Intel Corporation and other companies today introduced a new lineup of Chrome devices, including the first designs using Intel Celeron processors based on the Bay Trail-M system-on-chip (SoC). A new class of Chromebooks based on the 4th generation Intel Core i3 processor were also unveiled. The announcements were made at a press conference in San Francisco hosted by Navin Shenoy, vice president and general manager of Intel Mobile Client Platforms Group and Caesar Sengupta, vice president, product management, Chrome OS at Google as well as representatives from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG Electronics USA and Toshiba.

"Intel has grown to become the No. 1 microprocessor in Chrome systems," said Shenoy. "We've been working on five generations of Chrome and after Google, Intel is the largest contributor to the Chromium OS. Intel chips are the first and only to support 64-bit Chrome OS. This deep history and investment combined with our stellar Bay Trail and Haswell SoCs mean Intel can offer the best performing devices at every price point in the Chrome category. When people are shopping for Chrome devices, they should look for Intel Inside."

The world's largest PC vendor, Lenovo, finally took the Chrome OS plunge, with two Chromebooks, the N20, and the N20P, starting at US $279. Both feature 11.6-inch displays. The N20P features a capacitive touchscreen suspended on 300° rotating hinges, that let you unfold it much like a FLEX 2, letting you use it as a desktop replacement, with external peripherals, or simply with its touchscreen. The 1366 x 768-pixel display reorients itself. Under the hood, both feature Intel Celeron processors based on the "Haswell" micro-architecture, 2 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of flash-based storage. The N20 is priced at US $279, and the N20P at $329. Both should be available in July.

An estimated 2.1 million Chromebooks shipped in 2013 with nearly 89% of total shipments reaching North America, according to market intelligence firm ABI Research. As Chromebook shipments expand globally, ABI Research forecasts an increase of CAGR 28% to 11 million in 2019.

"ABI Research tracked Chromebooks across six regions and found the average selling price (ASP) to be US$338," says research analyst Stephanie Van Vactor. "This truly budget-driven device is a disruptive force to the portable PC market." The ASP and shipment growth of Chromebooks shows the market responding to products for the budget conscious; a reaction from a slowly reviving economy along with interest from the education business vertical.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in advanced semiconductor solutions, announced that its Exynos 5 Octa mobile application processor is the power behind the new Samsung Chromebook 2*. The Exynos 5 Octa family features an eight-core ARM big.LITTLE processor configuration built for efficient handling of multiple tasks in high-end mobile devices today.

"Maximizing performance in tight power and thermal budgets is critical in today's mobile devices," said Dr. Kyushik Hong, vice president of System LSI marketing, Samsung Electronics. "Compared to Exynos 5 Dual, our new Exynos 5 Octa application processors deliver up to 125 percent increase in computing and two times the multimedia performance. This enables designers to develop leading-edge products with significantly improved battery life."

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today announced the launch of the Chromebook 2 Series. The new models, available in 11.6- and 13.3-inch configurations, improve on the popular Samsung Chromebook line with faster performance, longer battery life and a slim, light build enhanced by a durable textured lid and elegant stitched design. The 13.3-inch model also features a Full HD (1920x1080) resolution screen, enabling users to enjoy vibrant visuals for work, teaching and learning, and entertainment. Samsung was the leading Chromebook brand in the U.S. in 2013, accounting for more than 60 percent of overall market share, according to NPD.

"Since we introduced our first Chromebook in 2011, Samsung has been committed to continually developing our designs and features to meet our users' ever-changing needs, while staying true to the core Chromebook attributes of simplicity, speed and security," said Mike Abary, senior vice president of consumer IT product marketing at Samsung Electronics America. "Samsung has been the top selling consumer Chromebook brand for the past three years and we'll continue to grow our leadership position in this space with the launch of the Chromebook 2 Series."

HP (NYSE: HPQ) today announced the HP Pavilion x360, an affordable touch convertible PC that transforms the computing experience with a 360-degree hinge that adapts to the way the next generation lives. To help on-the-go customers connect to the internet without the need for Wi-Fi, HP also announced the expansion of its free HP DataPass(1) broadband service to 12 additional countries, including the United States.

"Customers have told us they want a single device that is designed to work and play the way they do, at an affordable price," said Ron Coughlin, senior vice president, Consumer PC and Solutions Group, HP. "The HP Pavilion x360 is perfect for today's busy lifestyles. Its 360-degree hinge allows multitaskers to easily transition from laptop to tent to tablet. It's the laptop that doesn't make you miss your tablet and the tablet that doesn't make you miss your laptop -- all at a price that is similar to an entry-level notebook."

Lenovo today announced at the Florida Education Technology Conference (FETC), the ThinkPad 11e series of laptops, designed specifically for education and ruggedized for classroom performance. Thin and light, these purpose-built devices offer education administrators the durability necessary to succeed in the hands of K-12 students and the flexibility to meet the increasingly changing needs of their technology demands.

The ThinkPad 11e series is available in two form factors: traditional laptop or Lenovo's innovative Yoga multimode form with four unique positions: laptop, tablet, tent and stand. The ThinkPad Yoga 11e devices offer students a system that can adapt to their needs based on the application or the content they are working with.

