Ahead of the annual BETT education show, HP is announcing new Chromebook revisions geared for students and teachers. The focus is primarily on affordability and ruggedness, but one in particular — the HP Chromebook x360 11 G4 — does stand out.
Expand Expanding Close
Despite all the reasons we love Chrome OS, the one major downside is that Chromebooks come with an expiration date, after which they’ll no longer receive updates. Google is now giving some Chromebooks just shy of nine years of guaranteed support.
Expand Expanding Close
The first thing you probably think of with Google’s Chrome OS platform is a cheap laptop. That’s understandable — the platform has built its popularity on super-affordable laptops that don’t suck. However, there’s a whole other side to the Chrome OS coin. Premium Chromebooks offer the simplicity of Google’s platform with killer performance and premium features. Lately, I’ve been testing out two premium Chromebooks from HP — the HP x360 14c and the HP C640 Pro. Here’s why they’re some of the best “high-end” Chromebooks you can buy, and possibly better than Google’s Pixelbook Go.
Expand Expanding Close
AMD this morning announced that it’s bringing Athlon and Ryzen chips to Chrome OS. HP is the first to unveil its AMD-powered Pro c645 Chromebook Enterprise, while also detailing the latest Intel Chromebox G3.
Expand Expanding Close
If you use a touchscreen tablet or computer on a regular basis, you’ll probably know how useful a stylus can be for projects that need any sort of precision. To make things work a little better together, a new standard has arrived in the form of “USI” and Google has been pushing that stylus standard on Chrome OS devices. Thanks to some of that new hardware, I’ve had a chance to spend some time with USI — here’s what you need to know about it.
Today, HP is unveiling two new Chromebooks for business, including the Elite c1030 Chromebook, the first Chromebook with a built-in privacy screen.
HP announced their latest Chrome OS devices geared for schools at the BETT 2020 conference in London. The most interesting is the HP Chromebook 14 G6, which features rugged, education-friendly designs.
HP’s latest Chromebook features a 15-inch touchscreen display with thin side bezels, and a slightly more premium finish compared to entry-level Chrome OS devices with Android apps. At $449, the HP Chromebook 15 is slim, light, and includes a full numeric keypad on the edge-to-edge keyboard.
This year has already seen new education-focussed Chrome OS devices from Asus at CES and CTL. Ahead of the BETT education conference this week, HP is launching the Chromebook 11 G7 EE and the x360 11 G2 EE.
In addition to launching one of the first Chromebooks with an AMD processor, HP at CES 2019 is releasing a premium, work-focussed Chrome OS device. The HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 is a rather svelte-looking aluminum device with a 14-inch touchscreen.
Intel and ARM have been your only two options for a processor on a Chromebook since Chrome OS first launched. Now, it seems AMD is getting into the game with the latest HP Chromebook 14, being demoed at CES 2019.
HP is no stranger to making premium Chromebooks with several options over the years. Today, the company has announced its latest option with the HP Chromebook x360 14, a super thin, premium convertible running Chrome OS.
Acer and ASUS debuted a couple of new education-focused Chromebooks back in January, and now HP and Google have announced a new Chrome OS-running laptop to join the fun. The HP Chromebook x360 11 G1 Education Edition (yeah, that’s a mouthful) is a convertible Chromebook set to arrive in mid-April…
As a Chrome OS user for the past two and a half years, I have rarely felt love for the hardware that runs my operating system of choice. I’ve come to view every Chromebook as a utilitarian thin client that has a good enough keyboard, processor, and screen.
In using the HP Chromebook 13 for the past week, however, my computing experience has been thoroughly improved and that speaks to an unaddressed higher-end segment of the market that’s waiting to grow in the realm of Chrome OS laptops.
HP has today launched the latest version of its lower-end Chromebook, the HP Chromebook 11-inch G5. At first glance there might not appear to be anything special about this laptop, but there are a couple of standout features: the laptop offers more than 12 hours of battery life, and there’s also a model that includes a touchscreen (essential for those planning to take advantage of recently-announced Android app support coming to more Chrome OS devices later this year)…
A short while ago, Google and HP announced a brand new metal-clad Chromebook which boasted some impressive specs, including the powerful, efficient Core M chips from Intel, high resolution screens, generous RAM and more than one Type-C port. In a lot of ways, this is the more affordable laptop the Pixel should have been, and will give the Dell Chromebook 13 a run for its money. But how does it compare to the other Core M laptop; Apple’s latest 12-inch MacBook?
