TECHNOLOGY

HP Chromebook 13 Wins High Praise - for a Chromebook

HP and Google last week unveiled the HP Chromebook 13.

Designed with input from customers on what they want in a next-generation Chromebook, the device is about 13 mm thick, weighs 2.8 pounds, has a brushed anodized aluminum chassis, and is the first Chromebook to use Intel's sixth-generation Core M processors.

It has a USB C port, and HP offers a USB-C docking station as an option at US$145.

The docking station lets users hook up the Chromebook 13 to dual high-definition displays, full-sized keyboards and wired networks.

"These are solid improvements, but they don't address the core problem -- that the platform is considered to be crippled," observed Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.

"This is like taking a Smart car, which is largely seen as crippled, and wrapping it with gold to justify a higher price," he told TechNewsWorld.

The HP Chromebook 13 will be available this month starting at $500.