If you’ve been wanting to try a Chromebook, but have held off due to their need for an internet connection, Best Buy might have a remedy for your dilemma. The blue and yellow big box is currently knocking $100 off HP’s 11.6″ LTE Chromebook, bringing its asking price to $199. The device is backed by Verizon’s LTE network, you’ll pretty much have internet access anywhere in the US.
HP previously teased that it would be releasing a Chromebox this spring, but has today announced a few more details about the box, in addition to some images. HP’s Chromebox will come in four colors including white, black, silver, and turquoise. The device will be marketed towards homes and businesses, seeing that it will be more powerful than some of the other Chromeboxes we’ve seen so far this year (via Engadget).
HP’s Chromebox features an HDMI port and DisplayPort, in addition to four USB 3.0 ports. The device will be powered by a fourth-generation Haswell-based Intel Core i7 processor.
Missing from the details announced today is pricing. ASUS’ new box will come in at $179, although it is less powerful. Either way, HP will certainly have some tough competition in the Chromebox space. The company’s box is set to be released in spring.
Update: Best Buy is already listing the new model online for $379 (via Liliputing).
Reuters is reporting a claim by Israel’s Altair Semiconductor that HP will be launching a LTE-only Chromebook 11, with connectivity provided by the company’s chips.
“Our solution equips the Chromebook with a dependable and incredibly fast Internet connection,” said Eran Eshed, vice president of marketing and business development at Altair. “By focusing on 100 percent LTE and eliminating costly 3G components, we were able to help our partners lower the cost of this critical LTE connectivity feature” …
Google’s high end Chromebook Pixel is also LTE-only but the move for a more bargain-centric product has some folks scratching their heads….
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Hot on the heels of Acer announcing a pair of Android-powered all-in-one desktop computers, HP has just taken the wraps off of its own model. Dubbed the Slate 21 Pro, the device is an all-in-one targeted at business users. HP’s biggest selling point with the device is the fact that it comes pre-loaded with a variety of services and apps, including Kingsoft Office, Evernote, Skype, HP Classroom Manager, 50GB of lifetime Box storage and Citrix Receiver for remote Windows access. Of course, you also have access to the full Google Play Store for apps, as well.
Following the decision to stop sales of the HP Chromebook 11 pending an investigation into overheating chargers, today the US Consumer Product Safety Commission reports Google and HP will indeed recall the netbook’s charger. Google says it received nine reports in total of overheating chargers and melting with some cases resulting in injuries and property damage:
Google has received nine reports of chargers overheating and melting during use. There is one report of a small burn to a consumer and one report of minor property damage to a pillow from an overheating charger… This recall involves chargers that were sold with the HP Chromebook 11. The charger is black with outlet pins, measures 1¾ inches by ¾ inches, and has a 6-foot long cord with a micro-USB connector on the end. The model number of the charger is MU15-N1052-A00S, which is stamped on the face of the battery charger that has the outlet pins.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s report claims the recall will include around 145,000 units and that users can contact Google to get a free replacement. Google is yet to resume sales of the device on Google Play or through its retail partners, but its website says to “please check back soon.” More info on how to contact Google below.
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Update: HP has attributed the stopped sales of the Chromebook 11 to overheating chargers and has provided a brief statement on the matter available at the end of the post.
Whoa, some big news on the Chromebook front this morning as Best Buy has halted all sales of the HP Chromebook 11. According to The Verge, Best Buy retail stores are receiving internal memos alerting managers to “Stop selling the HP Chromebook 11 effective immediately…partner with sales support to pull the product off the sales floor to a secure location in the warehouse.”
At an event in Beijing, HP on Monday announced its latest foray into the tablet market in the Slate 21 AIO. The device packs a 21.5-inch display with a full HD resolution, Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, and a Tegra 4 processor. Yes, you read that correctly, a 21.5-inch display. The tablet looks to be meant for desktop use (obviously), as the press images show it with a keyboard and mouse. The display also has a built-in kickstand that allows it to be lowered to what appears to be a 30 degree angle or kept at an upright angle.
HP touts that it will make the process of accessing content through the cloud easier and will also feature the ability to live stream TV thanks to access to Google services, such as the Play Store.
“Customers are looking for technology that simplifies their lives while keeping them connected to the entertainment they enjoy and the content they need,” said Jun Kim, vice president and general manager, PC Displays and Accessories, HP. “The HP Slate21 allows families to easily access content through the cloud and enjoy it together on a large, interactive screen.”
The Slate 21 AIO features an HP TrueVision HD webcam and Wireless Direct capabilities, which allow users to share content between devices. It also has built DTS Sound technology, which will supposedly supply “concert-like” sound quality.
HP says the device will be available this September in the United States for $399.
As we discussed in February, HP is re-entering the Android tablet game after a little 4-year WebOS hiatus. Their first effort, the HP Slate 7 goes on sale today for a very reasonable $169. On the plus side, HP offers SD Card espansion, built-in printing and Beats Audio to the package when compared to the $199 Nexus 7. Like the Nexus 7, the Slate is almost entirely Stock Android (Here Here!). Unlike the Nexus 7, however, the screen is the same 1024×600 resolution as the two year old base model Kindle which currently sells for $159.
