HP has announced that its Chromebook 14 now comes with touch and a few other improvements.
The old Chromebook 14 came with a Tegra K1 processor (quad-core Cortex A15 CPU), 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage, and the device cost $300. The new Chromebook 14 with touch also has a Tegra K1 processor, although HP is not clear whether it’s the same Tegra K1 version as in the old Chromebook, or the new Denver-based model (which is in the Nexus 9).
The new Chromebook 14 also has a 1080p resolution display, while the old one only had a 1366 x 768 resolution. This is a notable upgrade, as 1366 x 768 is quite low for a 14″ screen size. It also comes with twice as much RAM and storage (4 GB and 32 GB, respectively). The new model will see a commensurate cost increase, resulting in a higher $439 price tag.
Chromebooks are usually known for being inexpensive machines, but the $439 price tag might not match that description for many potential customers. Touchscreens tend to add significantly to the cost of a low-end machine, although the device does come with twice as much storage and RAM.
The closer you get to the $500 threshold, the more people will expect to see at least an Intel Core i3 processor in the machine, too. ARM chips make more sense at the $200-$300 level, where they have adequate performance for that price range. When the machine costs close to $500 or more, people expect not only significantly higher performance, but also a more advanced operating system.
Chromebooks remain a solid choice for education where their simplicity and security are real strengths. In the mainstream market, those features appeal to a smaller subset of customers, while the rest just wants the operating system they’ve used before (usually Windows).
The HP Chromebook 14 with touchscreen will probably find a market with those who love Chromebooks but weren’t happy with the current low-spec’d models. They wanted a higher-resolution screen and 4 GB of RAM and are willing to spend a little more to get it.
