Google’s Python-writing code system is going pay-as-you-go
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Google is changing the payment model for Colaboratory, the Python code system.
Known informally as Colab, the platform is designed for users to write and run Python code from your browser, and is marketed to all types of users, including students, data scientists, and AI researchers.
The company claims that no configuration is required and most importantly, users get access to GPUs for free.
Google Colab PAYG
In a release on the TensorFlow blog, Chris Perry, Colab product leader, says Colab’s free tier will “remain in its current form.” The difference is that users now have access to purchase so-called “units of account”, which cost $9.99 for 100 or $49.99 for 500 (with no bulk purchase discount).
As part of the rollout, paying customers will get additional access to premium GPUs, which are “usually NVIDIA V100 or A100 Tensor Core.” In contrast, standard GPUs (available to both free and paid customers) are “mostly NVIDIA T4 Tensor Core”.
We say “typical” because Google says chip type assignment is not guaranteed. Availability and your paid balance are some of the factors that are taken into account in their allocation. One thing worth noting is that premium GPUs deplete your “computing units” faster than standard GPUs, and will be more expensive as a result.
Through TechCrunch (opens in new tab)