The real news here for Android is that HP’s expansive network of international customers now have easy access to an inexpensive tablet. I expect this to be a big deal.
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From 9to5Toys.com:
We don’t normally see Google Chromebooks on sale but today at Staples, HP’s version is a whopping $75 off putting it near the price of the much smaller ARM Samsung 550s.
Not only is the HP Pavilion 14-c01us Chromebook more expensive, it’s also heavier than Samsung’s offering at 4lbs compared to 2.5lbs. Battery life is unfortunately the same story with an approximate 4.25 hours quoted compared to the 6.5 hours Samsung’s Chromebook offers. If you can get past that, the new HP device packs in a 14-inch diagonal HD BrightView LED-backlit (1,366-by-768-pixel), 1.1GHz Intel Celeron 847 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB SATA SSD, HDMI, USB 2.0, as well as an Ethernet port.
Staples is offering the HP Pavilion Intel Celeron 847 14″ Chromebook for $330. Enter the coupon code: 45582 and get an additional $75 off at checkout making the total only $255 before tax with free shipping. (Expiring Soon)
Update: Throw in another $50 via rebate to get it down to $205.
We posted a leaked spec sheet late last month that showed off what appeared to be an upcoming 14-inch Chromebook from HP. HP has officially announced the new Chromebook today. While it might have a 14-inch display two inches wider than any other Chromebook, it also happens to be more expensive than Samsung’s latest offering at $329. That’s significantly more than Samsung’s latest $249 model.
HP offered up full specs on the device that is available to order through the company’s website now. Not only is the HP Pavilion 14-c01us Chromebook more expensive, it’s also heavier than Samsung’s offering at 4lbs compared to 2.5lbs. Battery life is unfortunately the same story with an approximate 4.25 hours quoted compared to the 6.5 hours Samsung’s Chromebook offers. If you can get past that, the new HP device packs in a 14-inch diagonal HD BrightView LED-backlit (1,366-by-768-pixel), 1.1GHz Intel Celeron 847 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB SATA SSD, HDMI, USB 2.0, as well as an Ethernet port.
The Samsung Chromebook has been the top-selling laptop on Amazon since it launched; Acer reported that Chromebooks make up 5-10% of US shipments; and in the first two months of 2013 Google announced two new devices from two new partners, Lenovo and HP. In the Enterprise, Google just announced 2,000 schools have deployed Chromebooks and businesses like Kaplan, Dillard’s and Quality Distribution are using Chrome devices as well.
HP’s hoping consumers will opt for the larger display, keyboard, and additional ports for the extra $80, but we’re not too excited about the battery life.
Google rolled out a nice little update for Google Cloud Print support today. While mentioning a number of new features added to the service such as the ability to control printer access, save to Google Docs, and a new tablet-friendly UI for the management page, they also announced site owners can now add the print button element for smartphones and tablets to their sites.
Other new additions to Google Cloud Print– those using the latest release of Chrome on Mac, Windows, or Linux can print any webpage, and Chromebook users will now have access to print preview. Google also notes they look forward to rolling out the service across products and platforms.
These features continue the rollout of GCP, which has connected more than 6 million printers since launch, and added a number of new supported products from companies like HP, Epson, and Kodak. You can get a full list of supported products here, and check out Chrome extensions and apps that currently have access to the service.
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As you can see from the internal email sent to HP employees by CEO Meg Whitman below (via TechCrunch), webOS is officially alive and well and on its way to open source land. Last we heard HP was soon going to come to a solid decision on the fate of webOS and rumors started flying about the company even being open to Android. However, today’s confirmation from Whitman most likely means the company hopes webOS will be picked up by vendors looking for an alternative to Google’s OS. There’s no mention of new hardware in the letter, but The Verge sat down with Whitman and board member Marc Andreessen who say there will indeed be new HP webOS tablets by 2013:
Will HP be creating any new webOS hardware?
The answer to that is yes but what I can’t tell you is whether that will be in 2012 or not. But we will use webOS in new hardware, but it’s just going to take us a little longer to reorganize the team in a quite different direction than we’ve been taking it in the past.
Are we talking printers? Or tablets and phones?
In the near term what I would imagine – and this could change, in full disclosure – is I would think tablets, I do not believe we will be in the smartphone business again.
Here’s Whitman’s full letter to HP Employees:
HP’s now deceased TouchPad tablet, powered by the webOS software.
In addition to whispers of a possible take over of Hewlett-Packard’s personal computer business worth forty million PC units in 2011, Samsung is said to be considering purchasing the webOS operating system HP got through the last year’s Palm acquisition.
This comes via a DigiTimes report this morning, citing “sources from notebook players”. In fact, that may be the reason alone behind Samsung’s rumored interest in HP’s PC making biz, the sources suspect. Samsung, of course, already makes PC notebooks but with only ten million units in this year they aren’t exactly in the big league.
Of course, the rumor-mill has been speculating about such a move since Hewlett-Packard shot down webOS and announced intentions to exit the low-margin personal computer business earlier this month. While we have to take those stories with a few pinches of salt, it’s easy to see webOS flourish under Samsung.
