Andre Yoskowitz
20 Feb 2013 23:17
According to the WSJ, Google has developed touchscreen Chromebooks for release later this year.
Chromebooks run on the company's own ChromeOS operating system.
It remains unclear which hardware manufacturer will build the devices or when they will go on sale. Samsung and Acer currently sell Chromebooks and would likely be willing partners.
ChromeOS is different from established operating systems like Windows, Mac and Linux variants because it runs almost exclusively out of the Chrome browser, using Web-based applications. Due to their lower-end specs, Chromebooks sell for between $199 and $249, pressuring prices on traditional laptop makers.
Although Google has long said they do not mind some competition between their own platforms, a touchscreen laptop with ChromeOS would compete with their own Android tablets in many ways.