Chrome OS redesign
A Google employee shows an early version of a Chrome OS redesign called Athena on his Google+ page. The design features multiple windows, which departs from the “browser window” feel of Chrome OS before Athena.
https://plus.google.com/100132233764003563318/posts/7cTeMNvCc4z
Dell Chromebook supply low
Dell pulls the Chromebook 11 off its website because sales are better than expected and they want to ensure that they have enough stock for the back-to-school sales. However, people can still call in orders over the phone. Dell:
This is a nice problem to have. We are in the middle of a very busy buying season and, all I can say is, Dell is experiencing strong demand and we have suspended sales via our Dell website temporarily. We expect to return Chromebooks for general availability in the next several weeks.
Microsoft vs Chromebook
Microsoft announces that three laptops at a sub-$250 price point are in production. The $249 Toshiba 11.6″ has a 32 GB SSD and weighs 2.2 lbs, and the $249.99 Acer Aspire ES1 has 500 GB of onboard storage and 4 GB of RAM. No specifications are released for the HP Stream, but it will cost $199 with a smaller mini laptop version at $99. Microsoft COO Kevin Turner makes it clear that these devices are meant to compete with the Chromebook:
We’ve got a great value proposition against Chromebooks, we are not ceding the market to anyone.
First i3 Chromebook
Acer announces the C720-3404 and C720-3871 Chromebook models, which are the first to use the Intel Core i3 processor. The devices also have 11.6-inch displays, a 1366 x 768p screen resolution, a 32 GB solid state drive, and 2 or 4 GB of RAM. A spokesperson for Intel says:
Acer has been a leader in the Chromebook space and the new C720 based on 4th generation Intel Core i3 processors marks a new class of Chromebook with enhanced performance and battery life.