You just think that's a Chromebook beckoning you with an open source OS, easier upgradeability and fast connections to the cloud. All those qualities could make it a Linux netbook in disguise -- or at least what the netbooks of a few years ago promised.

Matthew Garrett calls out Google for not allowing users to install their own keys on Chromebook systems. "Some people don't like Secure Boot because they don't trust Microsoft. If you trust Google more, then a Chromebook is a reasonable choice. 

Looking beyond Windows, Hewlett-Packard has embraced the browser-based Chrome OS -- though it's only pitching the $330 Pavilion 14 as a way to tap into Google online services. [Read more]...

In our recent ZaReason UltraLap 430 review, Ars alum Ryan Paul lamented that even though putting Linux on laptops is easier today than ever, it's still not perfect. Some things (particularly components like trackpads and Wi-Fi chips) take some fiddling to get working.