Chromebook

Holidays are just around the corner, and this could be a nifty gift for someone who needs a new computer.

The Chromebook was developed by Google with it's own OS and it's main purpose is just to get on the internet. That's it. The notebook, about the size of a netbook (screen is about 12"), boots in 8 seconds flat. You turn it on, and in 8 seconds, you're surfing the web. It's pretty spectacular, and for someone who is on the go and needs to have access to the internet, it's very useful (see this video for an example of just how fast and efficient it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn00774nmo0)

It can be a little pigeonholing however. You can't download any programs because there's no room on the hard drive. Everything is cloud based.

However, thinking about it and doing a little research of my own, that's not too bad. The Google Chrome browser has an app store. Many of these apps don't require an internet connection to use. I even found an app that lets you access the entire Microsoft Office suite in your browser (with a Windows Live ID). There's even online hard-drive and backup websites that you can save all of your data too. Again, it's all dependent on your internet connection, but for a netbook, as long as you have an internet connection, you're in good shape.

Chromebooks retail starting at $300, and are available with a 3G data plan through Verizon Wireless as well. While it's not going to be replacing your main computer, it's still a cool little toy to have on the go.