TechComputers & PCsLaptopsWhat is Chromebook Plus? How Google’s new standard betters the ChromebookChromebook Plus ensures minimum specification for an assured quality experience – here’s what that really meansWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TechComputers & PCsLaptopsWhat is Chromebook Plus? How Google’s new standard betters the ChromebookChromebook Plus ensures minimum specification for an assured quality experience – here’s what that really meansWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Chromebook Plus ensures minimum specification for an assured quality experience – here’s what that really means
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
When it comes tothe best laptops, it’s not onlythe best MacBooksand Windows laptops that make the cut:the best Chromebooks, featuringGoogle’s own operating system, have long held a place at the more affordable end of the market – in particular they’re often used in educational settings.
Now there’s a new Chromebook standard, called Chromebook Plus, which elevates the humble Chromebook to deliver a minimum specification for an assured quality experience. But precisely what does that mean? What are those minimum specs? Let me enlighten…
Which brands make Chromebook Plus models?
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(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
I attended an Acer preview event on Sunday 1 October – for the reveal of the Chromebook Plus 514 (from £499) and Chromebook Plus 515 (from £399), as pictured in the above gallery – where that brand described their take on the standard as “[delivering] typically twice the speed, power and storage of a standard Chromebook”.
Acer is far from the only brand to produce Chromebook Plus models, of course, withAsusalso in on the game with its Chromebook Plus CX34 (from £399).
I suspect many more manufacturers will also offer Chromebook Plus models in their ranges, from HP to Dell and beyond. It’s a case of watch this space, however, as the Chromebook Plus format was only unveiled to the world on Monday 2 October.
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What is the Chromebook Plus minimum specification?
The all-important question, of course, is what Chromebook Plus brings to the table? The format has a minimum standard across a variety of specification aspects, as I’ve detailed in the above list, but there’s no upper ceiling – a Chromebook Plus could be considerably more powerful.
I do also think there’s some potential confusion, as some older Chromebook models, such asGoogle’s Pixelbookfrom way back in 2017, would satisfy the ‘Plus’ criteria even today! Shame that’s been discontinued, because as expensive as it was it’s still a great machine – and I reallywanted to see a Pixelbook 2(could this be a prelude to that? I doubt it).
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Ultimately it’s great to see a minimum threshold in place for Chromebook Plus though. That will ensure decent processing power (generation and chip power unspecified though) and a baseline of RAM (type not specified), assurance of SSD storage (read/write speed not specified), and guarantee of a Full HD display and webcam. There’s no distinction on the screen type or scale, and a touchscreen isn’t a requirement. Battery capacity/longevity also isn’t mentioned.
Interestingly, based on the Acer launch experience, the presence of ‘Plus’ doesn’t mean a giant price tag. Starting at £399 for the company’s 15.6-inch Chromebook Plus 515, that’s a lot of laptop for not a lot of money. I wouldn’t be surprised if most manufacturers steer all of their efforts into hitting the Chromebook Plus standard from now on – and that can only be a benefit to end-users like you and I…
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