cdmagurus.com
10-11-2013, 05:11 PM
The HP Chromebook 11 could have been just another low-cost container for Google’s browser-based OS. But Google stepped in to make it special—and maybe even spare it the mockery of PC snobs who can’t wrap their heads (http://www.pcworld.com/article/2030096/how-i-survived-7-days-in-chromebook-exile.html) around the- (http://www.pcworld.com/article/2030096/how-i-survived-7-days-in-chromebook-exile.html)Chromebook concept.
Realistically, you can’t expect much from any sub-$300 machine, and most Chromebooks reside in this underwhelming hardware space. Nonetheless, Google’s 2012 partnership with Samsung on the Chromebook 3 (http://www.pcworld.com/article/2019245/samsung-chromebook-3-cheaper-more-productive-alternative-to-a-tablet.html) proved that a manufacturer could do a good job with low-level components, and then Google itself pulled-out all the stops a few months later with the launch of the gorgeous-Chromebook Pixel (http://www.pcworld.com/article/2030228/review-google-chromebook-pixel-is-an-expensive-curiosity.html). If nothing else, the Pixel, replete with a beautiful touchscreen and elegant industrial design, sparked a heated (and slightly bizarre) debate about whether the Chrome ecosystem deserved a machine so high-end.
And now we have HP’s Chromebook 11, a laptop that attempts to add some industrial design finesse to the low end of the Chromebook space.
Not new, but better designedThe Chromebook 11 offers none of the premium specs and design of the Pixel, and in terms of raw performance it’s not even better than-Samsung’s Chromebook 3. Nevertheless, it shows that Google is committed to setting standards for Chrome hardware, and that it can deliver a high-quality experience at both premium and everyday prices.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here (http://cdmagurus.com/article/2053946/hp-chromebook-11-review-google-gives-the-low-end-some-much-needed-luster.html#jump)
More... (http://www.pcworld.com/article/2053946/hp-chromebook-11-review-google-gives-the-low-end-some-much-needed-luster.html#tk.rss_all)
Realistically, you can’t expect much from any sub-$300 machine, and most Chromebooks reside in this underwhelming hardware space. Nonetheless, Google’s 2012 partnership with Samsung on the Chromebook 3 (http://www.pcworld.com/article/2019245/samsung-chromebook-3-cheaper-more-productive-alternative-to-a-tablet.html) proved that a manufacturer could do a good job with low-level components, and then Google itself pulled-out all the stops a few months later with the launch of the gorgeous-Chromebook Pixel (http://www.pcworld.com/article/2030228/review-google-chromebook-pixel-is-an-expensive-curiosity.html). If nothing else, the Pixel, replete with a beautiful touchscreen and elegant industrial design, sparked a heated (and slightly bizarre) debate about whether the Chrome ecosystem deserved a machine so high-end.
And now we have HP’s Chromebook 11, a laptop that attempts to add some industrial design finesse to the low end of the Chromebook space.
Not new, but better designedThe Chromebook 11 offers none of the premium specs and design of the Pixel, and in terms of raw performance it’s not even better than-Samsung’s Chromebook 3. Nevertheless, it shows that Google is committed to setting standards for Chrome hardware, and that it can deliver a high-quality experience at both premium and everyday prices.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here (http://cdmagurus.com/article/2053946/hp-chromebook-11-review-google-gives-the-low-end-some-much-needed-luster.html#jump)
More... (http://www.pcworld.com/article/2053946/hp-chromebook-11-review-google-gives-the-low-end-some-much-needed-luster.html#tk.rss_all)