The Chromebook is far different to standard laptops, because they tackle things in a different way, as they are more about running software from the cloud rather than on physical storage. This has its advantages and disadvantages, but in most cases the battery life of these devices is better than on a standard laptop, although there is a performance trade-off.

However, the Chromebook Pixel went in a different direction, because not only is there a much improved display, the specs have been bumped up to try to compete with the MacBook Pro, although this has come at a price. The battery life for the Pixel is said to be around 5 hours of continuous use, compared to 7 for the Pro.

You may wonder why we are discussing this again, well it seems as though we could see a Chromebook Pixel battery life improvement thanks to Google Cloud Messaging for Chrome (GCM), and should make a showing at Google I/O. This is effectively push alert support for Chrome OS apps.

How this manages to save battery life on the Chromebook Pixel and other Chromebook devices is to receive less push notifications. This may not sound like a big deal, but we have seen how much battery life these consume when using the iPhone and Android handsets.

Not only will this help to save battery life, but less notifications also means using less data, so you only run them as and when you need them. It is a shame because current battery technology is preventing us from using all the features of our current devices, which kind of defeats the object, wouldn’t you agree?

Speaking of Google I/O, we also expect to see a revised Nexus 4 and the Nexus 7 sequel.

Thanks to the Chromium Blog.

Google has raised the bar with their new Chromebook Pixel, which makes some of its siblings look a little ancient by comparison. However, there is a price to pay because of the cost, and while we looked at how these different Chrombook devices compared in several reviews, it would be much fairer to see how the MacBook Pro stacks up against the Pixel because of their comparative specifications, although having looked at those specs some of then are very different.

Okay, so we know that some of you will say that this is silly to compare the Chromebook Pixel and 13-inch MacBook Pro Retina because one is all about Cloud computing, but it makes more sense than comparing it against the MacBook Air as some have already done on YouTube.

It’s clear to see that Google is targeting the MacBook Pro with Retina display and they already have a great foundation with the 2560 x 1700 resolution, which you can see for yourself in the video review above.

The first thing we noticed is how much thinner and better looking the Pro was when compared to the Pixel. However, we’re told in the video that they are of similar size, but from what we can see they are not. While the specs are pretty similar, such as the Intel Core i5 processor, the Pro has been clocked a little higher.

This review does give you a general idea of the differences between each other, but it’s not exactly the most inspiring, so let’s hope that more reviews of the Chromebook Pixel and MacBook Pro Retina become available soon.

Google is all set to release their Chromebook Pixel next week and while this looks to be one of the better laptops from the Chrombook range, there are several obstacles standing in its way, not only from other laptops running the Chrome OS, but also from Apple as well because it does look a lot like the MacBook Pro.

When you look at the Chromebook Pixel it’s easy to see that it wipes the floor with its other Chrome OS siblings, so it stands out a mile that the intended target is Apple. However, things are never as straightforward as that because there are other factors involved. Firstly there’s the price and secondly it doesn’t have the biggest screen of the bunch either.

That’s not all, the battery is not the best performing either, so while it’s clear that the Pixel is the more powerful, there are several sacrifices that need to be made. Engadget has taken a look at the mains specs and price just to see how the Chromebook Pixel, HP Pavilion 14, Acer C7 and Samsung late 2012 compare.

Firstly we need to review the different CPUs, as these four machines have 1.8GHz Core i5, 1.1GHz Celeron 847, 1.1GHz Celeron 847 and the 1.7GHz Exynos 5 Dual respectively. All have 2GB or RAM, except the Pixel, which offers 4GB instead. Screen sizes are 12.9 inches, 14 inches, 11.6 inches and 11.6 inches in that order. Battery life is as follows, 5 hours, 4.3 hours, 3.5 hours, and 6.3 hours.

The price of each of these Chromebooks, $1,299 (WiFi), $1,449 (LTE) for the Pixel, and $330, $199 and $249 respectively. The final decision is yours because while we can say that the Pixel wins hands down, it’s hard to get over that huge hurdle, which is the price.

To help make your buying decision a little easier with thought we would include three video reviews for you below of the Chromebook Pixel, 14, Acer C7 and the Samsung late 2012 model.

When I was at school all those years ago the computers that we had to work with was nothing like what is available for students today, because all what was around was Windows 1.01 and 1.02 computers – yes I’m getting on a bit now. However, the biggest drawback was no Internet, which meant that computers at that time were very limited. Thankfully all that has changed, but Google has been doing their best to make computers even more accessible to students, and Google’s new Samsung Chromebook is proof of just that.

The new Samsung Series 5 Chromebook is ideal for students and teachers because it allows them to make the most of this technology, as they are not bound by the limited issues that come with standard laptops and their storage. These laptops allow you to make the most of what is available on the Internet and also being able to store your work in the Cloud, which also makes it much easier when you need to collaborate with other students.

This latest Chromebook from Samsung should be made available in every classroom in the US, but there are always forces working against the idea, such as the cost factor. The standard price starts at $429, but thanks to online charity DonorsChoose.org, the Samsung Chromebook price for education purposes is just $99, which also includes Management console & support; the cost of this is normally $30.

Teachers are advised to visit the DonorsChoose.org website and then follow the instructions in order to get a Series 5 Samsung Chromebook for this bargain price, but we have to warn that this is a Christmas special and ends on December 31, 2012. We feel that it is our duty to help spread the word because the more teachers that apply the better it will be for the education of our children.

Update: We’re sorry to say that the limited number of these laptops have now been fulfilled, although if you visit the charity website above there are instructions to register your interest if and when more become available.

