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• Any decent audio or video web apps that work with Chrome OS?
• Why doesn’t that touchscreen pinch & zoom out of the box and how can I enable it? Chrome::/flags is your friend!
• What web apps really take advantage of this hardware? This one does!
• Will the Pixel price ever drop?

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The new HP Pavilion Chromebook is priced at $329, which gets you the bigger screen but the same internals as most other Chromebooks on the market: a 1.1 GHz Intel Celeron chip, 2 GB of memory that can be doubled, 16 GB of flash storage, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Although the display is large by comparison — most Chromebook screens range between 11 and 12 inches — it doesn’t offer higher resolution. It’s the same 1366 x 768 that most Chromebooks offer.

The kicker with a larger screen is that the device is heavier and will likely run less on a charge. Indeed, the Pavilion Chromebook tips the scales at 3.98 pounds and is advertised as running for up to 4 hours and 15 minutes on a charge. But, there’s a benefit too: Since the laptop is larger, it provides a full-sized keyboard and trackpad.

Will that help HP’s new Chromebook stand out from the crowd? Perhaps, but it’s sure to catch the attention of Microsoft. Every Chromebook sale is one lost opportunity for a Windows sale, even though Chromebooks are generally considered secondary computers. With one of these, a primary PC could be the old desktop at home that’s kept alive for another few years, instead of getting replaced.

Microsoft is also heavily pushing the cloud with Windows 8 SkyDrive integration as well as its new Office 365 Premium service that recently launched with some networking snafus. Chromebooks with integrated Google Drive storage and Google Apps take dead aim at Microsoft’s cloudy future for far less money up front. Of course, HP is playing both sides of the fence here as evidenced by this screen grab I took on the Pavilion Chromebook order page:

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This new model, known as C710-2605, is priced at $299 and looks exactly the same as the $199 model; on the outside at least. Inside, it still has the same 1.1 GHz Intel Celeron processor but Acer doubled the memory from 2 GB to 4 GB of RAM. That should help eke out a little more performance, especially when the Chromebook has multiple browser tabs open. (Related: Performance benchmarks of three recent Chromebooks)

With the new model Acer also improved the one sore spot I had with the old model: Battery life. The new Chromebook should get 6 hours of run-time on a single charge, thanks to a battery with double the capacity over the less expensive model. Since the battery is removable on the older model, I’d like to see Acer offer this extended battery for those that bought the $199 version.

There’s one more improvement in Acer’s new Chromebook, although I question the need for it. Instead of a 320 GB hard drive like the prior model, Acer swapped in a 500 GB drive. I’m scratching my head over this one, much like I did when I saw Acer opt for a high-capacity magnetic hard drive over a faster flash drive in the prior model.

Chromebooks are cloud-computing devices, meant for using the web. Local storage is useful, necessary even, but the 16 GB in the Samsung Chromebook I bought is more than enough for most users. And there are no moving parts to break down or wear out. Regardless, folks who want an Acer Chromebook with double the memory and run-time will get a larger hard drive as a bonus when the device goes on sale.

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What’s different in the C7 Acer opted to use an Intel Core processor for starters. Prior Intel Chromebooks ran on older chips and the Samsung Chromebook that debuted last month actually uses an ARM-based processor that’s typically found inside smartphones and tablets. The C7 does, however, share the same basic screen as that model: an 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 display.

Because the C7 is thicker than prior Chromebooks — at 1 inch “thin” it has the girth of a traditional notebook — but that gives Acer room for a full complement of ports as well as a 320 GB hard drive to supplement the 100 GB of Google Drive storage. By comparison, most other Chromebooks come with 16 GB of flash storage. Three USB ports, an Ethernet jack, HDMI and VGA for video out and HD front-facing camera round out the specifications making this Chromebook more like a standard laptop.

I still use a Google Chromebook as my full-time computing device — I went back to the Samsung Series 5 550 for the better performance over the ARM model — and I’m curious how this Acer device works, given the hardware. I’m anticipating it performs at least as good as the model I’m using now and that one cost me $449 some five months ago. At $199, if the C7 is comparable or better, it’s a steal for the price provided you’re going to be near an outlet more often than not or you have a mobile hotspot device.

The new Acer C7 goes on sale Nov. 13 on Google Play and select retailers in the U.S. and U.K.

Update. I had an email conversation with Brad Linder over at Liliputing and he found out that the processor in the Acer C7 is a 1.1 GHz Intel Celeron 847 Sandy Bridge processor paired with 2 GB of memory.

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Microsoft gets a lot of good marks for its hardware, which includes a keyboard cover and kickstand, though many question the usability of Surface when placed on a lap. But the bigger questions revolve around the Windows RT software, which is buggy and limited and isn’t able to run old legacy Microsoft applications the way Windows 8 devices can. Surface Pro, which will run Windows 8, will debut in a few months and may get a better reception.

Here’s a look at some of the comments from reviewers:

“Look, here’s the thing. You’d have to be fairly coldblooded to keep your pulse down the first time you see the Surface: its beauty, its potential, its instant transformation from tablet to PC. How incredible that this bold, envelope-pushing design came from Microsoft, a company that for years produced only feeble imitations of other companies’ fresh ideas. And how ironic that what lets the Surface down is supposedly Microsoft’s specialty: software,” said David Pogue in the New York Times.

