I am always-connected person starting from the days of introduction of Internet in my place. But when I first heard about chromebook about three years back I was very apprehensive. “Always connected? how it is possible in most of the third world countries?”, ” Will I not be able to operate it without internet connection?”, ” No data with me when I need it? and if I need to edit my documents when Internet is not there?”

On top of that, there are other associated questions as well, like, “everything is to be done from within a browser?”, “And is there no start button and nice stack of programs/ application above that?”, “Do I need to search for everything I need to use?”

Chromebooks have come a long way overcoming these problems. Before answering all the above question in detail, you need to answer a simple question of mine that “how long do you spend in browser compared to other programs in your Notebook/ Laptop?” after answering this we need to know what these Chromebooks are meant for.

What it can do:

Portability

Being lightweight it’s very easy to carry,. Hardware, software and batteries are in synchronization to give you a long battery life even with continuous usage. It has many connectivity options like 3G, Wi-Fi, 4G / LTE

Ease

The system boots and shutdowns in seven seconds or less. There is seamless integration across Google accounts. Backups are virtually instantaneous. Security and system updates are automatic

Cloud connection

Have you ever taken a look at the Chrome Web Store in your Chrome browser? I bet you will be surprised to see the flurry of Apps and most probably there is everything you can think off. Just download an Apps or an browser extension to get your work done. To name a few:

• Google DOCs to cater to your word processing, presentation and spreadsheet needs
• Lots of photo editors
• You Tube and many other video sites
• CAD applications and editors
• Cloud drive integration of your choice (Google drive, Dropbox or Skydrive)

Chrome, being a thin client, can not only perform the above tasks, it stared supporting wide range of monitors, camera, televisions and projector so that you are not stranded with the hardware compatibility.

Browsing
As you all know, Chrome is the top choice browser. It uses the latest technology and supports HTML5. the browser/ your Operating system is always updated.

Communication
With the built in Webcam and microphone you are armed to visit the social networking sites of your choice, use Skype or Google Hangout effortlessly

Security
Chromebooks are some of the most secure devices available today. Verified boot ensures your file system hasn’t been tampered with. There is also the option for two-step authentication to further increase security. All your data is stored in the cloud, so even if your Chromebook is lost or stolen, your data is still secure and easily available by logging in to another system. At this stage, you don’t need an anti-virus software for Chromebook

Remote Operation

Chrome has come a long way to support cloud printing i.e. designate a printer and always take printout through that irrespective of where you are. Advanced applications have come in which eliminates the applications like LogMeIn etc. If you think about most of your office applications you will find out that most of them are web enabled. The only hitch is now to use functional legacy application. This cannot be remotely accomplished to your fullest satisfaction till now. But, I am sure, with growing demand these software vendors will be forced to tow the line.

So, is it the right time to jump in the bandwagon? or do you need to wait and watch? let’s have a look:

The Future

In Google’s latestearnings call, CEO Larry Page spoke about the serious part of the company’s future and it appears hardware will play an important role. Although many of the next Chromebook details remained cloaked in secrecy, one can easily assume they will be pumping sexy quad core processors ready to impress. Courtesy of aGoogle +blog post, it now appears Google is evaluating three different ARM prototypes in addition to new Intel units. They are currently Being Tested by Code Name:

• Peach Pit (ARM)
• Sonic (ARM)
• Puppy (ARM)
• Haswell (Intel)

On the software front, lots of developer have already joined the bandwagon. You can see staggering numbers of applications in the Chrome Web Store. Not only you have tons of choices on productivity Apps you have your share of games / entertainment program as well!! Have you tried Angry Birds in your Chrome Browser? It’s here. If you try connecting a remote computer for helping out your friend in some computer related issues, it is here

Where do I get a Chromebook and how costly they are?

In fact, there are already some decent Chromebook in the market. Most of them are below 200 USD. As per rumors, this price will be further pushed down to below 100 USD in next generation one. But why to wait for future? If you have some fund take a look at the array of Chromebook here. They are not going to disappoint you.

Grossly, if you take a look at the current availability, manufacturers are building mostly low-end machines, mobile thin clients aimed at schools and semi-impulse buyers. They includeHP’s Pavilion, at $329, the updated Acer C7 at $279 (there’s a $200 version), and the$249 Samsung. Lenovo’s new ThinkPad X131e Chromebook, at $429, is the only one, outside of the Pixel, to ship with 4 GB RAM. HP has the largest screen at 14″. These prices are ever changing in the downward direction.

Google’s Pixeltells us that the Chromebook deserves serious hardware. Reviewers gush over the Pixel’s hardware, its retina-plus display, but think at $1,299 it’s too pricy. But when the Samsung 550 arrived nearly a year ago with a Wifi version at $449,

Expert estimation

Gartner, the research firm, suggested that there’s a chance. In a research report published Monday, Gartner said it believed that consumers would become increasingly attracted to devices like the Chromebook and other thin and lightweight notebooks. Part of the newfound interest in these notebooks, Gartner said, will come as more of these devices include Intel’s new processors, called Bay Trail and Haswell, which raise performance and battery life.

Gartner estimates that shipments of these notebooks, which it calls “ultramobiles,” will grow to roughly 20.3 million this year, up from 9.8 million last year. Still, Gartner predicted that the overall PC market, including ultramobiles, would probably shrink this year. It estimates that worldwide, manufacturers will ship 305 million PCs, down 10.6 percent from last year.

In another sign of how grim things are looking for the PC, The Korea Times reported Monday that officials of Samsung Electronics, the South Korean manufacturer that is the biggest phone maker in the world, said the company wouldstop making desktop PCsbecause demand was low and the devices were unprofitable, and would instead focus on tablets and laptops. On Tuesday, however, the company said the report was “groundless.”