Google Exploring Chrome OS Subscription Model for Laptop

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Google has announced that it will make its Chrome OS notebook available to mass market this summer. Google is reportedly exploring a subscription or lease model similar to mobile phones.

Google launched its Cr-48 laptop pilot program late in 2010 and concluded the free distribution of Chrome OS laptops in March of this year. The notebook had mixed reviews–the cloud model has its advantages and disadvantages, after all.

The most significant news to date, though, is that Google might be offering the Chrome OS notebook on a subscription basis. This means users won’t have to fork a big amount for the computer. Rather, one will just have to pay anywhere from $10 to $20 per month. It’s called a “subscription,” but it also seems like a “lease.”

At the very least, this business model will be akin to getting “free” phones from your mobile carrier assuming you agree to a lock-in period. Only with the Chrome OS laptop, you return the computer when you’ve stopped paying. Why lease when you can own? The subscription model is said to include software and hardware updates when they’re released. It’s like getting a whole new notebook computer every year or so.

For folks who would rather not pay the monthly fee, Google will also offer an outright purchase option. Both options will go through third-party manufacturers and retailers, though, which is similar to how Andriod smartphones are marketed.

Do you think a subscription model for a notebook computer is sensible? With everything being run on the cloud, I would think so. The computer would simply be your interface, but your actual software, data and applications will ultimately reside in a different layer, which is the cloud.