The Chromebook has been a very quiet device in the past. Using low cost parts in order to present a budget friendly laptop, things never quite took off. But now they have announced a new, better version that uses Intel Haswell processors, as well as a new Chromebox using the same.
Back when the Chromebook was first launched, it had a lot of hype. Google had promised a functional but affordable alternative to other brands that were charging an arm and a leg. Unfortunately, cheaper prices mean cheaper parts, and everything from the Atom chip to the hardware capabilities were a bit shoddy. Sure, it offered a simple alternative if you were strapped for cash, but little else.
Google seemed to learn their lesson, however, and they have been taking part in the development of more quality devices. The Pixel is a good example, an usual laptop with a touch screen that used all high end parts and had a very high price tag of over $1,200 a pop.
This time around, the internet giant has teamed up with Toshiba for the Chromebook and Asus for the Chromebox. They also announced two new laptops from HP and Acer, though they have partnered with them in the past and it looked like more of the same.
All of this is a departure from the pre-Pixel way of thinking. The company used to talk a lot about “disposable” devices that were incredibly cheap to make and buy, and got everything they needed from online apps that were downloaded at the user’s discretion. Now it looks like they are expanding the idea of the Chrome OS from what was once a glorified browser with extras to a real operating system. With the hardware to back it up.
The only problem is that we know nothing about these new laptops. No technical specs have been released, no date for the launch has been given, and no price tag has been announced. We just know that it is supposed to be faster thanks to the better processing chips, and they will have up to 50% more battery life than the original Chromebook.
While this is a welcome news, it is impossible to get excited about laptops with no information, from a company that has failed to impress in that genre before. Fingers crossed for something good when they finally to let the details leak. Until then, we can always talk about the dozens of phones running Android, or the disappointment over changed to Chromecast’s streaming properties.
Source: Chrome Blog
