Google’s CR-48 Chrome Laptop is a MacBook lookalike
Apple and Google have a rather interesting competitive relationship as they battle it out in the mobile front with iOS and Android. When one comes up with a good idea, the other seems to quickly adopt it as well, although this flow of ideas seems to trickle from Apple to Google more often than the reverse; touchscreens, app stores, instant search, tablets, etc.
With this in mind, check out the pictures of the new Google CR-48 Chrome Notebook, it’s a dead-ringer for the older black MacBook. From the chiclet style keyboard, to the matte black finish, to the overall shape, the resemblance between the two is striking. Here they are side by side:
Check out the keyboards too, the MacBook is on the left and the Chrome CR-48 is on the right:
The black MacBook was a pretty good looking machine so I can’t really blame Google for taking some design cues here, and isn’t imitation the highest form of flattery?
While the hardwares appearance is very similar, the OS’s couldn’t be more different. I haven’t used one of these Google Chrome laptops yet, but Chrome OS looks intriguing in a minimalist sense. It’s basically the web, and that’s it. If you want to try out Google’s new OS, you can run Chrome OS on top of Mac OS X in a virtual machine, but it’s essentially like running the Chrome browser in a VM.
You can see more pictures of Google’s Chrome OS notebook at BGR.com and Engadget.
Oh, and if you want to test drive a Chrome notebook, you can apply to use one in Google’s pilot program. Why not try to get your hands on one?
[…] an increasingly tiny place in the modern world of computing, enough that Google’s Chrome OS notebooks (are they still around?) abandoned the key […]
Google’s products resemble Apple’s because Google’s Chief Executive sits on Apple’s Board of Directors.
Actually it looks more like the Nokia Booklet 3G
The speakers are on the side on both and the battery size and location are the same, plus they both get 10 hours of battery life. I have a CR-48 and I am loving this machine. I make sure to do my part and I report thing I love e.g keyboard has a solid feel. And I report bugs like the wifi signal is weak.
some fanboys mite say it looks like a Macbook, some mite say it looks like a thinkpad. I say its a black generic laptop.
The “Apple keyboard” is actually the Sony keyboard. The Google laptop is just a simple squarish piece of kit.
Uuuh no!
Uuuh no!
“Check out the keyboards too, the MacBook is on the left and the Chrome CR-48 is on the right”
I think the MacBook is on the right in the first photo
Really, Atticus? You are an idiot. It even says “Macbook” above the keyboard on the bezel in the left picture.
Atticus said in the first picture. And Atticus is right. The Macbook is on the right. Take a look on the first photo……
Google copied iPhone isn’t it natural for them to copy other Apple hardware too?
Let’s face it, ALL PC manufacturers copy Apple. Apple has the best designers in the world, they are the Mercedes of computers, they set the design trend and everyone else follows.
It is my recollection that Apple patented the drop down hinge. Can anyone confirm that one way or the other? That patent is the reason no other computer manufacturer has done it.
If so, now Apple can sue Google directly, rather than by proxy like it is suing HTC & Moto for patent violations in the Android software.
So what, Apple shouldn’t have stopped producing the black MacBook.
The CR-48 is practically a clone of the MacBook:
Black, matte finish.
Drop back hinge with extra-long hinge.
Chiclet style keyboard in a curved, recessed well.
Extra-large buttonless touchpad (current MacBook models).
Thumbscoop.
Magnetic latch.
I applied to get one, it would be fun to test. Slap an apple sticker on there too