And I've heard rumors that Systemd is or will be very specific about which kernel versions it accepts. Now, I don't like Systemd anymore than you do, but the reality right now is that it's kind of hard to get around it.
The sites I checked [1][2] indicate, that the CB30 is the Chromebook 2.
Prices on manufacturers websites tend to be higher than in regular shops. At least with Dell it usually helps to phone them to get a more "reasonable" price. It's like on a bazar. I wouldn't be surprised if it's similar with Lenovo.
Since about November 2009? :P