Google-powered laptops to go on sale June 15

AN FRANCISCO: The first laptops running on a Google-designed software system will go on sale in the US and six other countries next month.
The June 15 release date announced Wednesday means the lightweight laptops will hit the market nearly two years after Google Inc. began working on an operating system based on its Chrome Web browser.
Since then, Apple Inc.’s iPad and other tablet computers have become hot sellers. The growing popularity of tablets has raised questions about how interested consumers will be interested in buying Google-powered laptops specifically tailored for Web surfing.
Samsung Electronics Co. and Acer Inc. are making the first Chromebooks. They will sell for $349 to $499 at Best Buy and Amazon.com Inc. in the US. The cheapest IPad sells for $499.
Acer’s Chromebook, at $349, will have an 11.6-inch screen display and up to six hours of battery life. Samsung’s version, selling for $429 to $499, will have a 12.1-inch screen and up to 8.5 hours of battery life. Both models will have keyboards, but no hard drives for storage. The machines will be like computer terminals dependent on a connection to the Internet. The laptops come with 16 gigabytes of flash memory – the kind found in smartphones, tablet computers and some iPods. They have slots to plug in other storage device you buy separately.
The Chromebooks also will be sold in Britain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy and Spain.
Chromebook’s long-awaited debut will intensify Google’s competition with Microsoft Corp., whose Windows operating system remains the foundation of most personal computers.
Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have long felt that Windows computers took too long to power up and were too clunky to operate. They believed that Windows’ drawbacks were discouraging people from spending even more time online, where they could click on ads sold by Google.
To address the perceived problem, Google announced its plans in July 2009 for a Chrome-based operating system that would enable computers to turn on in a matter of seconds and encourage more Web surfing.
”The complexity of managing computers is really frustrating for users out there,” Brin told reporters Wednesday at Google’s conference for software developers. ”It’s a flawed model.”
Besides attacking Microsoft’s Windows franchise, Google’s Chromebook also will represent another challenge to Apple, which makes Mac computers as well as iPads. Google and Apple have been engaged in a fierce competition in the smartphone market for the past two years.

iPad 2 by Apple (A Review)

April was a month of excitement for Apple fans when Apple launched the iPad2. While most people had some difficultly finding an iPad2 at first, it isn’t too hard to find anymore; just check your local Toys R Us!
No matter where you get your iPad2, you will see some new features and a number of changes from the first generation of the iPad. The operating system matches what is currently on the iPad1, but there are new apps which all run a lot faster.
I was a fan when the first iPad came out, and I’m even more of a fan of iPad2!

iPad Colors

The very first noticeable difference is the ability to have a white iPad2. All sizes of iPads are now available in both black and white. This comes from a high demand for the white iPhone from longtime iPhone users.

Size

With the first generation iPad, it was lighter than a laptop or a notebook, but still did carry some weight behind it. The iPad2 is much lighter than the original iPad. For iPads that just have wireless, the old weight was 680 grams and it has dropped 79 grams in weight down to 601 grams. The 3g and wireless iPads dropped from 730 grams to approximately 610 grams.
Weight may not seem like a big deal but it makes a large difference when carrying and holding the iPad.

“It’s so much easier to hold,” says Scott Sawaya from the Golden Tech Business Development department.

The lighter weight makes the iPad2 a lot thinner than the iPad1.

Speed

Apple wouldn’t release a new product unless they could say it’s faster. The new iPad definitely can claim that it is a lot faster. Not only does it scroll from screen to screen faster, but it opens and closes programs a lot faster as well. We tested this here at GT with an iPad1, iPad2 and an HTC Evo by opening up Angry Birds; iPad 2 was by far the fastest.

Cameras

If you know me, you know I have a love of photography. I mentioned in my iPad1 review that I loved the SmugMug app to have access to my photos in a heartbeat. iPad2 has exactly what I thought iPad1 was missing-a camera! Not only does it have one camera, it has TWO!

The quality of the camera is far from the greatest. The images are grainy and only look good on a small screen, nonetheless it’s a camera.
Although I would prefer a regular camera any day, having the camera on the iPad has allowed me to take quick snapshots for DailyBooth, snapshots of things I need to quickly send to a friend, or just simply have a way of taking pictures that in the long run I won’t care about. It’s a VERY easy interface that even a 22 month old can use. (Don’t worry, this has been tested.)
The other bonus of having a camera is the ability to use the FaceTime application and chat with other iPad users and iPhone users. This has been one of the main programs I’ve used since starting to use my iPad2.

Magnetic Cover

Another cool new feature of the iPad is the magnetic strip built into the side of the iPad. Apple developed a new cover that will attach to the magnetic strip. The cover doubles as a stand and allows you to prop your iPad up in various ways to watch and use the screen. The cover is available at an additional cost but comes in a variety of colors and textures.
I love the iPad2 and I’ve found myself using it daily for a variety of things. I would recommend it in a heartbeat to anyone looking to get a tablet.