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Just when we thought the ASUS C302CA was going to remain silent until sometime in January, Newegg now has it listed for sale and in stock on their site.
This comes as quite the post-Christmas surprise. Initially outed by an FCC filing all the way back in mid-October, this is a device we’ve been tracking since June.
Codenamed ‘Cave’, we’d assumed it would be the followup to the ASUS Chromebook Flip. As it turns out, that isn’t the case (‘Bob’ has assumed that role), and the ASUS C302CA is its own device with its own place in the Chromebook ecosystem.
When it passed through the FCC, we assumed we’d see a full release within weeks.
That, however, did not happen. The online shops that had it listed kept pushing back their release dates and, after a solid month and a half of that, we wrote the device off until 2017.
But, right before 2016 takes its final breaths, ASUS looks to have semi-silently dropped a last minute surprise on us.
Is It Really Shipping?
When devices pop up suddenly, in-stock, and shipping, our natural tendency is to be skeptical.
So, in order to put the idea to rest, we ordered one immediately.
Of course, we’ll keep everyone updated on it’s movements and give it the proper unboxing treatment when it arrives. We saw no flags or warnings upon ordering it, so I assume the device will be with us in the office in just a few days.
One Little Difference
Since we saw this device, it has been listed with 8GB of RAM in every online outlet we’ve found. This one comes with 4GB. Not a deal breaker, honestly. In comparison to the HP base model at the same price, you are getting a nice processor upgrade (m3 vs. Pentium in the HP), convertible build, and a touch screen display. The HP still has a higher res screen, but as Chromebooks are now leveraging FHD displays much better these days, that’s not really much of a loss.
The rest of the specs are as follows:
- Intel Core m3-6Y30 Processor (4M Cache, up to 2.2 GHz)
- 12.5″ FHD (1920×1080) Touch Display – 300 nits
- 4GB LPDDR3 RAM
- 64GB EMMC Storage
- 11.97″ x 8.27″ x 0.54″
- 2.65 lbs.
- Bluetooth 4.2
- 2 x USB3.1-Type C
- 1 x Headphone-out & Audio-in Combo Jack
- Illuminated Chiclet Keyboard
- Micro SD Card Slot
Overall, this appears to be a fantastic-looking Chromebook at a competitive price. Bright trouchscreen, fast processor (22K on Octane Benchmark), 64GB of storage, backlit keyboard, and a convertible, all-aluminum body all make up a great package.
I’m excited to see this thing in the flesh. Once I see it and confirm this is everything shown in the listing, I’ll be sure to update and let everyone know.
After that, we’ll spend some time with it and let you know if it should be your next Chromebook!
Finally, here’s the link if you are ready to order! We’ve also included the images we had with a few new ones from Newegg.com below.
UPDATE: It looks like the link has come down from Newegg.com for the time being. We’ll keep you posted on the one we ordered.
PRE-ORDER THE ASUS CHROMEBOOK FLIP CORE M3 From Amazon
