With Acer and HP already in on the Chromebook game, Dell has decided to cannonball itself into the Chrome OS-colored waters too.
Dell just announced the Chromebook 11, which is aimed at the education sector and is powered by a 4th-generation Intel Celeron 2955U processor, 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 display, a 16GB SSD and Intel integrated graphics. Dell states that there will be two flavors of the Chromebook 11 available; one will include 2GB of RAM, while the other unit doubles that figure to 4GB. The Chromebook 11 will support 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth 4.0 and sport a pair of USB 3.0 ports along with an HDMI out. The Chromebook 11 will also be pretty easy to carry around; its weight “starts” at 2.9 pounds. Skype-ing and collaborating on projects and lessons will be made possible by the Chromebook 11’s front-facing 720p webcam. Dell also claims battery life of “up to 10-hours.”
Here’s what Caesar Sengupta, Google VP of Product Management, had to say about the announcement.
“Adding Dell’s first Chromebook to our stable of devices built for the classroom is a big milestone, and Dell has been a great partner in this effort. The Dell Chromebook 11 with Google Apps for Education will bring exciting new possibilities for learning and collaboration inside and outside the classroom.”
The 2GB Chromebook 11 will be available starting January 2014, while the 4GB model is slated to hit the market sometime during the first quarter of next year. Though exact pricing details haven’t been revealed, Dell stated that both models should sell under $300 and will be available in both the U.S. and U.K..