Albeit not being full-fledged PCs, Chromebooks are becoming increasingly interesting machines for a lot of people, given that the extremely simple and lightweight Chrome OS generally leads in reliability, ease of use and usually highly affordable prices.
However, a few of these computers have stood out for things like higher-end specs and interesting industrial designs — namely Google‘s own Pixels — and it looks like HP may have found a really sweet spot with today’s announcement. Partnering with the Mountain View company, the two are today unveiling the Chromebook 13, an all-metal machine with truly impressive specs and price…
HP today announced a new Chromebook designed specifically for students and teachers with an ‘Education Edition’ model of its Chromebook 11 G4 starting at $199. Expand
Expanding
Close
HP today has taken the wraps off a refreshed lineup of Chromebooks. In a press release, the company revealed a new Chromebook 14 lineup with hardware and cosmetic improvements. In addition to a 14-inch model with a 1366×768 display, HP is also offering a model with a full 1080p HD display.
Google’s Android for Work program already has more than 10,000 businesses that are “testing, deploying or using Android for Work” in some capacity, and now the company has announced 40 new partners. Notably, several Android handset OEMs are joining the group, as well as 8 cellular carriers.
The Android for Work program took off with the help of our partners across the Android ecosystem, and today we’re expanding the family to 40 companies to continue the momentum, including new device manufacturers, application makers and management providers.
AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile, HTC, Sony, LG, Huawei, Lenovo, Motorola, Dell, and HP are among some of the notable additions. Google makes note of Blackphone as one of the newly-partnered companies that brings the enhanced privacy and security features on top of the Android platform.
HP has today announced a couple of new Android tablets, most notably a big-screen device dubbed the Pro Slate 12 that the company hopes will help fill a void in the market. The device sets itself apart with a display just a bit bigger than 12 inches, as well as the notable inclusion of what the company calls its “Duet Pen” which doubles as a stylus and a regular writing utensil. It’s also the first tablet to be built with Gorilla Glass 4, which is said to be much stronger and offer better protection from every day drops.
HP has quietly launched a new version of the Chromebook 14 (via OMGChrome), a laptop the company launched earlier this year that was met with much criticism over its less-than-perfect screen. Now, with a more expensive revised version of that device (but the others aren’t going anywhere, obviously) being available, customers have the option of going with a touchscreen Chrome experience and slightly improved specs over its little brothers. HP said that it would be coming soon at the launch of the Chromebook 14, and it looks like company has now followed through with that promise.
HP’s annual two-day Mobile Pwn2Own competition came to a close this afternoon, with a group of veteran security researchers and other competitors able to compromise several flagship smartphones across the top-three mobile operating systems: Android, iOS and Windows Phone. The devices that were exploited include the Samsung Galaxy S5, Nexus 5, iPhone 5s, Amazon Fire Phone and Nokia Lumia 1520. Expand
Expanding
Close
Chromebooks are becoming more attractive to people looking for an alternative to traditional laptops, but if you’re concerned about their frequent need for an internet connection, this ongoing deal from Woot might be worth considering. The Amazon-owned online retailer is currently offering a factory reconditioned 14-inch HP Chromebook with a lifetime supply (200MB per month) of wireless date via T-Mobile’s HSPA+ for $210.
HP this afternoon quietly took the warps off of its latest Android tablet. The HP 10 Plus is available today from both HP’s website and on Amazon for $279.99. The company has yet to issue an official press release for the tablet, but the listing on its website explains most of what potential buyers will need to know.
The 10.1-inch device features a 1920×1200 resolution and is packing an ARM Cortex A7 quad-core processor clocked at 1 GHz. The processor is coupled with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage, as well. HP touts (which it shouldn’t) that the device gets 6 hours of battery life out of its 7700 mAh supply. The HP 10 Plus is running Android 4.4.2.
