your data. [Product Page]
During the closing session here at D10 in California, Google's on Senior Vice President of Chrome & Apps Sundar Pichai was joined by Susan Wojcicki (SVP of Advertising at Google) at Walt Mossberg. Sundar was able to drive the majority of the conversation in the realm of Chrome and Chrome OS, and quite a few interesting nuggets were dropped. For one, he made an offhand comment that "offline Google Drive [is] coming in five weeks," a clue that it'll be revealed and launched in full at Google I/O next month.
On the topic of Chrome's browser market share, he reckoned that around a third of the world's desktop browser use is now done on Chrome, noting that percentages are far, far higher in the consumer realm as compared to enterprise, where lots of companies mandate that employees still use Internet Explorer at work. Oh, and Sundar also stated that it's "not lost on [Google] that it can use advertising to provide better value propositions [for Chromebooks] as well. In other words, Google's at least evaluating an ad-supported Chromebook. Looking for more? A fair amount of the back-and-forth is transcribed after the break.
Google's Sundar Pichai confirms that offline Google Drive 'coming in five weeks,' hints at ad-supported Chromebook originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 15:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
What happens when you put a Chromebook in a box? You get a Chromebox, natch. Not content with launching its new Chromebook Series 5 550, Samsung's adding the Chromebox Series 3 -- a diminutive $329 desktop system -- to its lineup. Like its mobile cousin, the box runs version 19 of Chrome OS and features an Intel Core processor. Though it's clearly targeted at the education and enterprise markets, could Samsung's Chromebox be a compelling option for the Engadget reader? Can it transcend its cloud-based workstation origins? Is it a better choice than an entry-level Mac mini? Find out in our review after the break.
Continue reading Samsung Chromebox Series 3 review
Samsung Chromebox Series 3 review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments 
It seems like yesterday that we reviewed the inaugural Samsung Series 5 Chromebook running Google's Chrome OS, an operating system for laptops based on Chrome. It was, from the start, a world in which everything from music playback to document creation happened in browser tabs. Since we last checked in a year ago, Google has addressed some early complaints -- the browser can actually stream Netflix now! -- but it's only just getting around to ticking off some other long-standing grievances, like multitasking.
The company just announced two new Chrome OS devices -- the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550 and Chromebox Series 3 -- and both run a spanking-new build of the OS that ushers in a simplified desktop with customizable wallpaper and the ability to minimize, maximize and close windows -- oh my! More importantly, you can now view multiple windows onscreen, edit docs offline and pin shortcuts to the bottom of the screen -- a combination that promises some seriously improved multitasking. Other goodies: built-in Google Music, Google+ and Hangouts, along with a basic photo editor, redesigned music player and enhanced remote desktop app. So does all this add up to an upgrade meaty enough to make the skeptics give Chrome OS a second look? Could it be time for you to get the low-tech person in your life a Chromebook? Let's see.
Continue reading Chrome OS review (version 19)
Chrome OS review (version 19) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments 
Samsung has been almost completely silent regarding its Chromebox since its CES outing, so we were taken aback when we were tipped off that it was hiding in plain sight on TigerDirect's web store. Sure enough, a product listing provides a lot more detail about the tiny Chrome OS desktop than Samsung gave us in January, including its use of a 1.9GHz, dual-core Celeron B840, 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 16GB solid-state drive and six (not five) USB ports. We haven't seen mention of the promised wireless keyboard and mouse bundle, although the retailer's configuration might reflect a stripped-down trim level: at $330, it's a lot less than the $400 we were quoted at the start of the year. We wouldn't count on the store listing staying up -- at least, not until Google I/O -- but you can get a whirlwind tour of the Chromebox's core features through the hilariously awkward video below, which strips out the price if you're not watching from TigerDirect itself.
[Thanks, Pete]
Continue reading Samsung Chromebox gets a premature outing, $330 price tag (video)
Samsung Chromebox gets a premature outing, $330 price tag (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 16:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
TigerDirect | Email this | Comments 
