Acer is expanding its Chromebox CXI line with a couple of new models that have been upgraded with Intel’s 4th Generation Core i3 4030U dual-core processor clocked at 1.9GHz (3MB cache, Hyper Threading support, 15W TDP), a speedy replacement for the Celeron chips that power the existing models.
Acer’s primary targets are users in education and small to medium (SMB) businesses, along with any consumers who are into Google’s Chrome ecosystem. For those who can benefit from a Chrome OS system, the Core i3 upgrade offers enough speed to work on multiple projects at the same time, Acer says.
There are two models — the first is the CXI-i34GKM with 4GB of DDR3-1600 RAM and the second is the CXI-i38GKM with 8GB of memory. Both sport 16GB of internal storage upgradeable via microSD (up to 32GB), HDMI and DisplayPort outputs, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GbE LAN, four USB 3.0 ports, and of course Google’s Chrome OS. The systems measure 6.51 by 5.12 by 1.3 inches and are VESA mountable.
Upon first boot, you’re thrust into Google’s ecosystem and signed into its services. The Chromeboxes come with certain web apps already installed, and there are now over 30,000 additional apps, themes, and extensions available in app store.
Should things go wrong and/or there’s a need to wipe the system clean and start from scratch, both Chromeboxes have a “Powerwash” option that enables IT to quickly reset them to their original factory states with the touch of a button.
The 4GB and 8GB models are available now for $350 and $400, respectively. Just as with Chromebooks, there are Windows-based alternatives that cost about the same.
