U.S. GPU maker Nvidia Corporation has partnered with Taiwanese computer firm Acer, Inc. to build new Google Chromebooks.

This development places Google in a position to become a major computer maker, aiming to challenge competitors with better Chromebooks.

Chromebooks are laptops and notebooks that run Google's Chrome operating system.

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Chromebooks are growing in sales at an exponential rate because their improved capabilities now match Windows and Mac notebooks. Analysts believe Google's share of the notebook market might double in a couple of years, a performance that would match that of the Android smartphone.

The Acer Chromebook 13 will be the first to ship with the NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor, powerful graphics capabilities and a quad-core Cortex A15 CPU chip.

Another important feature of the Tegra K1 is its energy efficiency. The Acer Chromebook 13 has a 13-hour battery life, more than twice the average battery capacity of top notebooks in the market.

The Chromebook will have a 13.3-inch anti-glare display with 1920 x 1080 or 1366 x 768 full HD display, 2 GB of system memory, up to 32 GB state drive, 720p webcam, HDMI port and two USB 3.0 ports.

The unit weighs 3.31 lbs. and is 0.71-inches thin. The base model costs US$279.99 while all variants will have a voucher for 2 months of free Google Play Music Premium service and 100 GB of Google Drive storage.

Chromebooks used to be known as a browser. Sales didn't perform well in the first year with only 50,000 sold units in 2011.

Google changed the product and now claims it can sell up to 5.1 million units this year. Analysts think the company may follow the Android smartphone strategy.

Microsoft, however, has just released the HP Stream to challenge Chromebooks. The HP Stream carries a US$199 price tag and is being billed by Microsoft as the "Chromebook Killer."

TagsGoogle Chromebook, Chromebook 13, Acer Chromebook