The company would further reduce its dependence on Android software as Google’s $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola has left the search giant’s commitment to Android backers dwindling in the air.
Samsung, which also develops Bada, its own operating system for feature phones, could make, promote and sell webOS smartphones and tablets on a global scale. And if HP’s TouchPad fire-sale is an indication, the industry and consumers yearn for a third mobile platform in order to avoid the Android-iOS duopoly. Think about it: The webOS software running on Samsung’s beautifully designed hardware rocking cutting-edge processors and graphics – and priced aggressively – could let Samsung compete with iPad more effectively than with its current crop of Android-driven tablets.
Let’s not forget Palm’s intellectual property portfolio that would no doubt enable the company to avoid future lawsuits from rivals. As a matter of fact, the webOS licensing would enable Samsung to gain a much-needed patent leverage against Apple in the mobile space.
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c20yOVKm5UM”]
With the price drop of the HP TouchPad to $99 came many developers who began working on porting Android to the device. A stable release hasn’t made its way to the internet quite yet, but as shown above by someone on the CyanogenMod team, it’s getting there. The $1500 or more bounty is surely pushing developers to getting there first. But, did Qualcomm beat everybody to the punch? (via RootzWiki)
Did you land your hands on the HP TouchPad this weekend, and not satisfied with WebOS? We understand the WebOS part of things, but the TouchPad could actually be considered a pretty nice piece of hardware..if it’s running the right stuff. While we mentioned an Android port was in the works this morning, the folks over at HacknMod are holding a little contest to see who can successfully do the port first. Total prize money tops $1500.
The basic Android port is going for $450, Wi-Fi is going for $350, both audio and camera are going up for $300, and lastly, MultiTouch is going for $100. Devs, that’s $1500!
If you think your dev skills are up to the challenge you can get started by posting your first bit of code into GitHub (full directions here). Note, all code developed for this project must be licensed under open-source. May the best coder win!
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In the battle for mobile supremacy, Apple and Google are winning as competitors continue to lose ground, finding it increasingly difficult to compete with the strong iOS and Android ecosystems (can you say ‘duopoly’?), per latest survey from the NPD Group. The results came by tracking U.S. consumers aged 18+ who reported purchasing a mobile phone and exclude corporate purchases. In the June quarter, iOS grabbed 29 percent of the U.S. smartphone share versus Google’s 52 percent share. Both tech behemoths have grown their platform share at the expense of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion.
Cross-posted on 9to5Mac.com
RIM’s been on a serious decline amid poor sales and delays related to their QNX-based superphones. Their BlackBerry OS software share fell to just eleven percent in the U.S. Meanwhile, Hewlett-Packard’s webOS is in a state of limbo as the world’s leading computer maker announced intentions to exit the hardware business. Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 and Windows Mobile grabbed five percent of the market each.
The emerging prepaid market is the next battelground for iOS and Android. Google, however, has the first mover advantage here…
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If you we’re lucky enough to get your hands on one of those $99 HP TouchPad‘s this weekend, you’ll probably want to stay up to date with the “Touchdroid” project. Over at RootzWiki, the Touchdroid team is apparently hard at work on getting Android (2.3 Gingerbread to be exact) ported to the device that’s currently running the soon to be extinct WebOS.
The project is still in its infancy, to say the least. However, the timing couldn’t be more perfect with a ton of new Touchpad users undoubtedly itching to shed that ugly, outdated WebOS. The wiki also notes a Honeycomb port will follow only if Ice Cream Sandwich isn’t released in the meantime. Swing by the RootzWiki forum if you’re interested in contributing or just keeping up to date on the project. We’ll keep you updated as the guys get closer to a stable beta.
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HP’s Todd Bradley unveiled the family of webOS-driven smartphones and tablets in February 2011.
Samsung, the leading Android device vendor, is apparently considering webOS mobile operating system from Hewlett-Packard for use in their own devices, reports SlashGear citing unnamed sources. This doesn’t mean Samsung is ditching Android – the company has invested too much into the platform and it has been working out for them really well.
But the Korean consumer electronics powerhouse also has another mobile software of its own, called Bada, that is gaining share and popularity on so-called feature and mid-range phones, basically a cross between smartphones and dumb phones. Bringing another platform to the mix would enable greater choice, watchers say, which is the same argument Google uses to justify Android.
Coincidentally, Bloomberg also reported earlier today that HP’s CEO Leo Apotheker confirmed licensing talks with Asian vendors:
We are talking to a number of companies. I can share with you that a number of companies have expressed interest. We are continuing our conversations.
This jibes with what an industry source told 9to5Google, that HP has basically sent out their sales teams after several Asian vendors who are said to be increasingly dissatisfied with the fact that Google so far only approved four handset makers into the Honeycomb program for tablets. These companies, the source underscored, are annoyed that Google has begun exercising tighter control over the Android ecosystem, essentially shutting them out at a time when both HP and Microsoft are actively seeking hardware partners to support their struggling mobile operating systems.
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