Chromebook

New Chromebooks highlight a tight partnership between Google and Intel, and a shift away from only Wintel

Walmart has begun selling the Chromebook in 2,800 of its approximately 4,600 U.S. stores, expanding the reach of this still-on-the-margins platform. Staples too.

Samsung's latest Chromebook -- the Series 3 XE303C12-A01US -- is small, slim, and speedy. This little laptop weighs less than 2.5 pounds and packs a decent performance punch, assuming you're comparing it to the right machines.

Google's Chromebook Pixel is a stunning piece of hardware, but it's running a simplistic OS that doesn't need hardcore performance.

Google today announced a new low-priced clamshell-style Samsung Chromebook computer for $249 that runs the Chrome OS.

One of the problems with the marketability of the Chromebook -- that it only functions when connected to the Internet -- is also a misunderstanding. Google's Chrome OS doesn't have any locally installed apps like a word processor or spreadsheet manager, so many believe that Chromebooks are dependent on and useless without Wi-Fi or cellular data connectivity. But when Chromebooks ship on June 15, they'll come packaged with offline versions of Gmail, Docs, and Google Calendar.

The spotlight on Day Two of the Google I/O developer event here in San Francisco was firmly on the company's Chrome OS. After six months in which only a prototype was available, laptops running Google's Chrome operating system will finally come to market for consumers, businesses and education.