While the specs of the HP 10 Plus are nothing to get too excited about, the tablet offers another option for potential Android tablet customers.
Microsoft appears to be gearing up to challenge Google’s Chrome OS by partnering with companies to release affordable Windows-based alternative notebooks. Pictured above is the HP Stream 14, a $200 laptop that feels a lot like Redmond’s answer to the Chromebook. From its 14-inch 1,366 x 768 display, to its modest AMD processor, all the way down to its 2GB of RAM, 32GB of flash memory (optional 32GB) and two years of cloud storage from Microsoft’s OneDrive — sound familiar?
A new report from The Information claims Google and HP have discussed the possibility of bringing a Google Now-like Android assistant to the workplace. Google’s Android unit has also reportedly been in talks with others about the functionality: Expand
Expanding
Close
From 9to5Toys.com:
Today’s Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day is the HP Chromebook 14 in Red or Turquoise refurb for $199.99 with free shipping. That’s $129.01 off the list price and the lowest we’ve ever seen this Chromebook which includes 200MB of free 4G wireless for life thru T-Mobile with the ability to get more data at T-Mobile’s rates. The 4-lb machine features 14-inch/1366 x 768 display, 4GB RAM/16GB Storage amd 1.4GHz Haswell processor.
Expand
Expanding
Close
The great smartwatch boom is starting to consume electronic makers and HP is not exempt. The company is partnering with designer Michael Bastian to produce its own next-gen timepiece. Unlike the latest wave of smartwatches from LG, Samsung and Motorola, Hewlett-Packard’s timekeeper won’t be based on Android Wear and will instead be a compatible companion for Android and iOS smartphones.
Back in April, word got out that HP was planning to announce a touchscreen laptop running Android, and today, the company finally made the device official. In a press release, HP officially announced its 14-inch touchscreen SlateBook running Android. The laptop is powered by an Nvidia Tegra 4 processor and 2GB of RAM. It will come in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB storage variants, which is relatively small for a laptop, and have a microSD card.
If you’re in the market for a new tablet but you’re balling on a budget, the $100 HP 7 Plus might be a contender. This low-priced slab features a 1GHz Allwinner A31 ARM Cortex-A7 quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage space, a humble 2-megapixel rear-facing shooter with a lackluster 0.3Mp front-facing camera. These aforementioned goodies are powered by Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and are wrapped up in a 7-inch 1,024 x 600 IPS display.
A hidden video (embedded below) discovered on HP’s website by Notebook Italia shows off HP’s upcoming Slatebook 14. As the name implies, the machine comes with a 1080p 14″ touchscreen display. What’s really interesting about this computer is the software. Instead of the usual Windows or Chrome OS options, the Slatebook will reportedly run Android.
The machine has apparently been given Google’s blessing, since according to the video it will feature the Play Store and all of the company’s first-party apps, along with the entire catalog of third-party Android apps.
If you’ve been wanting to try a Chromebook, but have held off due to their need for an internet connection, Best Buy might have a remedy for your dilemma. The blue and yellow big box is currently knocking $100 off HP’s 11.6″ LTE Chromebook, bringing its asking price to $199. The device is backed by Verizon’s LTE network, you’ll pretty much have internet access anywhere in the US.
HP previously teased that it would be releasing a Chromebox this spring, but has today announced a few more details about the box, in addition to some images. HP’s Chromebox will come in four colors including white, black, silver, and turquoise. The device will be marketed towards homes and businesses, seeing that it will be more powerful than some of the other Chromeboxes we’ve seen so far this year (via Engadget).
HP’s Chromebox features an HDMI port and DisplayPort, in addition to four USB 3.0 ports. The device will be powered by a fourth-generation Haswell-based Intel Core i7 processor.
Missing from the details announced today is pricing. ASUS’ new box will come in at $179, although it is less powerful. Either way, HP will certainly have some tough competition in the Chromebox space. The company’s box is set to be released in spring.
Update: Best Buy is already listing the new model online for $379 (via Liliputing).
