Samsung releases Chrome desktop computer

Samsung on Tuesday released the first Chrome desktop computer that essentially shifts work into Internet "cloud" using a version of the Google Web browser as its operating system.

Staunch Google partner Samsung unveiled Series 3 Chromebox along with a beefed-up Series 5 Chromebook that is the latest in a line of Chrome-powered laptops introduced last year by Google.

"This is the next step in our journey toward an always-new computing experience focused on speed, simplicity and security," said Google director of product management Caesar Sengupta.

The Series 5 Chromebook with its 12.1-inch (31 centimeter) screen weighs 3.3 pounds (1.48 kilograms) and measures less than an inch (2.5 centimeters) thick.

The Chromebox measures just 7.6 x 7.6 x 1.3-inches (19 x 19 x 3.3 centimeters).

Buyers will need to provide their own monitors, keyboards, and mouse devices.

The new Chromebook and the Chromebox feature dual-core Intel processors, 16-gigabyte solid state drives, and built-in wireless internet connectivity.

"The new Samsung Series 5 Chromebook and Series 3 Chromebox provide the rapid, convenient and ever-improving computing experience that was so well-received in our first Chromebook," said Samsung marketing vice president Todd Bouman.

The Chromebox was priced at $330 and available at US and British online shops including Amazon.com, NewEgg.com, and BestBuy.com. It was to roll out in additional countries in coming weeks.

The Series 5 Chromebook Wi-Fi model was priced at $450 and a version with 3G telecom data service capabilities was priced at $550.

Google built its Chrome operating into notebook computers in a challenge to software at the heart of Microsoft's empire.

The computing model shifts operating software into the Internet letting data centers store data and tend to tough tasks.

Shifting operating software to banks of servers on the Internet means that Google tends to matters such as updating programs and fending off hackers and malicious software.

Advantages include quick start-ups from disk-drive free machines, long battery life, and essentially being able to dive into one's desktop data from anywhere on the Internet.

"With a new, app-centric user interface rolling out today and thousands of available web apps, we couldn't be more excited about this evolution," Sengupta said.

"This next-generation hardware from Samsung based on Intel processors and hardware-accelerated software delivers nearly three times the performance of the first-generation Chromebooks."