Intel and Google are gearing up to release 20 new Chromebooks, with their notable clamshell-style design and Google's Chrome OS. Officials stated that this will create stiffer competition for traditional laptops that are running on Windows OS or Microsoft.
Vice President of Intel's mobile client platforms group Navin Shenoy mentioned, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, that the number of Chromebooks set for release has increased by four devices since last year's debut.
During a recent tech event, companies such as LG Electronics Inc., Acer Inc., Toshiba Corp., ASUSTek Computer Inc., Lenovo Group Ltd., Dell Inc., and Hewlett-Packard Co. showed off their own devices running on Chrome OS. Aside from the clamshell-style laptops, officials also introduced some innovative devices such as all-in-one desktop models dubbed Chrome "bases," along with small devices attached to computer displays called Chrome "boxes."
The rise of Chromebook as a fast-selling category occurred during a time when sales of traditional PCs were on the decline. Customers began using web-based services from Chromebook, rather than installing them as programs, which is usually done on PCs. Chromebook's lock down function makes it a popular choice in some schools, plus, it comes with a cheaper price tag, starting at less than $200.
Intel is the latest company to have embraced the Chrome OS concept, deviating from its original alliance with Microsoft that dominated most laptops with its Windows software. Sales of Intel-based Chromebooks started to occupy the majority of company revenue last year.
"We will embrace multiple operating systems," Shenoy told the WSJ.
Caesar Sengupta, Google vice president of product management, pointed out the appearance of varying price points and designs that appeal to consumers with different needs. He said the idea that Chromebook not being able to run software directly was a "popular misconception," adding that several thousand apps have been created to run on the computer, including video games.
