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How to get the Chromebook's free goodies

If you have a Chromebook, any newer Samsung Chromebook, you can get a free 100GBs of Google Drive storage and 12 free Gogo in-air Wi-Fi passes. Here's how to get them.
Written by Steven Vaughan-Nichols, Senior Contributing Editor
GoogleDrive
Want a 100GBs of free Google Drive storage? Here's how you get it.

The new, great ARM-powered Samsung Chromebook came with two great free offers: 100GBs of free Google Drive storage for two years and 12 free Gogo in-air, Wi-Fi passes. With a combined list price of $269, that means if you buy the ARM Chromebook today at $249, you're actually getting $20 back! That's my kind of deal. Here's how you get it.

Log into your Chromebook. It doesn't have to be the just released Chromebook ARM. The free storage deal are also available to you if you're using a Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550 or the desktop Samsung Chromebox Series 3. If you're using an older Chromebook, such as a Cr-48, Acer AC700, or Samsung Chromebook Series 5 you're out of luck. You also can't get these offers if you're running Chrome OS on an ordinary PC—darn it!

The Chromebook 2012 Gallery

Next, if needed, let your Chromebook update to to the latest edition of the Linux-based Chrome OS. To get the Google Drive deal you need to be running at least Chome OS 23.

All done? Then click on the Google Drive offer page. Google will then check to see if you're using a real-deal Chrome OS device, and a few minutes later you'll have your 100GBs of free storage for the next two years.

Don't get any cute ideas about getting 200GBs by buying two Chromebooks. You can only get a single free 100GBs of storage per Google account. You also can't transfer the storage space to a buddy's account.

What happens to your files at the end of two years? Nothing. They're still there and you can still use them. Come that day to add more files to your Google Drive, you'll need to buy more storage. At this time, Google will let you buy up to a mind-binding 16 Terabytes.

Once you have the free storage you can, of course, use it on any of your devices with a Google account. So, for example, you'll also have access to all your files on your conventional PC, a Nexus & tablet, whatever.

The 12 free Gogo in-air Internet WI-FI passes can be used by ARM Chromebook and Chromebook 550 users. Gogo is currently available on about 1,500 planes on Air Canada, AirTran, Alaska Airlines, American, Delta, Frontier, United, US Air, and Virgin America. Gogo prices vary, but a day pass is now available for $12.79.

Put it all together and you get an amazing deal and two more good reasons to get a great laptop.

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