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Chromebox

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Chromebox
A connected Samsung Chromebox
ManufacturerSamsung; Asus; Hewlett-Packard; Acer; Dell; Google (as a bundler)
Introduced29 May 2012
Cost$179-$999
ProcessorIntel Celeron, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7
Memory2, 4, or 8 GB
PortsUSB 2.0/3.0, Ethernet, HDMI, DisplayPort++

A Chromebox is a personal computer running Google's Chrome OS operating system. The device is a desktop variant of the Chromebook laptop.

Functionality

Chromeboxes, like other Chrome OS devices, primarily support web applications, thereby relying heavily on an Internet connection for software functionality and data storage. That connection, via a local area network, can be wireless or through an Ethernet port.

The machines are classed as small form-factor PCs and typically feature a power switch and a set of connections to support a keyboard, pointing device and one or more monitors. Solid state drives are used for storage, and only wireless printers are supported. The first Chromebox, released by Samsung on May 29, 2012, ran a dual-core Intel Celeron Processor 867 at 1.3 GHz, and featured six USB 2.0 ports and two DisplayPort++ slots compatible with HDMI, DVI, and VGA.[1]

In February 2014, Google bundled an Asus Chromebox with a business video conferencing package, 1080p high definition camera module, external microphone/speaker and remote control. The system retailed for $999 plus a $250 annual management fee, waived the first year—a cost thousands of dollars less than other unified videoconferencing systems, including those from Cisco and Polycom. The Chromebox system employed a Google Hangouts-like interface for up to 15 participants, a dedicated URL for sharing screens, and management accounts for scheduling meetings.[2][3][4]

In March 2014, Asus established a new price at the low-end of the Chromebox market with a compact, 1.32 pound model that retailed at $179 and featured a Celeron CPU and four USB 3.0 ports.[1][5] Yahoo Tech columnist David Pogue called the Asus device among the smallest, "least-expensive desktop computers ever sold", likening it to a Smart car. "You won’t be hauling lumber from Home Depot in it, but it’s a terrific deal—and most days, it’ll get you where you want to go."[6] In May, Asus released a faster model with an Intel Core i3 processor.[7] Hewlett-Packard entered the market in June with a Chromebox powered by an Intel Celeron processor, optionally bundling a keyboard and mouse.[8] In August, Acer introduced two models that could stand vertically and provided some business-oriented features, including encryption and fast deletion of local data.[9] In September, Dell entered the market with an entry-level machine, as well as Dell's implementation of the Google video conferencing system.[10]

In August 2015, AOPen announced a family of Chromeboxes designed principally for driving the content of digital commercial signage. The models are ruggedized for on-site operation.[11]

Models

Available Brand Model Processor RAM Storage Size Weight
2012-05 Samsung Series 3 XE300M22-A01US Celeron B840 4 GB 16 GB SSD 1.3 in × 7.6 in × 7.6 in (33 mm × 193 mm × 193 mm)
2013-01 Series 3 XE300M22-A02US[12] Intel Core i5-2450M
2013-03 Series 3 XE300M22-B01US Celeron B840 4 GB 16 GB SSD 1.57 in × 8.10 in × 8.10 in (40 mm × 206 mm × 206 mm)
2013-02 Google Chromebox for Meetings[a] Intel Core i7
2014-03 Asus Chromebox-M004U[1] Intel Celeron 2955U 2 GB 16 GB M2 SSD 4.88 in × 4.88 in × 1.65 in (124 mm × 124 mm × 42 mm)
2014-05 Chromebox-M075U Intel Core i3-4010U 2 or 4 GB
2014-06 Hewlett-Packard HP Chromebox CB1[8] Intel Celeron 2955U 2 or 4 GB 16 GB M2 SSD 4.96 in × 4.88 in × 1.53 in (126 mm × 124 mm × 39 mm)[13]
2014-06 HP Chromebox[14] Intel Core i7-4600U 4 or 8 GB
2014-08 Acer Chromebox CXI[9] Intel Celeron 2957U 2 or 4 GB 16 GB 6.5 in × 5.1 in × 1.3 in (165 mm × 130 mm × 33 mm)
2014-09 Dell Dell Chromebox Intel Celeron 2955U 2 GB 16 GB 4.9 in × 4.9 in × 1.7 in (124 mm × 124 mm × 43 mm)
Intel Core i3-4030U 4 GB
Dell Chromebox for Meetings[a] Intel Core i7-4600U 4 GB
2014-08 Asus Chromebox CN60 Intel Celeron 2955U 2 or 4 GB 16 GB 1.6 in × 4.9 in × 4.9 in (41 mm × 124 mm × 124 mm)
2015-03 Acer Chromebox CXI[15] Intel Core i3-4030U (Haswell) 4 or 8 GB 16 GB 6.5 in × 5.1 in × 1.3 in (165 mm × 130 mm × 33 mm) 4 lb
2015-08 AOPEN Chromebox Commercial[16] Intel N2930[17] (quad core Atom) 4 GB 32 GB[18] 6.5 in × 6.2 in × 0.9 in (165 mm × 157 mm × 23 mm) 802 g

Notes

  1. ^ a b Equipment bundle

References

  1. ^ a b c Cunningham, Andrew (27 March 2014). "Review: Asus crafts a tiny $179 Chromebox out of cheap, low-power parts". Ars Technica. Condé Nast Digital. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  2. ^ Hachman, Mark (6 February 2014). "Google's next hardware push: Chromebox videoconferencing for businesses". PC World. IDG. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  3. ^ "For Meetings: Chromebox, plus everything you need for video meetings". Google. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  4. ^ Liedtke, Michael (6 February 2014). "Google debuts videoconferencing tool, battling Cisco and Polycom". San Jose Mercury News. Digital First Media. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  5. ^ Domingo, Joel Santo (12 March 2014). "Asus Chromebox M004U". PC Magazine. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  6. ^ Pogue, David (14 March 2014). "Asus Chromebox: A Tiny, Cheap, Very Useful Computer". Yahoo! Tech. Yahoo!. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  7. ^ Linder, Brad (5 May 2014). "Asus Chromebox with Core i3 Haswell now available". Liliputing. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  8. ^ a b Linder, Brad (7 July 2014). "HP Chromebox bundle with keyboard and mouse now available for $199". Liliputing. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  9. ^ a b Portnoy, Sean (22 August 2014). "Acer introduces Chromebox CXI PC family starting at $179.99". ZDNet. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  10. ^ Sneden, Joey-Elijah (5 September 2014). "$179 Dell Chromebox Will Hit US Stores Late September". OMG! Chrome!. Ohso Ltd. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  11. ^ Fagioli, Brian (August 2015). "AOPEN unveils commercial-grade Chrome OS devices as Google targets digital signage market". BetaNews. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  12. ^ Linder, Brad (14 January 2013). "Samsung Chromebox with Intel Core i5 now available for $400 and up 01/14/2013". Liliputing. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  13. ^ "HP Chromebox". Hewlett-Packard. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  14. ^ McAllister, Neil (11 June 2014). "HP has Chromeboxes with Intel Core i7 chips, but they'll cost you". The Register. Situation Publishing. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  15. ^ Newman, Jared (5 March 2015). "Acer's 4K Chromebox goes big on RAM, not on price". PC World. IDG. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  16. ^ "AOPEN Unveils First Commercial Grade device based on Google Chrome". 10 August 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  17. ^ "Chromebox Commercial". Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  18. ^ "Chromebox Commercial Specsheet" (PDF). Retrieved 18 January 2016.
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