The first laptops that are based on Google's Chrome operating system are now available for sale via PC makers like Samsung and Acer. However those first generation Chromebooks have Intel's low powered Atom-based processors inside. Now a new report from the Digitimes web site states that future versions of the Chomebooks will be using Intel's higher end Core series of processors.
The report, which cites unnamed sources, claims that current Chromebook makers Samsung and Acer, along with other companies such as Asustek, are "considering to join the upcoming Chromebook upgrade project". It adds that the new versions of the Chromebook should launch sometime after the fourth quarter of 2011. Adding some version of Intel's Core processor to the Chromebook will not only boost the laptop's overall performance compared to the Atom processor but will also improve the laptop's security features.
So far the reviews of the first Chromebooks have not been stellar with reviewers complaining that due to the nature of the Chrome OS the laptops can only be used effectively via some kind of Internet connection. The lack of a large hard drive and the Chromebook's expensive price compared to standard Windows 7 OS-based netbooks have also been cited as negatives. Digitimes claims in today's article that "Google has recently started notifying its partners that Chrome OS already has an obvious upgrade path for its hardware specifications and related security, while the company is also providing assistance with marketing and is aiming to push the product's price range to above US$500 and increase its attractiveness in the market."
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