Acer releases $199 Chromebook

Acer has released a $199 laptop running Google's Chrome operating system.

The new Acer C7 Chromebook houses an Intel Celeron processor and 320GB hard drive. Acer's new laptop becomes the second Chromebook released in as many months. Samsung released their ARM-based Chromebook last October.

"Today's computer users are doing more online heightening the need for enhanced security, quicker online access and an easy-to-use interface," said Acer corporate president Jim Wong.

"The Acer C7 Chromebook provides all this at an affordable price, making it the right choice for families and students on a budget as well as anyone who wants a new or second mobile PC for web-based computing."

Chromebooks are notebooks which run on Google's Chrome operating system. The devices run primarily in Google's cloud and run the search giant's slew of cloud-based applications.

Unlike traditional notebooks, Chromebook models don't run Windows or OS X based software. Google and its partners tout the Chromebook as a hassle-free alternative to traditional PCs.

Acer says its new Chromebook sports an 18 second boot time. The new device will come with 100GB of storage on Google Drive and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi.

The Chromebook sports an 11.6-inch display and 1.3MP webcam. Inside the new device users will find a 1.10GHz Intel Celeron 847 processor and 2GB of DDR3 memory. Acer's notebook also includes three USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port, and SD card slot.

Acer C7 Chromebook will be available in the Google Play Store, Amazon UK, and Currys starting tomorrow.

Samsung also released a Chromebook last month. The ARM-based Samsung notebook runs at a starting price of $249 and is available now.