Will Chromebooks muscle out Windows and Mac laptops?

Chromebooks aren't just playthings anymore. They're muscling up, with Intel's help.

By Preston Gralla

What does this mean for you? Up until now, when you were considering buying a new notebook, you likely balanced the affordability of a Windows machine against the elegance and simplicity of a Mac. But now there's a new variable in the equation: Powerful Chromebooks, which will likely be significantly less expensive than both Windows machines and Macs.

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Preston is a freelance writer, and the author of more than 40 books, including "Windows 8 Hacks," "How the Internet Works," and "NOOK Tablet: The Missing Manual." He has written about technology for more than 20 years, and has published in numerous national magazines and newspapers, ranging from Computerworld to USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, the Dallas Morning News, and CIO Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter @pgralla or Google+.