The ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) 2019 conference kicks off in just a couple of days but before thousands of educators converge on Philadelphia, a new player in the Chrome OS arena has emerged. These guys are seasoned veterans when it comes to technology in education but this new Chromebox will be their first offering to the Chrome device market.
Who are they?
Promethean
With twenty years in the business, Promethean offers a wide array of classroom-focused hardware, software, and accessories. At the center, you’ll find their ActivPanel lineup of interactive displays. These panels come in a variety of configurations to give teachers versatile options including app hubs, overheads, whiteboard functionality, and much more.
Promethean’s new Chromebox will be sold as a companion device for the ActivPanel Element series and will integrate Chrome OS with the display’s built-in software.
The Box
As for the specs, the Promethean Chromebox is built on the same Fizz/Wukong platform found in CTL and ViewSonic’s devices that happen to be aimed at the same segment.
On the inside, you will find the Intel Celeron 3865U processor and 4GB of RAM. Unlike its competitors, Promethean has decided to up the storage on their box to 128GB. This is a smart move as classrooms begin to use Android apps and possibly even Linux apps in the near future. (I do feel that 8GB of RAM or at least the option, would be a smart move for a device such as this.)
Around the outside, you’ll find the same port offerings found on most of the latest Chromeboxes. Five USB-A ports, one USB-C, an HDMI, MicroSD, and a headphone jack give users plenty of connection options.
Promethean doesn’t list a price for their new box but a couple of online listings put it between $370 and $400. That’s a hefty price tag for a Celeron box but my guess is that it is cheaper for institutions purchasing it in conjunction with the ActivPanels.
I’ve reached out to Promethean for more information and hopefully, we can get some demo time with the Chromebox and ActivPanel to see just how they work together.
You can learn more at Promethean World and if you happen to be at ISTE, head by their booth and see what’s new.
Promethean @ ISTE 2019 Booth #1800
Special thanks to D.J. for filling us in on this new Chromebox
