Getting a First Look at the Free Google Notebook

A few weeks back now, Google offered a sign up for a free Google laptop with it's Chrome Operating System. The signup application can be found here: https://services.google.com/fb/forms/cr48advanced/ if your interested. You may want to read below about some possible tips to help your application to obtain a laptop!
  Initially, I applied and then sent the links to a few other google fans, who might want a Chrome OS laptop. It ended up that one of my friends who I sent it too, actually received a brand new Cr-48 and I was able to snap a couple pictures and give it a test run. First I want to give some specifics about my friend and why he may have recived this laptop that may help you obtain your laptop.

• He is an Android user - He chose android as his phone type, and wrote that he was an original android user using the G1 phone.
• He filled out the education specific application, and was able to say his college uses google apps for the all the students to use.
• He proclaimed to have a Gmail account since forever and been using Chrome since it's debut. This probably helped build his credibility as being a Google user/fan.

     Shortly after filling out the application, he got a package in the mail, listed from California. He didn't expect  it to be the laptop, based on the packaging. When he opened it, he realized it was the laptop from Google. Here are the pictures I was able to take when giving it a test run.

Top of Cr-48 Google Laptop

The Laptop before it's turned on. Notice the search key in place of caps lock.

Bottom of Cr-48 with battery removed

The Login Screen for Chrome OS

The new tab screen in Chrome OS

       So from the pictures you can tell it's a decent looking laptop. It was very light weight, especially with the battery removed. The mouse pad only had a left click button, so the right click was done by using a two finger tap on the mouse pad. The caps lock key was replaced by a Search key, which would open up a new tab in Chrome. The screen was a decent size (12inches or so), great for watching videos on youtube full screen, and from what my friend tells me, the battery life is up to 6hrs. It has a built in mic and video camera as well. The ports on the side of the laptop feature a VGA, 1 USB port, a headphone jack, a memory card slot, and a power outlet for the power cable to be plugged into.

      You maybe wondering how this laptop is given away for free? It seams to be a test pilot program for Google to debug Chrome OS. They need help having people use Chrome OS in different ways for them to analyze it's robustness and help debug it for them. Giving away a laptop with Chrome OS installed well help them get lots of feedback and usage statistics. The Chrome OS isn't really anything special. At heart it's simply the Chrome browser, amped up to have a few more features, like a clock, Wi-Fi signal and battery life indicator, to make it an Operating System. It also has the ability to login and log out of the computer, but there's no real desktop per say in Chrome OS. It's really great for browsing the web, checking email and doing only web related stuff, activity such as; uploading pictures, using Skype or any other installed application software is out of the question.

       The laptop can connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, as well as Verizon 3G network. They allow a 2 month trial of a 100MB data transfer when signing up. This really makes the laptop very portable and that much easier to use, as it would be pretty useless without an internet connection. Although Airplane flights and rural area road trips are still out of luck. Overall, a simple laptop great for connecting to the web (and using google products) and connecting in a mobile lifestyle.