HP has been making some strides towards thinner, more premium laptops lately. They recently released the HP Spectre 13, which is currently the world’s thinnest laptop at 10.4 mm. Now, they’ve partnered with Google to release a new Chromebook, one that is ridiculously powerful (for a Chromebook anyway), and looks really good.
The Chromebook 13 features an anodized aluminum chassis, and as the name suggests, has a 13 inch display, with a resolution of 3200 x 1800 px. The Chromebook 13 isn’t quite as thin as the HP Spectre 13, with a thickness of 12.95 mm. This is still really thin though, and easily takes on Apple’s MacBook, which is about 13.1 mm.
The similarities to the MacBook become more apparent, as you read the specs sheet. The Chromebook 13 is the first Chromebook to be powered by a 6th generation Intel Core M processor, something the MacBook recently received as well. The Chromebook 13 can be configured with up to 16GB of RAM, which is overkill for Chrome OS (jokes about Chrome being heavy notwithstanding), but a quick look at HP’s web page for the laptop will tell you why.
The HP Chromebook 13 is not your kids’ Chromebook. With a brushed anodized aluminum chassis and a backlit keyboard, this beautifully designed Chromebook delivers a sophisticated look in the office or on the road.
The Chromebook 13 is strictly being aimed at executives who need a thin, light laptop for use on the go. And it packs in a bunch of goodies. The backlit keyboard has become pretty much standard these days, but what’s not standard (yet) is the inclusion of USB Type C ports. But, fear not! The Chromebook 13 also has the familiar USB Type A port for all your existing peripherals. There’s no need to buy a converter or hub just yet.
HP is driving home the intended customer base with the Elite USB-C Docking Station. This dock allows you to hook up the Chromebook 13 to up to two full HD displays, charge your phone or tablet, and access a wired network.
This is clearly a laptop that wants to take on the Apple MacBook, but the question remains — can it? Even though the MacBook is powered by a mobility processor, it still runs the full version of OS X. Can Chrome OS take on OS X? That’s a whole other post, but the simple answer is probably. These devices aren’t intended for heavy use. They’re mostly for web browsing, editing documents on the go, and watching some movies. And with Chrome OS apparently getting support for Android apps soon, there will certainly be no shortage of apps. And the Chromebook 13 has one major advantage – price. In our review of the 2015 MacBook, one major disadvantage we listed was the price. The Chromebook starts at US $499 with the optional dock coming in at an additional US $149. This is way cheaper than the MacBook, and, on paper, you certainly get your bang for buck.
[button link=”http://store.hp.com/us/en/ContentView?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&eSpotName=chromebook13″ icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: HP[/button]
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