Google (and Samsung) to sell laptop for $249

[No Elephants]

I hope Google donates a lot of them school kids from poorer families, too. But, I also hope that the workers who made these laptops were treated decently.

News Summary: Google to sell low-priced Chromebook
By The Associated Press
— Oct. 18 11:36 PM EDT

UNDERCUTTING THE COMPETITION: Google and Samsung Electronics are selling a laptop computer for $249. The machine unveiled Thursday is aimed at siphoning sales from the latest products from Microsoft and Apple.

THE CATCH: The low-priced laptop lacks a hard drive for storage and runs on a relatively new operating system revolving around Google Inc.'s Chrome Web browser. That means an Internet connection is essential.

CROWDED MARKET: An array of higher-priced machines running on Microsoft Corp.'s Windows 8 operating system will go on sale next week. Apple Inc. is widely expected to introduce a smaller version of its iPad on Tuesday.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/news-summary-google-sell-low-priced-chromebook

I don't think the "catch" is as big a problem as it seems, at least not in the U.S.

Schools have internet, as do public libraries. I bet money could be raised to keep schools open long enough for kids to do their homework. And maybe providers like Comcast and Verizon could be persuaded to step up as well.