Qriously measures sentiment on smartphones

Announced on Wednesday, the Chromebook is Google’s attempt to radically change the way people use their PCs. The range of laptops will offer users only web-based applications, with no option to store data on the machines themselves. Google’s co-founder Sergey Brin described the Chromebook as a “new model of computing”, just as Steve Jobs called the iPad “revolutionary” when he announced it in January 2010. The iPad went on to sell 14.8 million units in 2010, and in February 2011 Apple became the world’s most valuable company.

Chromebook - Google's iPad?

Can we expect the Chromebook to propel Google to similar heights? Using Qriously, we found that 19% of Android users will buy a Google laptop in 2011 – compared to only 16% of iPhone users who said that they would buy an iPad when asked shortly after it was announced. It’s still early days, but it seems there’s a considerable appetite for the kind of hassle-free, monthly computing service that Mr. Brin and co. are offering here. Will the laptops have the Apple “magic” to transform a product that early adopters will buy into a global must-have? The Chromebook launches in the US on June 15th, when we’ll get to see if Google’s vision of the future of computing is one that consumers will buy into.

What do you guys think?

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