HP releases its first Chromebook

4 Feb 2013

The HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook

HP has just announced the release of its first laptop operating on Google’s Chrome OS. Chromebooks have been developed by Google and OEMs to bring easy-to-use, fast, secure and affordable computing to homes.

HP joins Samsung, Acer and, most recently, Lenovo, in adopting Chrome OS and, with a 14-inch screen, the Pavilion 14 Chromebook has the largest display of any Chromebook currently on the market.

Chrome OS is a Linux-based operating system that takes a minimalist approach to home computing. The cloud-focused, always-connected nature of these devices provides users with quick access to Google’s suite of applications and ensures that software is always up to date and secure, thanks to constant automatic updates.

“Google’s Chrome OS is showing great appeal to a growing customer base,” said HP’s vice-president and general manager of consumer PCs, printing and personal systems Kevin Frost. “With HP’s Chromebook, customers can get the best of the Google experience on a full-sized laptop – all backed up by our service and brand.”

The sleek black Pavilion 14 Chromebook features an Intel Celeron processor, Intel HD graphics, 16GB SSD, and 4GB RAM. There’s a HDMI port and the usual array of Ethernet and headphone connections, but the USB port comes in 2.0 and not 3.0.

HP technologies include HP BrightView display, HP TrueVision HD Webcam and built-in Trusted Platform Module to protect against unauthorised access to sensitive data and credentials.

The Pavilion 14 Chromebook is available in the US starting at US$329.99 and users will also get 100GB of free storage on Google Drive for two years.

Elaine Burke is the host of For Tech’s Sake, a co-production from Silicon Republic and The HeadStuff Podcast Network. She was previously the editor of Silicon Republic.

editorial@siliconrepublic.com