Reuters is reporting a claim by Israel’s Altair Semiconductor that HP will be launching a LTE-only Chromebook 11, with connectivity provided by the company’s chips.
“Our solution equips the Chromebook with a dependable and incredibly fast Internet connection,” said Eran Eshed, vice president of marketing and business development at Altair. “By focusing on 100 percent LTE and eliminating costly 3G components, we were able to help our partners lower the cost of this critical LTE connectivity feature” …
Google’s high end Chromebook Pixel is also LTE-only but the move for a more bargain-centric product has some folks scratching their heads…. Expand
Expanding
Close
Hot on the heels of Acer announcing a pair of Android-powered all-in-one desktop computers, HP has just taken the wraps off of its own model. Dubbed the Slate 21 Pro, the device is an all-in-one targeted at business users. HP’s biggest selling point with the device is the fact that it comes pre-loaded with a variety of services and apps, including Kingsoft Office, Evernote, Skype, HP Classroom Manager, 50GB of lifetime Box storage and Citrix Receiver for remote Windows access. Of course, you also have access to the full Google Play Store for apps, as well.
Following the decision to stop sales of the HP Chromebook 11 pending an investigation into overheating chargers, today the US Consumer Product Safety Commission reports Google and HP will indeed recall the netbook’s charger. Google says it received nine reports in total of overheating chargers and melting with some cases resulting in injuries and property damage:
Google has received nine reports of chargers overheating and melting during use. There is one report of a small burn to a consumer and one report of minor property damage to a pillow from an overheating charger… This recall involves chargers that were sold with the HP Chromebook 11. The charger is black with outlet pins, measures 1¾ inches by ¾ inches, and has a 6-foot long cord with a micro-USB connector on the end. The model number of the charger is MU15-N1052-A00S, which is stamped on the face of the battery charger that has the outlet pins.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s report claims the recall will include around 145,000 units and that users can contact Google to get a free replacement. Google is yet to resume sales of the device on Google Play or through its retail partners, but its website says to “please check back soon.” More info on how to contact Google below. Expand
Expanding
Close
Update: HP has attributed the stopped sales of the Chromebook 11 to overheating chargers and has provided a brief statement on the matter available at the end of the post.
Whoa, some big news on the Chromebook front this morning as Best Buy has halted all sales of the HP Chromebook 11. According to The Verge, Best Buy retail stores are receiving internal memos alerting managers to “Stop selling the HP Chromebook 11 effective immediately…partner with sales support to pull the product off the sales floor to a secure location in the warehouse.”
At an event in Beijing, HP on Monday announced its latest foray into the tablet market in the Slate 21 AIO. The device packs a 21.5-inch display with a full HD resolution, Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, and a Tegra 4 processor. Yes, you read that correctly, a 21.5-inch display. The tablet looks to be meant for desktop use (obviously), as the press images show it with a keyboard and mouse. The display also has a built-in kickstand that allows it to be lowered to what appears to be a 30 degree angle or kept at an upright angle.
HP touts that it will make the process of accessing content through the cloud easier and will also feature the ability to live stream TV thanks to access to Google services, such as the Play Store.
“Customers are looking for technology that simplifies their lives while keeping them connected to the entertainment they enjoy and the content they need,” said Jun Kim, vice president and general manager, PC Displays and Accessories, HP. “The HP Slate21 allows families to easily access content through the cloud and enjoy it together on a large, interactive screen.”
The Slate 21 AIO features an HP TrueVision HD webcam and Wireless Direct capabilities, which allow users to share content between devices. It also has built DTS Sound technology, which will supposedly supply “concert-like” sound quality.
HP says the device will be available this September in the United States for $399.
As we discussed in February, HP is re-entering the Android tablet game after a little 4-year WebOS hiatus. Their first effort, the HP Slate 7 goes on sale today for a very reasonable $169. On the plus side, HP offers SD Card espansion, built-in printing and Beats Audio to the package when compared to the $199 Nexus 7. Like the Nexus 7, the Slate is almost entirely Stock Android (Here Here!). Unlike the Nexus 7, however, the screen is the same 1024×600 resolution as the two year old base model Kindle which currently sells for $159.
