Just last week we broke cover on the first detachable/tablet Chromebook, codenamed ‘Poppy’. Since then, many have weighed in on the future of tablets and detachables in the Chrome OS space.
Regardless of where this space is headed, today we have more detail on ‘Poppy’ and what type of detachable we will likely see.
In this same space with PCs, we see 2 main styles: keyboard covers like the Surface Pro and keyboard docks like the Surface Book. Granted, there are slight variants here and there by all OEM’s, but you usually end up with one of these two basic setups.
The more tablet-first devices tend to lean towards having keyboard covers. Cases or lids that double as keyboards are usually light, thin and a bit hollow. They work in a pinch, but usually aren’t the best typing experience you can find.
Keyboard docks, on the other hand, are more like standard laptop keyboards. They can contain extra battery, processing power, and full-functioning keyboards and trackpads. They aren’t very light or thin, though, and usually require a detachment for use in tablet mode. Devices that use these keyboard types usually lean towards being a laptop first, tablet second.
‘Poppy’ Looks To Be The Latter
From this commit, we can see that ‘Poppy’ has the ability to detect a power source when docked with the keyboard.
What this means, then, is that this device will have more of a keyboard dock like the Surface Book, giving the Chromebook more of a laptop feel that can be used as a detached tablet when needed.
While it is doubtful we’ll see any additional processing power in the base, additional battery life when connected is a win in a couple ways.
First, it helps with proper weighting. When all the power and processing are housed behind the screen, laptops tend to get top-heavy and out of balance. A battery in the keyboard will help this out.
Second, it means that this device could possess pretty ridiculous battery life if leveraged fully. And we can all appreciate that!
As always, the more we find about ‘Poppy’, the more we’ll share.