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the company's first entry into the growing Chromebook market - and the first device of its kind to feature a 13.3-inch diagonal HD display. Sleek, lightweight and always up to date, the Toshiba Chromebook is an ideal choice for students and home users looking for a lightweight, cost-effective PC that's easy to use, easy to manage and convenient for everyday use. Priced at just $279.99 MSRP, the Toshiba Chromebook will be available for purchase from US retailers beginning in February.

"We see great potential in Chrome OS as it offers both consumers and educators a simple and easy-to-use computing experience," said Carl Pinto, vice president of marketing, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. "We believe that bringing a more versatile 13-inch model to market will help drive the entire category forward by giving customers an option that opens new doors for productivity, not only for consumers, but also students and educators."

Acer is extending its touchscreen Chromebook line with a new model in a new color -- the Acer C720P-2600 in Moonstone White.
The new Acer C720P-2600 Chromebook will be shown at Pepcom's Digital Experience! media event on Monday, Jan. 6. The event previews some of the hottest gadgets and technologies at this year's 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The striking Moonstone White chassis complements the sleek design of the Acer C720P-2600 Chromebook. The entire chassis is white, giving the device a consistently stylish look from any angle. In addition, customers will enjoy the benefit of touch on the device's 11.6-inch HD LED back-lit display to do more with Chrome apps, media, games and more.

Google and HP, together with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission have today announced a recall plan targeting the charger bundled with the HP Chromebook 11. One month ago the two tech giants stopped selling the Chromebook after getting reports that the charger would overheat and melt, thus posing a fire and burn hazard. To date the companies know of one person who suffered minor burns from a faulty charger.

People who purchased the HP Chromebook 11 are advised to stop using the charger and contact Google for a free replacement. In all there are some 145,000 units that will need to be replaced. For more info check out this page.

Acer America today announced the availability of its first touchscreen Chromebook, the new Acer C720P, a new model in the Acer C720 Chromebook line that was introduced last month. The new C720P provides the many benefits of touch on the device's 11.6-inch HD LED back-lit display to take advantage of the Chrome interface.

"Our new touchscreen C720P gives customers an intuitive way to browse sites online, enjoy apps, and do more with the Chromebook," said Arif Maskatia, CTO for Acer. "The Acer C720 Chromebook line has been praised for its performance and battery life, and this new touchscreen model allows us to address the needs of an even wider range of customers with exciting new capabilities. We're certain many holiday shoppers will jump at the chance to get a touchscreen Chromebook for just $299.99."

Acer America today announced the availability of a new $199.99 entry-level model in its new Acer C720 Chromebook line for budget-minded customers. Like all Acer C720 models, the Acer C720-2848 runs on an Intel Celeron processor based on the Haswell micro-architecture to deliver fast performance and up to 8.5 hours of battery life.

"Since the Acer C720 debuted last month, it's been acclaimed for delivering industry-leading performance and long battery life to mobile savvy computer users," said Arif Maskatia, CTO for Acer. "Our new $199.99 model delivers an incredible value proposition for this level of performance at a time of year when so many people are shopping for gifts for loved ones."

Launched just about a month ago, the Chromebook 11 is now no longer available for purchase due to issues with the included charger. According to Google and HP, they received a 'small number of user reports' saying that the charger got damaged due to overheating while in use.

Chromebook 11 owners are advised to stop using the original charger and instead use a third-party micro-USB charger, at least until further notice. The two companies are currently working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to find 'the appropriate corrective action' which could mean an exchange program, swapping the potentially faulty chargers with new ones (for free of course).

Acer America today debuts its new Acer C720 Chromebook line that features processors based on the Haswell micro-architecture for faster performance and up to 8.5 hours of battery life.

This third-generation Chromebook has a design that is 30 percent thinner than its predecessor. It's also lighter and for the first time, it features an anti-glare display, making it ideal for families and students who want a Chromebook that can be enjoyed in a range of settings, even outdoors in sunlight.

HP and Google have today announced a new Chrome OS-powered mobile solution, the Chromebook 11. Priced at $279, HP's creation weighs 2.3 pounds and features a thermal-bonded magnesium chassis, an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) IPS display, a full size keyboard, and a battery enabling up to 6 hours of use.

The Chromebook 11 packs a Samsung Exynos 5250 dual-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of flash storage (backed by 100 GB of Google Drive cloud storage which is free for two years), a webcam, and two USB 2.0 ports.

HP is working on its next big [well, little] thing, the Chromebook 11. Details of the lightweight notebook for people who just can't stay offline, surfaced in leaked documents by the company and retailers. The 11.6-inch notebook will be both slimmer and lighter than Chromebook 14. Specifically, it will be just 0.7-inch (17 mm) thick with the lid closed, and weigh just 1.08 kg. Its battery will be designed to keep the notebook running for up to 6.5 hours on a full charge. Neither HP nor the retailer in question, BestBuy, disclose hardware specs, but we don't expect them to be too different from those of the Chromebook 14. Freebies from the retailer include 100 GB of Google Drive cloud storage for 2 years (a $120 value).

