Google's Chromebook to be available in India from October 17, starting at Rs 22,690

Search giant Google has finally launched its Chromebooks range of laptops in the Indian market. Designed and built in partnership with HP and Acer, the devices run on the company's own Chrome OS, which it claims has multiple layers of security, cloud storage, and popular Google products built-in (like Gmail, YouTube and Google+). Additional apps can be downloaded from the Chrome Web Store.

The Acer C720 Chromebook and the  HP Chromebook 14 have been priced at Rs 22,999 and Rs 26,990 respectively, and will be available in select Reliance Digital and Croma stores (in Delhi and Mumbai) from October 17. Interested users can also get their hands on one by pre-ordering it online (only on Flipkart.com as of now).

"As access to the web in India increases, more people are living online. Whether you're watching IPL on YouTube from your home computer, or connecting with friends via social media on-the-go, the internet is now part of everyday life. Chromebooks are a new type of computer from Google designed to help you get things done faster and easier," wrote Caesar Sengupta, VP, product management at Google, in an official company blog post.

According to the company, the Chromebooks are easier to use than traditional computers since they boot up in seconds and automatically stay up-to-date. Both the laptops also come with 100GB of free Google Drive storage that is available for 2 years, starting on the date you redeem the Drive offer.

Acer C720 for Rs 22,999

The laptop comes with an 11.6 inch display screen (1366x768 pixel resolution) with 16:9 aspect ratio and is powered by an Intel processor. For internal storage, the company has provided a 16GB Solid State Drive (SSD) in the device, which is even less than what is offered in some of the smartphones today. If not for the 100GB of free Google Drive storage, the device would not even be worth considering for a buy.

In terms of connectivity, this one has Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, and 3G (via an optional dongle). It also comes with a USB 3.0 port, USB 2.0 port, and a HDMI Port. The laptop has a VGA Webcam, and according to the company, will provide up to 8.5 hours of active use. While the exact dimensions are not available, it is 19 mm in thickness and weighs 1.25 kg.

HP Chromebook 14 for Rs 26,990

The laptop sports a 14 inch display screen with 16:9 aspect ratio and is powered by an Intel processor. This one also comes with only 16GB SSD storage. In terms of connectivity, this one has Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, and 3G (via an optional dongle). It also comes with two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, and a HDMI Port. The laptop has a HD Webcam, and according to the company, will provide up to 9.5 hours of active use. While the exact dimensions are not available, it is 21 mm in thickness and weighs 1.85 kg.

Additional benefits

The company has also partnered with Tikona and Airtel to provide a range of cellular and broadband offers.

Airtel: For an advance rental of Rs 2,499, 3G users will get 6GB of monthly data for 3 months and a 3G dongle worth Rs 1,299 free of cost. Similarly, for Rs 2,499, 4G users will get 10GB of monthly data for 2 months and an 4G Data dongle free of cost. In addition, they will also get a free gaming and movie subscription.

Tikona: For Rs 4,999 more, users will get a free Wi-Fi router, and 20 months of 4MBps internet speed (usage cap of 100GB) from Tikona Broadband. Users that already have a Wi-Fi router can also avail the same offer for Rs 3,500 (sans the router).