The real news here for Android is that HP’s expansive network of international customers now have easy access to an inexpensive tablet. I expect this to be a big deal. Expand
Expanding
Close
From 9to5Toys.com:
We don’t normally see Google Chromebooks on sale but today at Staples, HP’s version is a whopping $75 off putting it near the price of the much smaller ARM Samsung 550s.
Not only is the HP Pavilion 14-c01us Chromebook more expensive, it’s also heavier than Samsung’s offering at 4lbs compared to 2.5lbs. Battery life is unfortunately the same story with an approximate 4.25 hours quoted compared to the 6.5 hours Samsung’s Chromebook offers. If you can get past that, the new HP device packs in a 14-inch diagonal HD BrightView LED-backlit (1,366-by-768-pixel), 1.1GHz Intel Celeron 847 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB SATA SSD, HDMI, USB 2.0, as well as an Ethernet port.
Staples is offering the HP Pavilion Intel Celeron 847 14″ Chromebook for $330. Enter the coupon code: 45582 and get an additional $75 off at checkout making the total only $255 before tax with free shipping. (Expiring Soon)
Update: Throw in another $50 via rebate to get it down to $205.
We posted a leaked spec sheet late last month that showed off what appeared to be an upcoming 14-inch Chromebook from HP. HP has officially announced the new Chromebook today. While it might have a 14-inch display two inches wider than any other Chromebook, it also happens to be more expensive than Samsung’s latest offering at $329. That’s significantly more than Samsung’s latest $249 model.
HP offered up full specs on the device that is available to order through the company’s website now. Not only is the HP Pavilion 14-c01us Chromebook more expensive, it’s also heavier than Samsung’s offering at 4lbs compared to 2.5lbs. Battery life is unfortunately the same story with an approximate 4.25 hours quoted compared to the 6.5 hours Samsung’s Chromebook offers. If you can get past that, the new HP device packs in a 14-inch diagonal HD BrightView LED-backlit (1,366-by-768-pixel), 1.1GHz Intel Celeron 847 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB SATA SSD, HDMI, USB 2.0, as well as an Ethernet port.
The Samsung Chromebook has been the top-selling laptop on Amazon since it launched; Acer reported that Chromebooks make up 5-10% of US shipments; and in the first two months of 2013 Google announced two new devices from two new partners, Lenovo and HP. In the Enterprise, Google just announced 2,000 schools have deployed Chromebooks and businesses like Kaplan, Dillard’s and Quality Distribution are using Chrome devices as well.
HP’s hoping consumers will opt for the larger display, keyboard, and additional ports for the extra $80, but we’re not too excited about the battery life.
Google rolled out a nice little update for Google Cloud Print support today. While mentioning a number of new features added to the service such as the ability to control printer access, save to Google Docs, and a new tablet-friendly UI for the management page, they also announced site owners can now add the print button element for smartphones and tablets to their sites.
Other new additions to Google Cloud Print– those using the latest release of Chrome on Mac, Windows, or Linux can print any webpage, and Chromebook users will now have access to print preview. Google also notes they look forward to rolling out the service across products and platforms.
These features continue the rollout of GCP, which has connected more than 6 million printers since launch, and added a number of new supported products from companies like HP, Epson, and Kodak. You can get a full list of supported products here, and check out Chrome extensions and apps that currently have access to the service.
Expand
Expanding
Close
As you can see from the internal email sent to HP employees by CEO Meg Whitman below (via TechCrunch), webOS is officially alive and well and on its way to open source land. Last we heard HP was soon going to come to a solid decision on the fate of webOS and rumors started flying about the company even being open to Android. However, today’s confirmation from Whitman most likely means the company hopes webOS will be picked up by vendors looking for an alternative to Google’s OS. There’s no mention of new hardware in the letter, but The Verge sat down with Whitman and board member Marc Andreessen who say there will indeed be new HP webOS tablets by 2013:
Will HP be creating any new webOS hardware?
