JoltVib

Forget Google's pilot Cr-48, the real Chromebooks are coming! Google has just announced that both Acer and Samsung will be launching their own Chrome OS-powered laptops next month. The two are virtually the same in the sense that they both are powered by dual-core Intel Atom processors, promise "all day computing," boast large Synaptics touchpads, and run the latest version of Chrome OS. However, there are some important differences between the two. The Samsung Series 5 Chromebook has a 12.1-inch display, while the Acer has a 11.6-inch panel and obviously, a smaller footprint.

Both will be hitting Best Buy and Amazon on June 15th. The WiFi version of the Series 5 will go for $400 and the 3G version for $500. (According to Samsung's press release, the 3G model includes 100MB of data per month on Verizon's network.) Acer hasn't officially announced a price or name for its device, but Google Chrome king Sundar Pichi said it would ring up at $350. Regardless, those are some mighty high price tags when you consider that the average Windows 7 netbook can be had for around $299. That said, maybe some hands-on impressions could change our pessimistic minds. Stay tuned for that, but in the meantime hit the break for the full specs and a few more shots of the very first Chromebooks.

Update: Oh, and in case you missed it in the liveblog, Google also announced special monthly, pricing rates for students and businesses. Those lucky individuals will have the option to pay just a recurring monthly subscription fee, which includes software / hardware upgrades and support. Oh yes, that's all they pay, and yes, we just said hardware upgrades! There will be a $28 option for businesses and $20 student / government plan. Pretty crazy stuff.

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