Chromebooks are as basic as they get, and their utilitarian design doesn’t belie that fact. However, the new Chromebook Pro by Samsung (KRX:005930) is looking to shed that image, albeit at $549.
Granted the price tag is a bit steep, but this is not your garden variety Chromebook. The first noticeable difference is a metal body that will be essential to manipulate the 2-in-1 design. With this type of design, the next logical application is a tablet feature with a stylus, and Samsung doesn’t disappoint.
The stylus is hidden on the side of the Chromebook, and once you get it out, you can fold the Pro and annotate, draw or use it as a laser pointer to highlight objects on the 12.3-inch, 2400 x 1600 pixel LED display. The computer is powered by a 2.2GHz Intel Core M3 processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a 39Wh battery that should deliver around eight hours of life.
The ports include two USB Type-C connections that support charging and 4K video output, a MicroSD card slot, 802.11 WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, dual-array mic and a 720p webcam. There is also an Accelerometer and a Gyroscope all packed in an 11″ x 8.7″ x .55″ form unit and weighing in at 2.4 pounds.
Samsung has evolved the Chromebook into a writing instrument and a tablet, which for many small business owners who weren’t considering this particular platform could be the deciding factor. The Chromebook is essentially a web browser, with all the applications and resources stored in the cloud.
This has many benefits for businesses that don’t want their employees carrying all their information on their computers. The new Chrome OS also integrates Android apps (currently in Beta), which will make it just as easy to continue working if there is not a connection.
The Samsung Chromebook Pro is going to be available in April of 2017. If you can’t wait, you can get the Chromebook Plus for $449 with all the same specs, except you will be getting an ARM processor.
Images: Samsung
This article, “Samsung’s Chromebook Pro Gets You Doodling on Your Screen” was first published on Small Business Trends