Five years have passed since the introduction of Google Chromebooks, and these inexpensive laptops are finally starting to increase the pressure on low-end laptops. A partnership between VMware, Google and NVIDIA is one such step in this direction, with the announcement that Acer (News – Alert) plans to release a Chromebook built with NVIDIA’s Tegra TK1 processor with configurations starting at $279.

According to the companies, NVIDIA (News – Alert) and VMware worked together to build a customized BLAST protocol that works with the Tegra chip for decoding HTML5. BLAST reportedly will enable better performance of graphics-rich applications with high fidelity, as well as extended battery life by up to 50 percent.

"We are breaking down traditional barriers to adopting virtual desktops and offering new economics for the delivery of graphics-intensive applications through the power of the cloud," said Sanjay Poonen, executive vice president and general manager of end-user computing for VMware, in an announcement last week. "Organizations of all industries and requirements will soon be able to embrace the mobile-cloud using a solution that offers a new way to work from three proven industry leaders."

The solution could help Chromebooks widen its market share in the laptop industry. The combination of improved computing power as well as the increasing adoption of cloud technology in the business world is helping Chromebooks become more competitive with traditional laptops.

"Chromebooks were designed to bring a new approach to many of the problems with traditional computers," said Caesar Sengupta, vice president of product management at Google (News – Alert). "We're excited about what this collaboration means for our customers and what it can enable them to do. Imagine manufacturers designing complex 3D models and sharing them with engineers around the globe, or physicians taking medical imaging out into the community, rather than being tethered to high end workstations."

Acer’s Chomebook with NVIDIA's Tegra TK1 processor releases in the next few weeks.