samsung-chrome-alex

Is the internally named 'Alex' the consumer version of the Cr-48? Here's a first look at what could be the long-awaited commercial Chrome OS netbook.

It was recently reported that Google’s Chrome OS netbook, the Cr-48, is out of beta testing and that it could be available this summer. The device may come with a subscription policy attached to a Google account and even a rental plan, but the most important detail has been left out: Who’s making the first one?

Earlier this year we heard that Acer was a possibility, as was Samsung. Now rumor has as leaning toward the latter, as a Chrome bug report unwittingly outed. The device is internally codenamed “Alex.” A Chromium Google doc title “Issue 13967 in chromium-os: Improve hardware components probing method” outlines USB/PCI operations, and specifically makes reference to “Samsung Alex.”

That’s not all. Various specs and a mockup have also surfaced via Google docs, although the page has since been restricted. Various blogs got a look beforehand, and here are the details according to Samsung Hub:

  • 1280 x 800 pixel display
  • (Probably) 10-inches
  • 1.5 GHz dual-core Atom N550
  • SanDisk SSD P4 (capacity unknown)
  • 2 GB RAM
  • Qualcomm Gobi 2000 3G card
  • Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
  • Namuga webcam
  • Synaptics touchpad
  • Card reader, USB ports, VGA output

It’s more than possible the Google I/O event next month will solidify or dash these rumors, and either way we’re hoping will reveal more about “Alex” and the Chrome OS netbook. If the device is actually launching this summer, we expect the details to keep coming.

Showing 8 comments

  1. poyntek at 3:46am 7th May 2011 You know, this Chrome OS looks pretty nice, but there is a free Chromium based cloud OS you can get right now which to me looks a lot better, like this... http://www.tech-adventures.com/2011/02/jolicloud-...
  2. Ausculta at 5:07am 30th April 2011 Specs wise, looks like a near clone of the Cr-48. I think I prefer my Cr-48's more boxy and industrial look though. I don't think any of the first round of commercial models will draw my attention away from my Mario Fish though.
  3. Reason To Live at 7:28am 30th April 2011 Fail OS
  4. Robert TheException Moreland at 4:24am 30th April 2011 ...been done and failed before....
  5. Robert TheException Moreland at 4:24am 30th April 2011 Why. Net books have bw
  6. Paul Liu at 7:41pm 29th April 2011 the cr48 i have has slightly boxier edges
  7. Donald K. Browne at 6:59pm 29th April 2011 The Samsung pictured looks like and the specs seem to mimic the Cr-48 notebook that I've been testing for months. Except for the blue color it may be the same model.
    1. Ian Bell at 8:20pm 29th April 2011 Probably is the same notebook.
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