ACER AC700 CHROMEBOOK NOW SHIPPING

The Acer AC700 Chromebook has started shipping. It is the second Chrome OS laptop to hit the market. Amazon is taking orders for the WiFi only version of the laptop for $349. A 3G-capable version will be available soon for $429. That model will connect to Verizon's wireless network and come with 100MB of free data per month for a maximum of two years. If you need more bandwidth you will need to sign up for a service contract with Verizon.

The Acer Chromebook has an 11.6 inch display. It is smaller than Samsung's 12.1 inch Series 5 Chromebook. Both laptops have 1.66GHz Intel Atom N570 dual core processors, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of SSD.

The Acer AC700 also has a full-sized keyboard and a large clickpad. The keyboard features special Chrome OS shortbooks instead of the Fn keys found on ordinary keyboards.

The Google Chrome OS is an operating system built around a web browser. The laptop boots in under 10 seconds. On the down side, a Chrome OS laptop is practically useless when you are not connected to the internet.

Samsung Series 5 Chromebook tops Amazon’s best selling laptop list

Reviewers may not have been all that happy with Samsung's Series 5 Chromebook, but real world consumers definitely are.

The 12.1 inch laptop now tops Amazon's best selling laptop list. Most people who bought the laptop from Amazon are impressed with its speed and ease of use. Some buyers have, however, complained that they received faulty units. Overall, it looks like the mood is positive.

The Samsung Series 5 Chromebook is the first Chrome OS laptop to hit the streets. It has been available for purchase since July 15th. thanks to its light-weight OS, the laptop boots in under 10 seconds. But it is hardly usable when you are not connected to the internet because it can't run native desktop applications.

You can't use a Chromebook as your primary laptop. But it could impress customers who only use their laptops for surfing the web. And because it also has a physical keyboard it is better than tablets in some respects.

Acer AC700 Chromebook could ship during this month for $349.99

Although the Acer AC700 Chromebook missed that June 15th launch date, it is likely to ship during this month itself. Acer has sent out a press release stating that the tablet's launch is imminent. The WiFi-only model will run $349.99. A 3G-enabled model will be available later this summer.

The Acer AC700 Chromebook runs the Google Chrome operating system. It is powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N570 dual core processor. The laptop has 2GB of DDR3 RAM and a 16GB solid state disk. Other specifications include 2 USB ports, 1 4-in-1 card reader, WiFi 802.11b/g/n and a 6-cell battery that will reportedly get up to 6 hours of runtime.

Besides Acer, Samsung has also introduced a Chromebook. Starting at $429.99, the Samsung Chromebook is pricier than Acer Chromebook. Interestingly both laptops have more or less similar specs. The only major difference is in the screen size. The Samsung Series 5 Chromebook has a larger 12.1 inch display.