Monica Chen, Taipei; Joseph Tsai

 

Google plans to upgrade the Chromebook design from originally adopting Atom N570 processors to mainstream Core i series processors to significantly boost system performance, while strengthening the machine's security. The plan has already received support from Intel with the company giving a 10-20% discount for related processor quotes, according to sources from notebook players.

In addition to Samsung and Acer, there are already several notebook vendors including Asustek Computer, already considering to join the upcoming Chromebook upgrade project and are set to launch related products after the fourth quarter, the sources noted.

The sources pointed out that despite the 12-inch Chromebook is mainly being pushed for its cloud computing capability, with most work being done by the back-end servers, since their hardware specifications are the same as a netbook, while being US$50-100 more expensive than a Windows 7-based netbook, and having an unattractive industrial design, the overall price/performance ratio is disappointing.

Therefore, Google has recently started notifying its partners that Chrome OS already has an obvious upgrade path for its hardware specifications and related security, while the company is also providing assistance with marketing and is aiming to push the product's price range to above US$500 and increase its attractiveness in the market.

However, some notebook vendors believe Android's success in smartphones and tablet PCs does not guarantee the success of Chromebook, and Microsoft still has an un-touchable position in the PC industry. Since most consumers are already used to Windows, while Windows has great software compatibility, if Chromebooks cannot outmatch Windows products on pricing, while maintaining standard performance demands, consumers are unlikely to accept a brand new operating system in the short term.