“For all Microsoft’s claims to hardware perfection and software revolution, Surface RT is undone by too many little annoyances, cracks, and flaws. After the initial delight of an evolved tablet wears off, you’ll groan—because Surface brings the appearance of unity, but it’s really just the worst of both worlds. Instead of trading in your laptop and tablet for Surface, a cocktail of compromises that fracture the whole endeavor, you’ll miss them both urgently,” wrote Sam Biddle in Gizmodo.

“The big problem Microsoft has is that right now it doesn’t matter how good Surface is. The decision on whether or not to buy depends not on Surface itself, but on Windows RT. The only third-party applications that will run on Windows RT are those that use the Metro interface and are distributed through the Windows Store. At the moment, there just aren’t that many applications, and many of the ones that exist are mediocre,” wrote Peter Bright in Arstechnica. 

“For a device that’s supposed to feel more like an appliance, with seamless and beautiful software, there are a number of weird moments that scream “computer!” like black-and-white nightmares bursting into rainbow dreams. In general, the desktop environment feels like a trick, a kludge, because Microsoft didn’t have a fully touch oriented version of Office ready to go — so every time you want to use Word or Excel, you’re launched into Windows circa 2000-whenever,” writes Matt Buchanan of Buzzfeed.

“This is a great device. It is a new thing, in a new space, and likely to confuse many of Microsoft’s longtime customers. People will have problems with applications — especially when they encounter them online and are given an option by Internet Explorer to run them, only to discover this won’t work. But overall it’s quite good; certainly better than any full-size Android tablet on the market. And once the application ecosystem fleshes out, it’s a viable alternative to the iPad as well,” said Mat Honan of Wired.

“By supporting an ultra-thin, feather-light full keyboard accessory, the Surface instantly becomes one of the best tablets on the planet in terms of productivity without adding any bulk. Typing on a soft polyurethane keypad is not the same as typing on a regular keyboard of course, but I got pretty good with it after a few days of practice,” BGR,” said Zach Epstein of BGR.
“Overall, Microsoft has designed a beautiful tablet that’s unfortunately more functional as a laptop… on a desk. The styling and components are incredibly well made and high quality, but the form factor isn’t svelte or small enough to really come across as a true hybrid,” said Joshua Topolsky in the Verge.

“While (other) devices are primarily targeted at content-hungry consumers, the Surface is a slate upon which you can get some serious work done, and do so comfortably. You can’t always say that of the competition. It’s in the other half of the equation, that of the content consumption and entertainment, where the Surface is currently lacking. It needs a bigger pile of apps and games to make up for that and, while we’re sure they’re coming, we don’t know when,” said Tim Stevens of Engadget.

Stay tuned for our own review of Surface, as we take a look at Microsoft’s latest attempt at post-PC technology.

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Called the GoNote, this one uses Google Android 4.0, a touchscreen and webcam, just like a traditional laptop. But for several reasons, this is a product category — and maybe even a product — that shouldn’t exist.

Here’s an overview of what £149 (US $234.76) buys you with the GoNote:

• 10-inch 1024 x 600 resolution, resistive touch display
• 1.2 GHz Rockchip RK2918 ARM processor
• Support for 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• 9000 mAh battery rated for 6 hours of web browsing
• Access to the Google Play store but no support for movies or television shows from Google
• 1.3 megapixel front facing webcam
• 1 GB of RAM; 8 GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD card slot
• 4 x USB ports and micro HDMI-out

If this sounds like a low-end or netbook-like set of specifications, it is; although a netbook would have more processing power. The GoNote is essentially an Android tablet in a netbook that likely won’t excel at either form-factor.

Obviously, at this low price, corners have to be cut in terms of hardware. But in 2012, the time for resistive touch screens is long gone, in favor of capacitive touch displays. Forget the fact that it’s not ergonomically efficient to reach out and touch a notebook screen, you don’t want one that relies on pressure to register touch; it simply is a terrible user experience. We call it “gorilla arm” and it’s not pleasant.

Using Android is another cost-conscious decision: ErgoElectronics doesn’t have to pay a licensing fee to use the platform. But it could have done the same with Linux or chosen another operating system that’s meant for the desktop experience. Android is designed as a touch-optimized environment; not for a keyboard and trackpad. There are some exceptions here, of course. The Asus Transformer has an optional dock with keyboard and trackpad that works well for certain applications. These are tablets first, however; the dock is an add-on, not the primary input method.

The GoNote is targeted towards students and perhaps some will buy this Android-powered laptop. I think they’d be better served by a different device however: Perhaps a Google Chromebook, low-priced Microsoft Windows netbook or the Asus Transformer tablet / dock combo. Even the $199 Nexus 7 with a Bluetooth keyboard could be a better option for some.

Nearly all of these are more expensive, yes, but it doesn’t matter how much money you save if a mobile device doesn’t do what you need it to do. That’s the reason these type of Android-powered notebooks don’t make any sales headway: Combining two great but unlike items doesn’t mean you’re creating a better device. In fact, the opposite is often the case and it surprises me that companies haven’t learned that by now.

