Google I/O 2011 | The Samsung Series 5 Chrome OS notebook gets official, doesnot fail to impress

Google officially announces the arrival of the Chrome OS in the market, and none other than Samsung seems to be leading the way with an ultrathin notebook called the Series 5 Chromebook.

The device is expected to sport a 12.1” display screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels and a dual-core Atom N570 (clock speed of 1.66GHz) processor, 16GB of mSATA SSD, weighs only 3.26 pounds (~1.75kg), measures only 0.79” at the thinnest edge, will connect to dual-band 802.11 WiFi and optional global 3G. Samsung also throws in a 1MP HD webcam along with two USB 2.0 ports and a clickable trackpad. The battery promises to run for about 8.5hrs of continuous usage.

You will be able to order one from Amazon or Best Buy (to start with) starting June 15^th for $429 and $499 for the Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + 3G version respectively.

Initial impression

Engadget could buy some time to play around with the Chromebook at the I/O to post a hands-on on its blog. The first thing that hits them is the ultra-thinness of the system. At only 0.79”, it should comfortably fit in your sling bag. The device feels solid and rigid, with a crisp display screen and well-spaced out keyboard. The island-style keys feel comfortable and the Engadget feels that the trackpad might be one of the best in business.

There are no significant lags in operation in the initial whatever testing Engagdet could do, and we are still waiting to hear Google’s solution for places with inconsistent internet connections. Most of the third world countries will have that problem.

Although the battery could not be tested, the modest claim of 8.5hrs sounds possible.

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