Search engine giant Google Inc yesterday said it is planning to release more Web-centric Chromebook laptops, in collaboration with its Taiwanese partners, by the end of the year.
“As we go through later this year, you’ll see us in a better, stronger presence in the market place,” Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Chrome at Google, said in a teleconference with local media.
Pichai said that his company would also collaborate with Taiwanese original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and original design manufacturers (ODM). He did not offer details of the plan.
In May last year, Google launched two notebook PCs running its Chrome operating system, or Chromebooks, in cooperation with South Korean Samsung Electronics Co and Taiwan-based Acer Inc (宏碁), to capitalize on the growing popularity of its Chrome browser.
Last week, Google released its new Chromebook with the aim of providing what it called better performance and user experience as the company steps up its efforts to take on Apple Inc and Microsoft Corp.
The laptops made by Samsung will let users navigate Web-based applications more easily by providing tools for accessing Gmail or other software outside the browser. The devices, which use faster Intel Corp chips, are about three times as quick as the first generation of Chromebooks.
The latest Chromebooks include a bar across the bottom of the screen that lets users access Web applications, similar to what’s available on Mac or Windows machines. Other improvements include built-in features for viewing Microsoft Office software, such as Word and Excel files.
Users will also be able to easily access remote Windows computers, Google said.
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