Looks like a new ASUS Chromebook offering is on the horizon sporting a more cost-effective quad-core 1.8 GHZ Rockchip processor. The new device is being labeled as the “most affordable Chromebook to date.” A catalog listing outs some of the devices specs with an expected 1366×768 resolution 11.6-inch display, 16 GB eMMC and a VGA webcam. The Troxell listing also states 10 hours of battery life. There is no mention of RAM, but I would bet this one will roll out with 2GB as there is mention of a separate C201PA with 4GB of RAM available, is supposedly a touch screen and doubles the storage to 32GB.
The last round of affordable ASUS Chromebooks launched at $249.99, it is safe to assume that this variant will make its debut somewhere in the neighborhood of $199.99. The listing adds that it will be ideal candidate for any 1:1 rollout. That leads me to believe this particular Chromebook is really going to target schools and businesses who need to deliver multiple devices on a budget. The added tag at the bottom about “Add Google Management Console” also adds to that thought.
The device certainly won’t be a power house, but for the casual browsing, paper writing and research, it could be the answer to a simple problem. It will likely have a memory card reader, HDMI out and more than one USB port too. Official pricing, availability and release date have yet to be formally announced by ASUS.
If you aren’t interested in waiting and do need a Chromebook for everyday life, the 13.3-inch C300 is on sale for $198.99 through Amazon right now. It packs similar specs but with a larger screen and an Intel processor.
Source: OMG!Chrome
