Google unveiled some new low-cost members to its popular Chromebook family today, and a new Chrome-on-a-stick device.
Google recently unveiled the Pixel, a higher end Chromebook device featuring a fast Intel processor, lots of RAM, and a high-res display. While the laptop itself was light weight, the price tag was hefty. Now, Google is releasing some Chromebooks for those looking for a bargain. Here’s what you need to know about the devices, as reported by Recode:
- Two new manufacturers have made Chromebooks available to market, using Rockchip processors. Both the Haier Chromebook 11 and the Hisense Chromebook features an 11.6-inch display, 16 GB of storage and promises all-day battery life. The Haier product is available from Amazon while the Hisense notebook is sold by Walmart.
- Asus will release a new Chromebook later this spring that can fold into a tablet form factor. A 360-degree hinge allows the user to pivot the keyboard, then fold it right up behind the 10.1-inch touchscreen screen.
- Asus is also planning an entirely different type of Chrome device with the Chromebit. About the size of a USB modem, the idea is you plug it into an HDMI port and voila, you’ve got a Chrome OS computer. You can plug in a keyboard and mouse to the one USB port or use Bluetooth.
Value devices seem like the right play for Chrome OS
Google raised some eyebrows when it released the Pixel. Since Chrome OS is designed as a lean, easy-to-use OS that requires a connection to the Internet, pairing it with premium hardware didn’t make a ton of sense. These devices are the counter-point to that, providing a cheap way to achieve computing tasks. That’s a value proposition that many can get behind, and will probably make Chrome OS a lot more popular.