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While Google says the software updates are rolling out over the next few days, the Samsung Chromebook I’ve been using full-time for several weeks received the new features late last night. After trying out the new Google Drive integration, I’m liking what I see: It adds to the Chrome OS experience with a more traditional file storage system, even though that storage is completely cloud based.

When viewing the File Manager on the Chromebook now, the Downloads storage area is supplemented with Google Drive. Drive appears as if it were a local drive and adds the ability to create new folders in the cloud, directly in the file manager app. Drag and drop support is there too: I copied a local .MP3 file from my Downloads storage to Google Drive with no problem on the Chromebook. And of course, when I hit up Google Drive in a browser on any other device, the music file I moved there appears.

The new Drive integration has few other handy tricks too. I found that using a three-finger gesture swipe on the trackpad switches between Downloads and Google Drive. There are a few view options in Drive as well: You can enable or disable viewing of Google Docs data; tell Chrome OS not to sync Drive files over a mobile broadband connection; and there’s an indicator to see which Drive files are available offline.

I liked the original Chrome OS concept, but it didn’t attract me as a user, mainly because it offered a fairly limited user interface and feature set. However, the more desktop-like UI paired with improved hardware on the newer models got my interest and I’m enjoying the distraction-free nature of working solely in a browser; mainly because my workflow suits that use case.

With the new Drive integration and support for offline Google Docs, the experience is only getting better. It’s not likely enough to sway app-centric users to the Chrome OS, but those that use the web for a majority of tasks will appreciate these and other incremental Chromebook updates.

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So what was I thinking by plunking down $449 for yet another piece of hardware? I was intrigued by all of the upgrades over last year’s model in conjunction with the new ChromeOS software updates and I wanted to see how much the experience is improved by new hardware. I should have these lapses in judgement more often because I’ve been having a blast with the new ChromeBook.

Here’s a brief video overview of the device itself, the specifications and few use cases and demos, including a quick Google Talk video call to my son. (I have to break up his Minecraft addiction every few hours or so with a distraction!)

Not for everyone, but opens your eyes beyond apps

Before I go on a little more about the experience, let me preface any “but it can’t run apps” or “I can’t do [INSERT ACTIVITY HERE]” comments by emphasizing a point from the video. Since we all have different needs, I’m not suggesting that a ChromeBook is the future of computing for everyone. Instead, I posit that it’s one future of computing. For some, this device won’t work, while for others, it can be a liberating tool.

How so? I’m finding that without any possibility of falling back to native or third-party apps, there’s a world of web activities I hadn’t found before. Obviously streaming a Netflix or YouTube video on the ChromeBook isn’t new, but I did find several fun games to play. (Get your Angry Birds here!) I sleuthed out some image-editing tools online, even though ChromeOS now has a basic photo editor as well as easy access to saved files. And I even found a way to use my 1Password app through the web.

It’s fast and has fewer distractions

Perhaps the best aspect: I can quickly get to work online — this boots and wakes faster than my MacBook Air — and not be pestered by app notifications. The ChromeBook lets me stay focused because it can’t run apps. If want notifications, I can enable some in my extensions; same as with an apps. I suppose I could just not run apps on a traditional computer to accomplish the same thing, but I still find it too tempting to have access to those apps. If I really want to cheat, I can use the Chrome Remote Desktop beta tool as shown in the video when I connect to my iMac from the ChromeBook.

So far, I’ve found the new ChromeBook to be highly portable, more fun than I imagined and much more capable over last year’s model. The extra memory and better processor yield a laptop-like experience without the extra baggage provided by a full desktop operating system. Again, if you want a full, traditional platform to use; don’t look here. But if you’re game to try a new experience — and your computing needs are mainly web-based; particularly with Google — then it’s time to try a ChromeBook.

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The software first noted by The Next Web providing the hint of upcoming, higher-resolution screens is called Folder Watch and, according to what’s new in the Mac App Store, now supports “Retina graphics.” This is a Mac app, not one for iOS, so it leaves much less doubt that Retina Display Macs will appear next week. However, I’m not expecting this to be a base feature, but an option, which is very different from Apple’s iOS approach.

Apple’s standard operating procedure is to generally keep its hardware prices the same from year to year, but to improve it. Surely a Retina Display screen is an improvement, but not one we’ll see across the entire model line like we do with its mobile products.

Adding such a costly component to every Mac model would eat into Apple’s profit margin. Instead, I suspect the Retina Display will be an add-on option to base models. If so, Apple’s Retina Display Macs are finally arriving, but not everyone will have them, in contrast to the iPhone and iPad where every new purchase includes the high-resolution screen.

It would be nice if I were wrong and all new Mac hardware gained the better screens at no extra cost over last year’s model. I plan to replace my MacBook Air, so I’d really love to be wrong, in fact! We’ll see next week. Assuming I’m right, however, I’m wondering what the boosted pixel count is worth to you. I’m likely in if the cost is $300 or less. Let us know in the poll what you’d be willing to spend for this option!

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