FollowIt seems like HP wants to try its hand in the Chromebook arena, which already offers successful Chromebook versions from Acer, Samsung and Lenovo. The news flashed from a product PDF found on HP’s shopping page. Though HP has yet to reveal the pricing of the new Pavilion Chromebook, the document makes mention of the launch date – Feb. 17, 2013.
When it comes to features, HP’s soon-to-be launched Chromebook features a 14-inch display, which makes it distinct from the existing versions that have 11.6-inch screens. That may be a plus, but it has a relatively shorter battery life – 4 hours and 15 minutes – compared to Samsung Chromebook’s seven hours.
Weighing 1.8 kg and measuring 0.83 x 13.66 x 9.37 inches, Pavilion looks like a high-powered device. But, its processor – Intel Celeron Processor 847 clocked at 1.1 GHz – is not as impressive. However, it has a 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM, with support for 4 GB memory, sufficient to provide a good user experience on the Chrome OS. The 1366 x 768 display features a LED-backlit unit cum BrightView technology. You also get enough ports – USB 2.0 slots, HDMI out, Ethernet jack, plus an SD card slot for additional storage.
The overall specs sound good, but it remains to be seen whether the Pavilion will make it big in the Chromebook market. The processor power and battery life may be a concern for some. We’ll have to wait to see how the pricing compares with existing Chromebooks.
What’s interesting is that HP’s new product augments Google’s competition with Microsoft. And, in the light of the fact that HP is a major client of Microsoft, the new tack does draw some scrutiny. HP has yet to make an official announcement of its first ever Chromebook.
