Samsung Series 5

What is it?

The Samsung Series 5, shown here, and the Acer Cromia are the world’s first commercial cloud computers. Instead of being powered by Windows like other PCs they run Chrome, an operating system created by Google. The search giant believes that most people only use their laptops to surf the web, check social networks and read their email. The rest of the software on a computer just clogs up hard drives and processing power. So Google has created a computer with just one piece of software installed on it: a web browser. Via the web browser you can also access the online app store that’s stocked with everything else you might need. For work there’s the likes of Google Docs and for your well deserved downtime there’s Angry Birds.

Why would I want one?

All these web apps run on Google’s servers, taking the main computing strain off your computer’s processors. This means that even as your computer gets older, it won’t get much slower. You’ll also be saving all of your documents, music and pictures in Google’s memory banks so there’s no risk of ever losing them to a broken hard drive. This also means you get access to any of your documents wherever you can find internet access – with or without your laptop. Of course, the thought of putting everything in Google’s hands might make you uneasy. Unfortunately it’s the price of living in the digital cloud. 

Should I buy one now? 

Apple’s success with the iPhone rested on the strength of its apps. The same can be said of Chrome and its Web Store. Right now, the essential apps cover all the basics, but it’ll need to expand its range to convince everyone to switch to Chrome. Without an internet connection the laptop becomes an expensive paperweight. So if you don’t like the look of restrictive mobile data plans or your home broadband speed is unreliable, this may not be for you. To check out the web apps available, install the Chrome web browser (google.com/chrome) and type ‘web store’ into the address bar.

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