Thursday, August 2, 2012

Google to offer 100 GB of free cloud storage to new Chromebook and Chromebox buyers?


Google to offer 100 GB of free cloud storage to new Chromebook and Chromebox buyers?




Google’s first-generation Chromebooks haven’t quite made it to the mainstream yet, but the search giant has decided not only to follow up on those devices, but also to step up its game a bit.
The makers of the web-centric Chrome OS have upped the ante in terms of tech specs, equipping the new Chromebook with a far snappier processor than the first-generation one, but also with more RAM. Aside from the new Series 5 Chromebook 550, Google has also released a brand new Series 3 Chromebox, similar with Apple’s Mac Minis, but available at a lower price point.
While all those changes have been welcomed warmly by everyone involved in the tech business, the new Chromebook/Chromebox duo hasn’t scored a great start. Many blamed the high prices and the limited storage for the Chromebooks’ lackluster sales performance, but it seems that Google is working hard to improve on at least one of these two fronts.
According to G+ user François Beaufort, there’s a very intriguing piece of code in Google’s Chromium source, which says “Get 100 GB free with Google Drive”. Although some of you might be tempted to say this is just an elaborate hoax, Beaufort published the respective lines of codeand they look legit, at least to me.



If this “rumor” will actually prove accurate and Google will in fact offer its customers 100 GB of free cloud storage, the Mountain View-based giant might kill two birds with one stone. Users will have enough storage space to go around (both the Chromebook and Chromebox only come with 16 GB of on-board memory), but they’ll also get a good deal that, in the long run, will actually lower the price of the two devices.
To purchase 100 GB of Google Drive storage, you need to pay $4.99 a month, so this special offer might save you almost 60 bucks a year. Unfortunately, there’s a good chance that the first-generation Chromebooks will be left out of this promotion, as only the “Lumpy” and “Stumpy” Chrome OS builds have those magic lines of code. As expected, Google officials refused to comment on the matter, telling the guys over at GigaOM that “we’re always trying out new interfaces and features to enhance the user experience, but have nothing new to announce at this time.”
If you bought a new Chromebook and/or Chromebox and you have trouble getting by with your on-board memory, try to resist the temptation of purchasing cloud storage for a little longer. It might be worth it! Also, if this is the first time you’re hearing about the two new Chrome OS-based devices and you want to find out more about them, go over to this link for full spec sheets, pricing, and technical details.


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