Partnering with search engine giant Google, leading consumer electronics supplier Samsung Electronics America, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corp., has unleashed a novel notebook for mobile web-centric consumers and IT personnel. Called Chromebook, the Series 5 notebooks offer speed, simplicity and security, said Samsung.
“With the creation of the Series 5 we are again pushing the boundaries of innovation by introducing an entirely new product category to the notebook market,” said Scott Ledterman, director of mobile PC marketing at Samsung Enterprise Business Division, in a statement.
He added, “This partnership has allowed us to combine Samsung’s design and engineering expertise with Google’s simple, secure software to provide consumers with a revolutionary notebook to fit today’s web-centric lifestyle.”
Similarly, in another company statement, commented Caesar Sengupta, director of product management, Google, “Samsung's reputation for innovative design and hardware development makes it a great partner to introduce one of the first Chromebooks.” “We look forward to bringing a much better computing experience built around the speed, simplicity and security of Chrome,” noted Sengupta.
With a slim 0.79-inch body, the Series 5 Chromebook offers a 12.1-inch super bright display that is both anti-reflective and anti-glare for a consistently vibrant visual experience across a variety of light conditions--from outdoors to dimly lit environments. Plus, for mobility, the Chromebook weighs 3.3 lbs. and has a battery life of up to 8.5 hours, including five hours of video play for all-day use without the need to recharge, said Samsung.
Powered by Intel dual-core processor, the Series 5 Chromebook starts in less than ten seconds and provides multiple layers of protection, including sandboxing, data encryption, and verified boot. By moving everthything to the cloud, the Chromebook further reduces concerns about security and data loss, said the manufacturer.
Furthermore, the unit offer data connectivity via 3G, WLAN and a 4-in-1 Card Reader. In fact, Verizon Wireless has partnered with Samsung and Google to provide 3G connectivity for the Series 5 in the U.S. Plus, Verizon will also provide up to 100 MBs per month of mobile broadband service, which is included with the unit for two years.
According to Samsung, the Series 5 Chromebook will be launched in the U.S. on June 15 from Amazon.com and BestBuy.com. The Wi-Fi + 3G model will retail at $499.99, and the Wi-Fi only model will retail at $429.99.
Ashok Bindra is a veteran writer and editor with more than 25 years of editorial experience covering RF/wireless technologies, semiconductors and power electronics. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by
Jennifer Russell