Google Grabs 60,000 Cr-48 Notebooks While Acer Conservative On Chrome OS Demand

Google's Cr-48 Chrome OS notebook will be offered to developers, business and education users, and the general public as part of the search giant's early access program, but just how limited are the numbers Google is talking about? According to DigiTimes, the first batch of Cr-48 units amounts to around 60,000, with Inventec the manufacturer responsible for the unbranded 12.1-inch ultraportable.

The Cr-48 will be larger than the Chrome OS notebooks offered by other manufacturers, however. While Google has opted for a 12.1-inch screen (and a full-sized, customized keyboard), Acer's Quanta-made Chrome OS machine – which is likely to arrive in mid-2011 – reportedly has a 10.1-inch display. Acer is supposedly conservative in its estimates for sales, however, blaming consumer reluctance to change their PC habits.