HP shooting for the low end of the notebook market with new $199 notebooks

We're at an interesting place right now with Windows 8.1-based systems. Many users and potential buyers seem to be waiting out until the next revision (Windows 9, Codenamed 'Treshold') becomes available. Many of the recent hybrids, convertibles and ultrabooks have failed to gain much traction. Trying a different tact, it seems manufacturers like HP are going the Chromebook route. That is, offering cheap hardware to help push the OS. Revealed today is the colourful consumer focused US $199 HP Stream notebook that's geared to compete with similarly affordable Chromebooks. Interesting features include fanless design, 8-hour battery life and an HD screen.

Featuring modest Intel Celeron processors, an 11.5-inch non-touch display and 32GB of SSD memory. Each of these new-age netbooks will get access to a year subscription of Office 365, 1 Terabyte of OneDrive storage plus a $25 Microsoft Store gift certificate. The Stream notebooks accompany low-cost Stream tablets that offer Windows 8.1 functionalty starting at $150. No Canadian availability or pricing has been released but these will likely find their way to our shores for the holiday season.

Cheaper Chromebooks might be on their way

Chromebooks are generally affordable devices but they might be even more pocket-friendly with the use of a low-end chip. MediaTek has contributed code to Chromium operating system (the base for Chrome OS) to test a device running on an entry-level ARM Cortex-A7 processor.  Theoretically, this will create Chromeboxes and Chromebooks that would cost less than the usual US$200 price of these devices. However, this will also affect speed as the Cortex-A7 system can be quite sluggish. MediaTek has not said what they plan on doing with the code but this is just showing us what may lie ahead.

Source: Engadget

Samsung Ativ Book 9 to get faux leather treatment

Samsung seems to love the faux leather design so much they’re extending it beyond its tablets and smartphones to its laptops. The new Ativ Book 9 features a faux leather cover over the lid. This recently launched device is a 15.6-inch Chromebook with Full HD LED display, 2.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 128GB solid state drive, 4GB RAM, and 720p webcam. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi ac, HDMI out, VGA, out, two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, Gigabit LAN, Bluetooth 4.0, and a memory card slot. It will come in black and white color options.

Source: Ubergizmo

Acer refreshes Chromebook line

Acer wants to further its stake in the Chromebook market with a new 11.6-inch machine. The C720P-2600 model, or C7 for short, packs in a 1366 x 768 touch-screen, Intel Celeron 2955U processor in an approximately three-pound notebook. It also has 32GB SSD storage and 2GB RAM, which are typical specs for Chromebooks. The C7 will be on display at Acer’s CES booth and is said to carry a US$299. It comes in Moonstone White, is bundled with Gogo Inflight Internet passes, and will be available this month.

Source: CNET