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  • twotwotwo - Thursday, January 17, 2013 - link

    The (Exynos-based) Samsung Chromebook is the top-selling notebook on Amazon, even more interesting because it costs a little more than the Acer and an ARM notebook is a rare bird right now.
  • jemima puddle-duck - Thursday, January 17, 2013 - link

    Although enthusiasts may sniff at them, I've rarely heard a bad word about them from people that own and use them. The low end of the market is the interesting end at the moment.
  • JeffFlanagan - Thursday, January 17, 2013 - link

    Maybe we shouldn't be giving kinder-gardeners netbooks. They can be issued in 8th grade when the kids are ready for porn.
  • JarredWalton - Thursday, January 17, 2013 - link

    Kinder gardeners would be awesome -- how big do they grow them? ;-)
  • Mumrik - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link

    8th grade kindergarten?
  • aryonoco - Thursday, January 17, 2013 - link

    It's not Atom, nor Pentium or Celeron, the processor in this thing is a half respectable Core i3-2367M (17W dual core SB running at 1.4 Ghz with Intel HD 3000).

    I still think $429 is too much for a Chromebook, but then again, the tray price of this core i3 is $250 according to Intel. Obviously the price has come down now but it seems like Intel is getting a good portion of the BoM of this thing.

    Also and perhaps of more importance is that Google has managed to sign up a third (and respectable) OEM for their Chrome OS effort. I think the Chromebooks have a lot to offer the educational market, especially combined with Google Apps for Education which is free. It is a much more sensible and productive solution for kids than more expensive and less productive ipads.
  • JarredWalton - Thursday, January 17, 2013 - link

    I'm not sure that's correct for the X131e Chromebook -- the standard X131e is available in both AMD and Intel variants, but the Intel option starts at over $600. I'd be highly surprised if the Chromebook uses a Core i3 and sells for just $429, but if you can find me a source I'd love to see it. The spec sheet Lenovo sent me just says, " Latest-generation Intel processors" for the processor.
  • themossie - Thursday, January 17, 2013 - link

    A $229 premium over the $199 Acer C7 is ridiculous. Take a similar machine, tack on $100 to make it rugged, call it a day. The performance difference between an i3 and a Celeron shouldn't matter for this application...
  • KirkClement - Friday, September 26, 2014 - link

    Couldn't agree more. I have Ruggedized Chromebooks, Celeron 2.16GHz, 4GB , $299. kirk.clement@live.ca, quantity is not an issue can get thousands.
  • KirkClement - Friday, September 26, 2014 - link

    Designed by Intel. contact for PDF with info and specs
  • IntoxicatedPuma - Monday, January 21, 2013 - link

    I would be shocked if it actually had an i3, for a chromebook that would be a waste of money. In any case the Pentium and Celeron SB and are more than enough for something like this. They're practically i3's without hyperthreading and I don't think HT is going to offer much gain in a chromebook.
  • pixelstuff - Thursday, January 17, 2013 - link

    Does anyone know how they are benefiting by offering these only to Schools? Seems like Lenovo would see better return on their R&D expenses if they offered it to anyone. Are selling near cost?

    Are they planning to offer the same chassis under a different model number for the general public?
  • GNUminex - Thursday, January 17, 2013 - link

    I bet they over produced or over purchased on some part and want a way to sell these laptops in bulk without having them compete with newer models.
  • vision33r - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link

    Yet, no much interest from kids because iPads are all the rage still. I cannot get my kids to use a PC or notebook because the iPad is so much easier to use for them.

    I doubt Chromebook would offer the ease of use and app selection that Apple offers with the iPad for kids.

    That's why PC makers will continue to suffer in sales while they keep pushing out these low end hardware to cannibalize their own sales of higher model notebooks.
  • cjb110 - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link

    Wait till they get asked to do their first essays! Then see how long the iPad lasts.

    iPads are great timewasters, and they do have some very innovative edutainment apps, but a Chromebook *could* work as a kids main machine for most of school life.
  • Shadowmaster625 - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link

    Then it has to be an atom because the latest generation ivb celerons arent in anything yet.
  • Pessimism - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link

    $500 for a netbook, what are they thinking?!
  • piroroadkill - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link

    I work in a school, and the most damaged thing on the netbooks we have is the keyboard - deliberate vandalism - picking keys off, then destruction of the rubber domes.
    Far more important that the keyboard be hardy than anything else.
  • KirkClement - Friday, September 26, 2014 - link

    Ruggedized Chromebook for K-12, drop and spill resistant, retractable handle, removable battery, Celeron 2.16GHz processor, 4GB RAM, start $299. kirk.clement@live.ca

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