Acer today continues to lead the Chromebook space with the debut of the industry's first Chromebook with a 15.6-inch display. The new Acer Chromebook 15 delivers the ideal balance of large screen size, outstanding Chrome performance and sleek, portable design, making it an excellent primary computing device. The Acer Chromebook 15 is the company's first Chromebook that uses 5th Generation Intel Core i3 and next generation Intel Celeron processors based on Intel 5th Generation Core micro-architecture.

The new Acer Chromebook 15 will be on display at Pepcom's Digital Experience! Event on Jan. 5th at The Mirage in Las Vegas.

In another strong quarter, Chromebook shipments increased by 67% QoQ and are projected to double in size YoY. Acer continues to maintain its lead over other vendors in the market, including Samsung, HP, and Dell. The top three leading vendors - Acer, Samsung, and HP - accounted for 74% shipment share during 1H 2014 and are forecasted to maintain market control through 2H 2014, according to quarterly data from technology market intelligence firm ABI Research.

"Consumers are hungry for a product that is cost effective but also provides the versatility and functionality of a laptop," says Research Analyst Stephanie Van Vactor. "The growth of the Chromebook market demonstrates a niche that is gaining traction among consumers."

The questionable need of Chromebooks by consumers contributed to the slow start of these devices; however, vertical markets such as elementary education still remain a driving force. In emerging markets, especially in Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe, business-purchasing entities account for 75% of Chromebook sales. ABI Research also forecasts that North America will account for 78% of the Chromebook market in 2014, while other regions, especially Asia-Pacific and Western Europe, are expected to grow in market share by 2019.

Samsung, the leading Chromebook brand, today announced availability of the new, 11-inch Chromebook 2 with an Intel Celeron (N2840) processor. The laptop is available for pre-order now for an MSRP of $249.99.

Premium, High-Powered Performance
The Samsung Chromebook 2 utilizes an Intel Celeron (N2840) processor, with speeds up to 2.58 GHz and a 1 MB L2 cache, providing fast performance and energy efficiency. With an overall system memory of 2 GB, eMMc technology and a storage capacity of 16 GB, the Chromebook 2 provides ample space for all of a user's needs.

HP today announced a new lineup of sleek consumer PCs including, two new powerful HP ENVY x2 detachable PCs designed to deliver a notebook experience for productivity, but quickly transform to a tablet for entertainment and apps; the ultra-portable HP Pavilion x2 detachable PC designed for customers who want to simplify their life with a single device that transforms from tablet to laptop; and two new colorful HP Chromebooks that bring the power of the Chrome OS for a fast, simple, protected internet experience.

"Customers have told us they want devices that offer flexibility and performance while reflecting their personal sense of style," said Mike Nash, vice president, Product Management, Consumer Personal Systems, HP. "The products we are announcing today include innovative designs, vibrant color options, choice of operating system and computing power to enable the way that customers communicate, play and live."

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced its second generation Chromebooks. Featuring an all-new sleek design that houses a 13-inch display in a compact 12-inch chassis, Toshiba's Chromebook 2 delivers a Chromebook experience that's tuned for entertainment, while providing versatile performance and fantastic battery life for productivity seekers.

Toshiba will offer two versions of its Chromebook 2 - an entry model with a standard HD display and a premium model featuring a brilliant Full HD (1920 x 1080) display with IPS technology. Both models feature a sound system tuned by Skullcandy that delivers audio with attacking bass, natural vocals and precision highs and sets a new bar for Chromebooks.

Today at VMworld 2014, VMware, NVIDIA and Google announced a collaborative effort to deliver high-performance virtual desktops and workstation-class graphics to Google Chromebooks. Showcased as a technology preview, the solution demonstrates the next generation of VMware Blast Performance and NVIDIA GRID vGPU technology to satisfy customers' most demanding visual computing needs. The joint effort is expected to expand the hardware options for high-performance virtual desktops, enabling customers to select their system of choice without compromise.

