Chromebooks could get even cheaper thanks to support for a new MediaTek chip

Chromebooks are already being marketed as affordable alternatives to traditional laptops, but Google’s browser-based computing platform could soon offer hardware at a sub-$200 price point. Taiwanese SoC maker MediaTek recently added an ARM Cortex A7 board codenamed “Moose” to the open source Chromium OS base. This system is based on the company’s low-end MT8127 quad-core processor, which clocks in at 1.5GHz.

Although this hardware doesn’t pack the biggest punch, support for it could lead to extremely cheap Chromebooks and Chromeboxes for emerging markets that are struggling to get online. While MediaTek hasn’t formally announced plans to release any type of Chrome-based hardware, the company’s chips are regularly used in low-cost smartphones in several territories. If MediaTek elects to use its tech in a new wave of ultra-cheap Chromebooks, the company may be able help bring laptops to places where computers are normally far and few between.

(via François Beaufort)