I got an invite to purchase a Chromebook for $499 through gilt.

Personally, I find the price a bit too high for an iPad-with-a-keyboard.

Based on what I've read/seen online, the Chromebook isn't "there" enough yet to justify a $500 investment. Maybe soonish though.

It's not an iPad-with-a-keyboard. The iPad is much more powerful; it can actually run client-side apps so you can do things either offline, or without the slow, bloated feel you get from web apps. You can SSH from it with reasonable speed (unlike ajax terminals). You can take a picture and save it locally. The list goes on. It's a polished system that's been around for a while, and it's supported by a company with a history of actually supporting and caring about their products.

The chromebook is more of a cut-down web browser with a keyboard that you can't use without having a google account and forfeiting your privacy.

Let's face it - it's a pain in the ass to type on the iPad and mobile safari is painfully slow. The iPad was built for 10% input and 90% output. I love the iPad for media but it mostly sucks for doing anything productive and it sucks for researching compared to using Chrome on my mac or PC.

I for one hope Chromebooks solve that problem and provide a reasonable alternative to the iPad. If they do that's a big win for the web, which has taken a beating as of late.

I'm a little confused (got one too). Did Google sell my contact info to Gilt?

you were contract by Google, not Gilt.

they simply gave you the option to register with Gilt if you are interested in purchasing the chromebook.

No, they simply gave Gilt a whitelist of email addresses of people wanting a Chromebook.

The email I got says right there: Remember, you must use this email (...) to access the sale

Did you sign up to try and receive a CR-48?

If so, that is why you got the e-mail.

Yes, I know that. It's right at the bottom of the email:

A few months back, you asked to be notified about the availability of Chrome OS, which is why we sent you this one-time notice. You will not be emailed again regarding the availability of Chrome OS. Remember, you must use this email -- xxx.yyy.com -- to access the sale

So how did my contact info get from Google to Gilt? Did I explicitly give permission for that when I signed up? Does Gilt and/or Google profit from this?

Ahh, I misunderstood the question.

It is possible that you gave Google permission when you signed up.

I think it is more likely that the URL has all of the information Gilt needs to process the request:

    http://www.gilt.com/google-
    chromebook?opromo=Google_Chromebook&ocl=Email&ocat=Link&
    email_address=<any email would work here>

I visited that URL and replaced the original e-mail address with a different one and it worked fine.

I have a CR-48, I did get the invite. I'm not getting it because they only have the white, I'd prefer the black. I'll wait and get it in Best Buy.

I got an invite but $499 is a little steep :\

I did, but I also received a CR-48

so as an owner of a CR-48 would you buy the Chromebook?

If no, is it because you already have the CR-48 and therefore don't have the need, or because you didn't like the CR-48 and don't think the Chromebook would be useful?

My wife's netbook is starting to get a bit flaky (power cord issues) and if we decide to retire it permanently to a desk for the kids to watch movies with and buy her a new one I would definitely consider a Chromebook, but only if they get the Netflix plugin I've been hearing about working. My wife does three things with her current Win7 netbook, she reads her email, browses the web, and watches Netflix.

I received the invitations you speak of, and I was also one of the pilot CR-48 users. Pretty cool tech overall.

No, basically because I have a Xoom and don't use the CR-48 as much as I did before it. I would consider it more seriously had I not made that purchase.

Yes, but still deciding.

chromebook for $500 is crazy. you can get a decent used thinkpad off ebay for that much that can run a real os.