Samsung and Acer say they do not believe New Zealand is ready for a new type of computer that they plan to launch in the United States and Europe, which will not run Microsoft software, instead working almost entirely off the web.

The two firms plan to become the first computermakers to take low-cost “netbook” computers to the next level, with the computers which will run Google’s Chrome operating system, accessing all their applications through Google’s web browser and storing data online, rather than on a hard drive. The computers will go on sale in the United States, where they will be priced from $349 (NZ$447), and six European countries on June 15.

But Samsung New Zealand marketing director Rachael Cotton-Bronte said Samsung had no plans to sell them here yet, citing “market receptiveness” and market feedback.

Google “Chromebooks” are expected to appeal most in markets where internet providers offer generous or unmetered broadband traffic caps, but Ms Cotton-Bronte would not say if the price of New Zealand’s broadband was a factor in its thinking.

Samsung’s laptop, called the Series 5, has an Intel 1.66GHz dual core processor and will come with just 16 gigabytes of solid-state storage and a 12.1-inch screen. Battery life is quoted at 8.5 hours and Google has promised the computers will boot up in only eight seconds. Acer’s product has similar specifications with a slightly smaller screen.

Acer New Zealand retail head Cameron Anderson said it might launch a model here, but “probably not for a little while”.

“We will wait and see how it goes overseas. In New Zealand, there is still a little bit of sensitivity about data going in the `cloud’.”

Chromebook users will need to access online applications, such as the Google Apps suite, to do tasks such as wordprocessing. Security and software updates will also be managed in the “cloud”, with no need for users to manually update software or install or run their own anti-virus software.

Google says the computers will become faster rather than slow down. They will also be shareable and instantly replaceable. Consumers will be able to access their applications and data by password from any Chromebook.

While Google is promoting fast boot-times as one of Chromebook’s biggest selling points, the boot performance of Windows-based computers is starting to dramatically improve from the darkest days of Windows Vista, when critics joked it was often possible to walk the dog in the time a computer took to boot-up.

Driving the improvement is a switch from 25-year-old Bios software that acts as the starter motor for PCs to its much speedier replacement, UEFI, and the move from hard disc to solid-state storage.

Courtesy of The Dominion Post