A rumor floated by a historically accurate source on Thursday suggested Google may take a very different business model than conventional PCs. They would still be available for a one-time sale online but would instead be available for a subscription of $10 to $20 per month, likely tied into a corporate Google Apps account. The deal explained to Neowin would have Google provide new machines and repairs for as long as the subscription was active.
Regular systems would still be sold in stores for full price without such a tie-in. How much this would be promoted versus the subscription model wasn't said. The launch has been narrowed down to at least late June or early July for the subscription model, the source said.
Google has gradually shifted its attention away from the home with Chrome OS and more towards business, including at its special Chrome event last December. The platform has already been advertised as ideal for companies that can work in the cloud and want computers that are both theoretically more secure than with a traditional OS and always up to date.
Acer, Samsung, and others have pledged themselves to making the first Chrome OS systems, but the strategy if true could downplay Chrome OS for the general public in favor of Android tablets and crossover netbooks.