HP today unveiled a suite of stylish consumer PCs, tablets and services including the world's first notebook PC with integrated Leap Motion technology, the first fanless 2-in-1 detachable Ultrabook PC based on the 4th generation Intel Core processor, and new services and solutions designed to help customers better manage their personal information.

Today's announcement illustrates how HP is reinventing the consumer PC category in time for the holidays, offering four industry-first innovations, next-generation form factors, choice of operating systems, and new services and software that ease the customer experience.

HP today announced the powerful HP Chromebook14, the first Chromebook powered by an Intel processor based on the Haswell microarchitecture, offering fast access to the web to tackle tasks while on the go, a large display and optional 4G for enhanced connectivity -- in a range of eye-catching colors.

The HP Chromebook14 boasts a large display, providing the immersive web experience and superb visual enjoyment that customers desire. The sleek, compact design -- available in Snow White, Ocean Turquoise and Coral Peach -- will be ready for the holiday season.

At IFA 2013 in Berlin Acer showcased an updated C710 Chromebook, a model that swaps the old, 32 nm-manufactured 1.1 GHz Celeron 847 processor for the fresher, 22 nm 1.5 GHz Celeron 1007U. Other specs remain unchanged so you still get a 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) display 2 or 4 GB of RAM, either a 16 GB SSD or a 320 GB HDD, 10/100 Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, and a 4- or 6-cell battery.

Acer's upgraded Chrome OS-running machine has a price tag of 249 Euro and is expected to hit stores soon.

Acer America today announced that it has expanded its line of Acer C7 Chromebook models for its commercial customers, including schools and businesses that need reliable, fast and affordable technology for their students and work forces. The two new models both have a fast 16GB Solid State Drives (SSDs), which enhance boot times and access to apps, as well as a 6-cell battery that delivers up to 6-hour battery life for all-day learning and productivity. Customers have the choice of two new models -- the Acer C710-2826 with 2GB of DDR3 RAM, and the Acer C710-2815 with 4GB DDR3 RAM.

Our new Acer C7 Chromebooks deliver exactly what the K-12 education market and so many businesses require -- solid performance at an affordable price with up to 6-hours of battery life," said Gregg Prendergast, vice president, U.S. Commercial Sales, Acer America. "Acer C7 Chromebooks will help our customers at schools -- students, teachers and administrators -- as well as our business customers, get to work and be productive right away for longer."

Acer America today announced that a new model in its Acer C7 Chromebook line, the Acer C710-2856, is now available at 2,800 Walmart stores for the low price of only $199. The new Acer C710-2856 Chromebook has a 16GB Solid State Drive (SSD) that provides fast boot times and quick access to apps and media for speedier all-around performance.

The affordable price and wide range of capabilities make the new Acer C7 Chromebook the ideal additional laptop for families, students and professionals who need a fast, easy and secure way to get online to do their computing in the cloud, such as using Gmail, keeping up on social networks, shopping and paying bills. The new model is available at an ideal time, since many consumers are looking for a portable computer for summer travel, or are already planning ahead for back-to-college.

HP today announced its first Chromebook, widening the company's extensive PC and workstation portfolio and expanding its multiOS approach to offer customers more choices.

The HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook boasts a display that's approximately 2 inches wider (diagonally) than any other Chromebook in the market today. It provides a fast and easy gateway to a seamless Google experience with popular products like Search, Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive and Google+ Hangouts for multiperson video chat as well as access to apps in the Chrome Web Store. A 14-inch diagonal design provides an ideal balance of mobility and comfort, while the HP BrightView display lets users see and surf easily.

Lenovo today announced the ThinkPad X131e Chromebook -- a fast booting, highly customizable ThinkPad built with rugged features for the daily rigors of K-12 education. The ThinkPad X131e Chromebook simplifies software and security management for school administrators and provides students and teachers with quick access to thousands of apps, education resources and storage.

Throughout the course of a typical school day, students' laptops are often subject to extreme wear and tear. To help school-proof them, the ThinkPad X131e has rugged features including a rubber bumper around the top cover and stronger corners to protect the system in the case of an accidental drop. The hinges and hinge brackets are also strengthened to last more than 50,000 open and close cycles.

Acer announced a premium variant of its 11.6-inch C7 Chromebook (model: C710-2605). While the original, which launched last month, features a catchy $199 price-tag, the new C710-2605 costs 50% more, at $299. In return, you get double the RAM, at 4 GB, a larger 500 GB hard drive, and double the battery capacity at 5,000 mAh. Everything else remains the same. The 11.6-inch Chromebook is driven by Intel Celeron 1.10 GHz processor, and features WLAN, GbE, USB 2.0/1.1, and HDMI in addition to D-Sub.

Acer America today announced that its new Acer C7 Chromebook is available now through additional online retail partners: TigerDirect, NewEgg and Staples.com, in addition to the existing Google Play, BestBuy.com and Best Buy stores.

The Acer C7 Chromebook mobile computer debuted earlier this month and has quickly gained popularity for providing customers an easy-to-use, speedy and secure computing experience at an affordable price of only $199 MSRP.