14 DAY TRIAL // After starting shipping the Series 5 Chromebook in the US, Samsung is now getting ready to launch the netbook on the European market, where it should become available for purchase tomorrow for as low as €399.
Samsung is one of two partners selected by Google for the consumer launch of Chrome OS, and its Series 5 netbook range is comprised of two models.
The main difference between the two comes from the connectivity options supported, since the Korean company will be releasing both a Wi-Fi plus 3G model and a Wi-Fi-only version of the Series 5.
The rest of the hardware specifications are identical and both Chromebooks are powered by an Intel Atom N570 processor, which packs two computing cores with Hyper-Threading support running at 1.66GHz, and 2GB of system memory.
Graphics is handled by the integrated Intel GMA 3150 GPU, while storage is provided by a 16GB solid state drive.
As far as the screen is concerned, this measures 12.1-inch in diagonal, it features LED back lighting and a 1280x800 resolution, as well as an anti-reflective coating to improve its legibility in direct sun light.
Alongside the 0.79-inch thin chassis, Samsung has placed two USB 2.0 ports, a 4-in-1 memory card reader, a headphone out jack, a special port for an optional VGA dongle and a 1MP webcam. Power is provided by a 6-cell battery pack which can provide up to 8.5 hours of continuous use.
For starters, Samsung's Series 5 Chromebooks will only be available in the UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain and Italy, with prices ranging from €399 for the WiFi-only model to €449 for the Wi-Fi plus 3G version.
Outside of Samsung, Acer was also expected to release a Chrome OS netbook, but its launch was now delayed for July or August of this year. (via Electronista)