"We are breaking down traditional barriers to adopting virtual desktops and offering new economics for the delivery of graphics-intensive applications through the power of the cloud," said Sanjay Poonen, executive vice president and general manager, End-User Computing, VMware. "Organizations of all industries and requirements will soon be able to embrace the mobile-cloud using a solution that offers a new way to work from three proven industry leaders."

Acer expands its Chromebook portfolio with a model that delivers enhanced mobile performance for graphic-intense apps, games and more; up to 13 hours of battery life and option for full HD display takes Chromebook from workday productivity to nighttime entertainment.

Acer America today announced the Acer Chromebook 13, the industry's first Chromebook powered by an NVIDIA Tegra K1 mobile processor and the company's first with a 13.3-inch display. The Chromebook 13 enhances Acer's already leading position in this category.

Acer America today continues its leadership position in the Chromebook space with the industry's first model using a 4th Generation Intel Core i3 processor. The award-winning Acer C720 Chromebook is now available in two models powered by the Intel Core i3 processor to provide customers even faster and more responsive performance for multi-tasking, while also providing long battery life of up to 8.5 hours.

These new Chromebooks expand Acer's line that has made the company the leading provider of Chromebooks with an impressive 46.7 percent market share in this category.

Intel Corporation announced that three customers launched products based on its new education-specific product reference designs this week at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) 2014 Conference in Atlanta. Created by Intel Education, these reference designs draw on more than a decade of experience in student learning, providing customers with shorter development time, customization capabilities and the latest technologies, features and software. The three products are the Panasonic 3E*, the CTL Education Chromebook* and the M&A Education Chromebook*.

Designed for active learning and active students, the Panasonic 3E is a tablet that comes with a detachable keyboard to deliver laptop capabilities. Panasonic is the first company to offer Intel's purpose-built 2 in 1 reference design as a device for K-12 students. The Panasonic 3E ships with a comprehensive software bundle of essential K-12 applications that makes learning more active and teachers' lives easier. It also features a thermometer probe, on-board cameras and an add-on lens that turn science and mathematics into hands-on, highly engaging, STEM-centered learning.

CTL announced their new CTL Education Chromebook today at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference. This exciting new Chromebook features a rugged design, security, long battery life and an easy-to-use interface. This lightweight and budget-friendly 11.6'' laptop was designed for the classroom, but is versatile enough for the mobile professional and home user. This unique Chromebook is an Intel Education reference design developed specifically for students.

"CTL has a long history of providing educators the technology to enhance their classroom experience. The new CTL Education Chromebook will offer schools an affordable, secure and easy to implement one-to-one e-learning solution," said CTL's Chief Operating Officer, Erik Stromquist. "We're excited about helping as many students as possible to have increased access to technology."

HP today announced new milestones in the transformation of its consumer personal systems portfolio with a host of innovative form factors, and multiple operating system (OS) options, including a new notebook powered by Android.

Unique two-in-one PC designs, including two new 360° convertible PCs and a new detachable PC, give customers the performance and mobility they want and need. Additionally, HP's new Chromebook introduces new colors and designs for customers who want a quick and easy way to complete everyday tasks, while HP's new Android-based notebook makes popular Android apps available in a clamshell design.

Announced at the Intel/Google joint press event in San Francisco, ASUS' C200 (11.6-inch) and C300 (13.3-inch) Chromebooks have been confirmed to arrive (at least in the US) at the end of June. Both Chrome OS-running mobile PCs are powered by the 2.4 GHz Celeron N2830 dual-core processor and feature a screen resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, a 720p webcam, an SD slot, USB 3.0 and HDMI ports, 802.11 b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.0 support, and a battery allowing up to 10 hours of operation per charge.

The C200 comes with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of NAND-based storage while the C300 will be available with 4 GB and 16/32 GB storage options. ASUS says its upcoming Chromebooks start at $249.99 so that's likely the price of the C200.

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).