The answer to that is yes but what I can’t tell you is whether that will be in 2012 or not. But we will use webOS in new hardware, but it’s just going to take us a little longer to reorganize the team in a quite different direction than we’ve been taking it in the past.
Are we talking printers? Or tablets and phones?
In the near term what I would imagine – and this could change, in full disclosure – is I would think tablets, I do not believe we will be in the smartphone business again.
Here’s Whitman’s full letter to HP Employees:
HP’s now deceased TouchPad tablet, powered by the webOS software.
In addition to whispers of a possible take over of Hewlett-Packard’s personal computer business worth forty million PC units in 2011, Samsung is said to be considering purchasing the webOS operating system HP got through the last year’s Palm acquisition.
This comes via a DigiTimes report this morning, citing “sources from notebook players”. In fact, that may be the reason alone behind Samsung’s rumored interest in HP’s PC making biz, the sources suspect. Samsung, of course, already makes PC notebooks but with only ten million units in this year they aren’t exactly in the big league.
Of course, the rumor-mill has been speculating about such a move since Hewlett-Packard shot down webOS and announced intentions to exit the low-margin personal computer business earlier this month. While we have to take those stories with a few pinches of salt, it’s easy to see webOS flourish under Samsung.
The company would further reduce its dependence on Android software as Google’s $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola has left the search giant’s commitment to Android backers dwindling in the air.
Samsung, which also develops Bada, its own operating system for feature phones, could make, promote and sell webOS smartphones and tablets on a global scale. And if HP’s TouchPad fire-sale is an indication, the industry and consumers yearn for a third mobile platform in order to avoid the Android-iOS duopoly. Think about it: The webOS software running on Samsung’s beautifully designed hardware rocking cutting-edge processors and graphics – and priced aggressively – could let Samsung compete with iPad more effectively than with its current crop of Android-driven tablets.
Let’s not forget Palm’s intellectual property portfolio that would no doubt enable the company to avoid future lawsuits from rivals. As a matter of fact, the webOS licensing would enable Samsung to gain a much-needed patent leverage against Apple in the mobile space.
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c20yOVKm5UM”]
With the price drop of the HP TouchPad to $99 came many developers who began working on porting Android to the device. A stable release hasn’t made its way to the internet quite yet, but as shown above by someone on the CyanogenMod team, it’s getting there. The $1500 or more bounty is surely pushing developers to getting there first. But, did Qualcomm beat everybody to the punch? (via RootzWiki)
Did you land your hands on the HP TouchPad this weekend, and not satisfied with WebOS? We understand the WebOS part of things, but the TouchPad could actually be considered a pretty nice piece of hardware..if it’s running the right stuff. While we mentioned an Android port was in the works this morning, the folks over at HacknMod are holding a little contest to see who can successfully do the port first. Total prize money tops $1500.
The basic Android port is going for $450, Wi-Fi is going for $350, both audio and camera are going up for $300, and lastly, MultiTouch is going for $100. Devs, that’s $1500!
If you think your dev skills are up to the challenge you can get started by posting your first bit of code into GitHub (full directions here). Note, all code developed for this project must be licensed under open-source. May the best coder win! Expand
Expanding
Close
In the battle for mobile supremacy, Apple and Google are winning as competitors continue to lose ground, finding it increasingly difficult to compete with the strong iOS and Android ecosystems (can you say ‘duopoly’?), per latest survey from the NPD Group. The results came by tracking U.S. consumers aged 18+ who reported purchasing a mobile phone and exclude corporate purchases. In the June quarter, iOS grabbed 29 percent of the U.S. smartphone share versus Google’s 52 percent share. Both tech behemoths have grown their platform share at the expense of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion.
Cross-posted on 9to5Mac.com
RIM’s been on a serious decline amid poor sales and delays related to their QNX-based superphones. Their BlackBerry OS software share fell to just eleven percent in the U.S. Meanwhile, Hewlett-Packard’s webOS is in a state of limbo as the world’s leading computer maker announced intentions to exit the hardware business. Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 and Windows Mobile grabbed five percent of the market each.
The emerging prepaid market is the next battelground for iOS and Android. Google, however, has the first mover advantage here…
Expand
Expanding
Close