On Thursday, Oct. 18, Google launched its new Samsung-made Chromebook at a press event in San Francisco. The latest iteration of the Chrome operating system-based laptop will set consumers back by $249.

"Finally, a hassle-free computer. No annoying updates. Nothing complicated to learn. No expensive software to buy. Starts in seconds. And comes with all your favorite Google apps," states Google.

The Chromebook will sport an 11.6-inch screen with 1366 x 768 pixels resolution. The screen is capable of running 1080p video and an ARM dual-core Exynos 5250 (A15 core) processor clocked at 1.7GHz powers the laptop. The laptop, asserts Sundar Pichai, Google's SVP for Chrome and Apps, boots up in "less than 10 seconds and resumes instantly." The device also has "more than 6 hours of battery life for the typical user" and offers 100GB of free storage on Google Drive.

The Chromebook weighs 2.5 pounds and is 0.8 inches thick. Pichai, noted that Google persevered to create a "thin, light, portable computer which is great quality."

"The new Chromebook is a great computer at any price, but it's an incredible computer at $249. It's one of the lightest laptops on the market," noted Pichai in a blog post.

He further averred that the team saw the laptop as a second device which people could use in their homes, to complement their desktops or a more powerful laptop.

"So if you ever felt it was too complicated and too expensive to have an additional computer (or two), we hope you (and the entire family) will give the new Chromebook a try," said Pichai.

Online pre-orders for the Samsung Chromebook begin on Oct. 18. The laptop will be available from Best Buy, Amazon, PC World, and other retailers. From next week the laptop will be available for sale at the Google Play store.