Google’s Chrome is already the key feature of a range of products including Chromebook laptops and the Chrome OS, but these have failed to gain the success in the market which the company intended. According to Cnet, HTC will be developing their own Chromebook for next year that will feature the best parts of both Google’s software, Android and Chrome.

As Cnet explains this new hybrid product could take the form of HTC Shift, which they descried as having an over-sized keyboard, or it could be a laptop/tablet combination similar to the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime. It is also unclear how the two OSs would work with one another on the device. One of the suggestions was perhaps Android would be used for regular tasks and Chrome used for more complicated activities.

Electronics retailer is predicting big things for a device like this next year, saying they believe 10% of computers sold in 2012 will be Chromebooks, despite the poor sales these products have produced so far. Their optimism relies on getting the right manufacturer for the products, which will result in the correct hardware and more focus on the benefits for the consumers. Reports are also suggesting that if the device does turn out to be a Chromebook, in order for them to have success the price of it will have to drop to around $199 in order to attract consumers.

What do you think the new Chrome/Android OS product will be?

Sales of laptops are 80 percent in-store when compared to online, so makes sense to open a store to see the new Google running device. The reason for this must be down to consumers wanting to see if the laptop is too bulky or thin and slick? This is a huge test for Google, one that they hope pays off – will it be a huge success?

Offering this service to consumers is so important for Chromebook, as they do not know what to expect from the new device. At least they can get to understand how the new operating system works and get some much needed advice, due to it being different to what you are used to.

Interest has not been that great all the time that consumers could not get a feel for the Samsung made Chromebook, but we now expect sales to start increasing. What better way to do this than putting a store in one of the busiest shopping locations in the UK – especially now that we are approaching the busy shopping season.

Google is expected to follow Apple’s lead and begin to open up their own stores, although this is just what Microsoft has done, and success has not been that great – well not when you compare it to Apple anyway.

Ryan Naraine of ZDNet is reporting that the new laptops are not the most spec loaded devices, and this may not be a problem as the Google Chrome OS is the first commercial consumer cloud-centric OS. It has been designed with the idea of throwaway terminals, but without the fear of losing your data. With this in mind the OS cannot get damaged or infected with malware.

If you have a crash all you need to do is reinstall it and re-sync with the cloud to get up and running again. Google have also claimed it won’t need virus protection, but recently a French company cracked security protections built into Chrome. But with all of our data being stored in a cloud and available 24/7 it will be highly tempting for criminals.

All criminals will need to do is get hold of authentication tokens that are needed to access the account, which is similar to what malware does now. The endpoint may now be more secure, but as the data is stored in a more risky location, it will be easier to quietly take it away.

Criminals will be busy trying to get their hands on the access credentials, as soon as they have those they won’t need to get bank accounts and passwords, they will all be neatly stored on the Google Dashboard. So in some ways the security for Chrome OS will be better, but in other ways much worse.

Patrick Goss over at TechRadar is reporting in an article that the new laptop will be arriving in the UK on June 24th. If you want the Wi-Fi only model it will cost you £349, and by adding 3G it will cost you £399. There does seem to be some surprising difference in pricing compared to the US though.

In the US as we reported yesterday the Wi-Fi only model is priced at $429, but with today’s exchange rates that’s almost £100 difference. The Wi-Fi and 3G version converts to around £305 at today’s exchange rate.

This will anger many consumers who want to purchase the device, but has a big mark up compared to the US. It will be available online at Amazon and PCWorld. The device should also be available in brick and mortar stores as well when it is released.

Will you be getting the new Google Chromebook?

Well we can now tell you that the reports were correct, as according to Sean Hollister over at engadget.com, Google has made now made it official, by unveiling the new Samsung Series 5 Chromebook. The ultra-slim device will be powered by a 1.66GHz dual-core Intel Atom N570 processor.

The Samsung Series 5 Chromebook also features a Li-ion battery, which Google claims will provide 8.5 hours of continuous use, a 12.1-inch Super Bright display with a 1280 x 800 resolution, dual-band 802.11 Wi-Fi, a 1-megapixel webcam, an SDXC card reader and a 16GB mSATA solid state drive.

Weighing in at 3.26 pounds, the Series 5 Chromebook also comes with optional global 3G, a multi-touch trackpad, a full size Chrome keyboard and two USB 2.0 ports. The Samsung Chromebook will be available from both Amazon.com and BestBuy.com as from June 15th in the United States.

The Wi-Fi only model has been priced up at $429.99, while the Wi-Fi + 3G model will cost you $499.99. You can read more about the new Samsung Series 5 Chromebook via engadget.com. Do you like the sound of the new Chromebook?

Google Chrome OS is completely different to Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and even Linux, this is because everything resides on the cloud, you do not install applications on your notebook, instead you access webapps, also you do not store files locally, they are stored online.

Buy buying a Chromebook you will be taking a huge leap in terms of computing, you will no longer install local printers, no longer copy camera photos directly to your notebook, instead you will be able to print to ePrint-capable printers and rather than copy photos from your camera to your notebook they will be stored online, which means they will be accessible from any device which can access the internet.

It does not look like the Chromebook will replace a laptop, instead it will be used like a tablet for on the go usages, the more people that use Chrome OS the better it will become, but will people be patient enough to buy a Chrome OS-based device while developers improve the cloud-based OS?

We have heard that web apps are not as good as “real” apps, you can find out a little bit more about this over at InfoWorld, to cut a long story short Google Docs (and similar web apps) are great for editing docs on the go, however not as great as a locally installed office suite.

Do you think that there is a need for a cloud-centric OS? Are Google unnecessarily re-inventing the wheel? Share your thoughts in the comments section below…