ASUS has offered an official unveil for the Chromebox. Or more specifically, as there will be three models available, the Chromebox lineup. This Chrome OS box will be available beginning in March and with a starting price point of $179. The specs will be similar across the lineup, with the main difference being in the processor.
The $179 model in the Chromebox lineup will be powered by an Intel Celeron 2955U processor. Looking up the lineup and we find mention of a Intel Core i3 4010U and Intel Core i7 4600U. The Core i3 is expected to be available globally, however the Core i7 model is not expected to arrive in the US market.
Other specs include options for 2GB or 4GB of RAM and 16GB of SSD based storage. Similar to other Chrome OS devices, the Chromebox will offer 100GB of Google Drive storage — free for two-years time. These will also have a microSD card slot for additional storage, WiFi 802.11n for connectivity and Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI and DisplayPort. Users can also expect to find a headphone jack and four USB 3.0 ports.
The Chromebox will have integrated Intel HD graphics and in terms of size, it will measure in at 4.88 x 4.88 x 1.65 inches. While some may still argue about the usefulness of Chrome OS, a $179 price tag could make this a worthwhile purchase. Use cases could vary from a simple Internet connected device in the house, to use in business, or even attached to an HDTV for media streaming.
You could get a REAL computer of comparable specs for only a little bit more, price wise. It’s just too expensive for what it is – and isn’t.