Posted on May 30, 2012, Wednesday
CHROMEBOOK. Photo taken from engadget.com
SAN FRANCISCO: Samsung on Tuesday released the first Chrome desktop computer that essentially shifts work into Internet “cloud” using a version of the Google Web browser as its operating system.
Staunch Google partner Samsung unveiled Series 3 Chromebox along with a beefed-up Series 5 Chromebook that is the latest in a line of Chrome-powered laptops introduced last year by Google.
“This is the next step in our journey toward an always-new computing experience focused on speed, simplicity and security,” said Google director of product management Caesar Sengupta.
The Series 5 Chromebook with its 12.1-inch (31 centimeter) screen weighs 3.3 pounds (1.48 kilograms) and measures less than an inch (2.5 centimeters) thick.
CHROMEBOX. Photo taken from engadget.com
The Chromebox measures just 7.6 x 7.6 x 1.3-inches (19 x 19 x 3.3 centimeters).
Buyers will need to provide their own monitors, keyboards, and mouse devices.
The new Chromebook and the Chromebox feature dual-core Intel processors, 16-gigabyte solid state drives, and built-in wireless internet connectivity.
“The new Samsung Series 5 Chromebook and Series 3 Chromebox provide the rapid, convenient and ever-improving computing experience that was so well-received in our first Chromebook,” said Samsung marketing vice president Todd Bouman.
The Chromebox was priced at $330 and available at US and British online shops including Amazon.com, NewEgg.com, and BestBuy.com. It was to roll out in additional countries in coming weeks.
The Series 5 Chromebook Wi-Fi model was priced at $450 and a version with 3G telecom data service capabilities was priced at $550.
Google built its Chrome operating into notebook computers in a challenge to software at the heart of Microsoft’s empire.
The computing model shifts operating software into the Internet letting data centers store data and tend to tough tasks.
Shifting operating software to banks of servers on the Internet means that Google tends to matters such as updating programs and fending off hackers and malicious software.
Advantages include quick start-ups from disk-drive free machines, long battery life, and essentially being able to dive into one’s desktop data from anywhere on the Internet.
“With a new, app-centric user interface rolling out today and thousands of available web apps, we couldn’t be more excited about this evolution,” Sengupta said.
“This next-generation hardware from Samsung based on Intel processors and hardware-accelerated software delivers nearly three times the performance of the first-generation Chromebooks.” –AFP
Samsung begins Europe sales of latest smartphone - Fresno Bee
The Galaxy series of smartphones is widely acknowledged in the industry as a success for Samsung, turning it from a smartphone also-ran into a viable competitor with the iPhone from Apple Inc.
While Apple has kept the screen size of the iPhone the same in every upgrade since 2007, Samsung increased the screen size of its highest-end smartphone in its two major updates. The latest Galaxy phone screen is nearly twice as big as the iPhone screen.
The 4.8-inch S III also features more computing power that supports voice commands and an eye-movement tracking feature to keep the screen from dimming.
The music service, which is available in free and paid versions, can recommend new tunes based on a user's listening preferences.
The paid service allows uploading and storage of music files on servers that can be accessed from more than one Internet-connected device at a cost of (EURO)9.99 per month, Samsung said.
Unlike Apple, which uses its in-house operating system and iTunes music service, Samsung has relied on Google's Android operating system for its flagship smartphones.
Samsung's music service is a result of its acquisition of mSpot Inc., a Palo Alto, California-based provider of music and movie streaming services on the Web and mobile devices.
The Korean firm has been making efforts to increase homemade mobile content, such as its own messaging application, hoping that these features will boost consumer loyalty.
Samsung overtook Apple in smartphone sales for the first time in the first three months of this year, according to research firm Strategy Analytics. The Suwon, South Korea-based company sold 44.5 million smartphones in the January-March quarter, compared with Apple's 35.1 million iPhone sales.
Market watchers expect that Apple may use its annual conference for developers next month to announce the yearly upgrade to the iPhone, which then can go on sale as early as July.
Aside from being big rivals in the smartphone market, Samsung and Apple have also a close business relationship. Samsung supplies mobile chips and display panels for iPhones and iPad tablet computers, counting Apple among its biggest clients.
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