Google Chrome netbook specs leaked?

There’s a rumor going around that Google isn’t just developing an operating system for netbooks (which we already know is true), but that company is also in the process of developing an actual netbook. While Google isn’t exactly known as a hardware maker, this rumor falls into the plausible category, since Google is also widely reported to be developing a cellphone running Android OS. And as Apple has demonstrated time and again, if you want your operating system to run smoothly on hardware, your best option is to design the hardware.

This weekend the rumors got a little more interesting as British site IB Times listed the rumored specs of the upcoming Google netbook:

  • Display: 10.1 inch HD ready multit-touch screen
  • CPU: ARM-based processor
  • Storage: 64GB SSD
  • Memory: 2GB
  • Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G, Ethernet
  • I/O: USB, webcam, 3.5mm audio jack, flash card reader
  • OS: Google Chrome OS

IB Times also says the netbook could be subsidized by wireless carriers and sell for under $300.

All told, it sounds like one heck of a machine. And to be honest, I’d say it’s far more powerful a device than you need for running web-apps alone. Then again, anyone who has spent some time watching movies, editing documents, and performing other tasks in a web browser can tell you that more RAM and memory is always better than less. But I wouldn’t be surprised if people picked up this netbook in hopes of hacking it to run a different flavor or Linux or of tweaking the open source Chrome operating system to run native apps instead of the web-only apps Google plans to offer.

When Google officials introduced the operating system recently, they stated that netbooks designed to run Chrome OS would be larger than today’s netbooks and have full sized keyboards. At the time, I figured this meant the netbooks would have screens larger than 10 inches, but it’s possible that Google reps, like a lot of other people, still think of netbooks as 7 to 9 inch devices with cramped keyboards even though the vast majority of mini-laptops released in the last two years are much larger and more comfortable to type on. Anyway, if the rumored specs are true, the Google netbook will have a 10 inch screen and likely won’t be much larger than the average netbook on the market today.

Of course, we’re still dealing with rumors and speculation here, so please pass the salt and I’ll take a grain. I suggest you do the same.

via Netbook News.de

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Posted on Monday, December 28th, 2009, 9:48 am by Brad Linder
Tags: , , , , , , ,


  • jabailo

    Yes, but how much will it weigh?

  • http://twitter.com/turn_self_off turn_self_off

    is the under $300 estimate post-subsidy? if so its a bit more then i would like.

    still, even then its a interesting piece of kit, if true. Even if the multi-touch screen seems a waste if its not a rotateable screen…

  • http://eeepc.net/googlebook-gets-more-real-with-new-spec-leak/ GoogleBook Gets More Real With New Spec Leak | Eee PC – Blog

    [...] netbooknews.de, IBTimes via liliputing Share and [...]

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    [...] un rumor bastante fuerte, y no por ser día de los inocentes, que Google está por lanzar una netbook, sabes el dicho, «Si quieres hacerlo bien, hazlo tu mismo». La supuesta netbook tendría Google [...]

  • ricord

    Yes,it is very powerful for Web!

  • http://boycottnovell.com/2009/12/28/gaming-recommendations/ Links 28/12/2009: Gaming Recommendations, Emacs Embracing Bazaar | Boycott Novell

    [...] Google Chrome netbook specs leaked? There’s a rumor going around that Google isn’t just developing an operating system for netbooks (which we already know is true), but that company is also in the process of developing an actual netbook. While Google isn’t exactly known as a hardware maker, this rumor falls into the plausible category, since Google is also widely reported to be developing a cellphone running Android OS. And as Apple has demonstrated time and again, if you want your operating system to run smoothly on hardware, your best option is to design the hardware. [...]

  • http://www.netbookfiles.com Netbook Downloads

    I am guessing that the price is the subsidized price?? If so, its not as cheap as expected?

  • http://www.incubaweb.com/filtradas-las-especificaciones-del-netbook-de-google/ Filtradas las especificaciones del netbook de Google | Incubaweb

    [...] OS -lo que no significa que ya lo tengamos para Reyes, ni mucho menos- no han tardado en surgir las primeras especificaciones de las entrañas de las primeras máquinas de la compañía. Que si, que fuentes fiables y lo que [...]

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  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bear-Naff/1589370250 Bear Naff

    Seriously? a 64GB SSD? With a 300-600MB OS image and, you know, _web applications_, who needs anything more than a 4 or 8 GB drive on the thing? Since I am not aware of any ARM systems that support PCI-E (or derivatives) or SATA, why not just throw a 4GB Disk-on-Chip on the motherboard?

    I call shennanigans

  • http://www.entrebits.cl/2009/12/google-lanzara-un-netbook-y-sabemos-sus-especificaciones/ Google lanzará un netbook y sabemos sus especificaciones | Entrebits – Software y Tecnología

    [...] Liliputing Sobre el [...]

  • Agnes

    Can I check why is it that I cannot load the games using Google Chrome in Facebook? I'm able to login but the games cannot display. Thanks.

  • Agnes

    Can I check why is it that I cannot load the games using Google Chrome in Facebook? I'm able to login but the games cannot display. Thanks.

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  • http://www.chromeblog.cn/index.php/archives/152.html Google Chrome netbooks could cost more than Windows netbooks « Chrome Blog

    [...] Chrome OS netbooks to have “high resolution” displays and there’s a rumor going around that Google is working on its own netbook with a 64GB SSD and integrated 3G modem. And that kind of hardware doesn’t come cheap. And it’s [...]

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