Google and Intel have announced some new Haswell based Chrome devices overnight, announced at the Intel Developer Forum which is currently going on in San Francisco they have advised that there will be new devices from existing ChromeOS partners Acer and HP as well as devices from new entrants to the ChromeOS market Asus and Toshiba.
There will be new Chromebooks from Acer, HP and Toshiba and a new Chromebox from Asus. The new devices from Acer and HP are now showing on the international Google Chromebook Page, but so far details on the new Toshiba Chromebook and the Asus Chromebox have not surfaced.
The Acer Chromebook is described as ‘Fast, light, portable’
Spec wise, the site lists :
- 11.6″ display
- 0.75 inches thin and 2.76 lbs
- 100 GB of Google Drive free for 2 years
- Up to 8.5 hours of use
- Boots up in less than 8 seconds
But we also know that it will have a Haswell CPU although details have not been shared as to what type.
HP have again gone with a 14″ screen on their Chromebook and it’s described as having a ‘Brilliant 14″ screen’.
The ‘specs’ which will obviously also include a Haswell CPU but also on the site is :
- Large 14” display
- 0.81 inches thin and 4.08 lbs
- 100 GB of Google Drive free for 2 years
- Up to 9.5 hours of use
- Boots up in less than 7 seconds
Google advise that the HP Chromebook will come in a range of colours as well.
We asked Google Australia about availability of the new Chromebooks for the Australian market and a spokesperson advised :
The OEMs will be announcing their respective markets and retailers, and we expect over time these devices will become available in multiple countries around the world.
Acer Australia has confirmed that the new Haswell based Chromebook will arrive in Australia but cannot provide specs or a release date as yet, they’ll advise once they know more.
HP has advised that they are looking into the availability in international markets and will get back to us about a possible release in Australia.
Toshiba and Asus have not yet advised their plans but we will update if we hear anything more from them.
With the latest Intel Haswell processors the promise of improved battery life of more than 2X over previous iterations of mobile CPU is hard to pass up. The Chromebook Pixel is a great machine but is absolutely terrible with battery life, so this could be a sign of good things to come for the platform.
Google now has six manufacturers producing ChromeOS devices – Samsung, Lenovo, Acer, Asus, HP & Toshiba – and research company NPD claim that Chromebooks represent 20-25% of the $300-or-less computer segment. With Google recently announcing packaged Apps for all ChromeOS devices, this is shaping up to be an exciting platform.
Update: MobileGeeks recorded the announcement at IDF :
Will you get a Haswell based ChromeOS device?
