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HP made a splash at CES earlier this month when they debuted one of the first ever AMD-powered Chromebooks alongside Acer’s Chromebook 315.
It now appears that Hewlett Packard didn’t play all of their cards at once. To kick off the annual BETT education technology show in London, the PC giant is taking the wraps off of their latest education Chromebook lineup.
Following in the footsteps of ASUS, HP has refreshed the Chromebook 11 EE and x360 EE with Gemini Lake processors from Intel and will be prepping them for release before the end of the 2018-2019 school year.
HP Chromebook 11 G7 EE
On the surface, the latest in the 11.6″ “education edition” series doesn’t stray much from the previous Apollo Lake models but, as we know, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
The 180-degree, fold-flat Chromebook is powered by the Intel Celeron N4000 and N4100 Gemini Lake processors that should offer a significant performance boost over its predecessor.
Another potentially beneficial update is the addition of Bluetooth 5 which brings a number of enhancements as well as cool, new features. I say potentially because without compatible peripherals, you don’t get the added benefits. Still, good to see the old BT 5 arriving in Chrome OS.
Here’s a closer look at the HP Chromebook 11 G7 Education Edition:
- Chrome OS
- Intel Celeron N4000 or N4100 with Intel UHD 600 graphics
- Up to 8GB RAM
- 16GB to 64GB eMMC storage
- 11.6″ IPS display @ 220 nits w/optional touchscreen
- MicroSD
- 2 x USB-C 3.1 2 x USB-A
- Rugged design drop tested at 76cm on concrete
- Android apps (presumably Linux app support based on our hands-on with the ASUS)
- Pick-proof, spill-resistant keyboard
- 12.04 x 8.18 x .074 in (30.6 x20.8 x 1.89 cm)
- 2.93 lbs (1.33 kg)
HP Chromebook x360 11 G2 EE
The convertible counterpart brings the same specs to the party but also offers an optional digitizer and HP Wacom EMR stylus that appears to be a good replica of a real writing utensil. This is a big plus when it comes to using a stylus in the classroom. I’m all for garaged pens but having something with a little more heft is better for students.
Again, the specs are practically identical to the G7 with the exception of the storage starting at 32GB and of course, it’s a bit heavier with the weight starting around 3.24 pounds.
HP is expected to make these available some time in April with pricing yet-to-be-announced. We’ll do our best to get our hands on some and pit them against the ASUS models and likely other coming down the pike from Acer.
If you’re attending BETT, you can stop by HP’s booth and see what’s new. They’ll be at Stand G190.
Shop HP Chromebooks On Amazon
