TechnoBuffalo

Google and Samsung have announced a new generation of Chrome OS devices, and this time the desktop is the target as well as the laptop market.

The original Chromebook has been out for around a year now, but hasn’t exactly been making huge waves in the laptop market.  Many reviews cited issues with speed and usability, but it still showed a lot of promise and Google isn’t giving up.

Launching today, Samsung and Google have announced the Chromebook Series 5 550 and the Chromebox for your desktop.  The laptop checks in with a lousy name, but a fairly decent price at $449.  What really has us intrigued is the Chromebox which will only set you back $329 and has a very generous helping of ports.  We can easily see the Chromebox ending up at the center of a lot of home entertainment systems.

We’re still not sure about the idea of a laptop that always has to be connected to the Internet to do most of its duties, but a home version has some very definite promise.

Chromebook Series 5 550

• 12.1″ (1280×800) display
• 3.3 lbs / 1.48 kg
• 6 hours of continuous usage
• Intel Core™ processor
• 4 GB RAM
• Built-in dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Gigabit ethernet, and 3G modem (optional)
• HD Camera
• 2 USB 2.0 ports
• 4-in-1 memory card slot
• DisplayPort++ Output (compatible with HDMI, DVI, VGA)

Chromebox Tech Specs

• Chromebox Tech Specs
• Intel Core™ processor
• 4 GB RAM
• Built-in dual-band WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Gigabit ethernet
• 6 USB 2.0 ports
• 2x DisplayPort++ Output (compatible with HDMI, DVI, VGA)
• DVI single link output
• Bluetooth 3.0 compatible
• Kensington key lock compatible

[via Google]

Join the discussion