The Forgotten Chromebook That Started It All: Inside Google's Cr-48

Before there was a Chromebook, there was the Cr-48 - an unbranded prototype laptop that Google never sold and never marketed with flashy design or logos, according to The Verge's Version History podcast.

In this week's episode, hosts at The Verge, including Nilay Patel, revisit the Cr-48 as the device that first introduced the idea behind what would eventually become Google's Chromebook line.

A prototype, not a product

Unlike later Chromebooks sold by Google's hardware partners, the Cr-48 was never intended to be purchased by consumers. Instead, it served as a vehicle for testing Google's concept of a lightweight, browser-centered computer, distributed to a limited group rather than sold at retail.

The episode frames the device less as a consumer product and more as a proof of concept for an idea about computing that diverged from traditional, software-heavy laptops of its era.

A foundational chapter

By tracing the Cr-48's origins, the Version History podcast situates the device as a foundational, if largely forgotten, chapter in the history of Chromebooks, which have since become a significant category within Google's hardware ecosystem.