Earlier this week Google announced the culmination of its CR-48 pilot program: two Chrome OS-powered notebooks manufactured by Acer and Samsung. Priced at $349 and $429, respectively, they are admittedly pricier than I was anticipating but Google will also offer leasing plans from $20 per month for students and businesses.
Although spec-wise they are par for the course, what's interesting is the fact that they offer a glimpse at the future Google envisions: one where all your computing is done hassle-free through the browser.
In their view, Windows is too much of a pain to use and maintain for regular folks who just want to get online. With Chrome OS there's no loading programs on startup, no need for software updates or virus protection, and all your stuff is saved 'in the cloud' so there's no need for local storage. Google is the first to admit that they are betting on a paradigm shift and even their introductory video ends with a voice that says: "I wonder if people are ready for this?"
Indeed many web applications already run well enough to replace some of their desktop counterparts and even complex tasks such as gaming are being enabled by projects like OnLive. With that in mind we want to ask you: would you be interested in getting a Chrome OS laptop, even if just as a secondary machine? What would you consider the sweet spot in terms of price? Vote and let us know your thoughts in the comments.