Samsung Updates Series 5 Chromebook, Launches First Chromebox

Posted 05/30/2012 at 5:53pm | by Pulkit Chandna

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Unfazed by the general public’s poor response to first-generation Chrome OS hardware, Google and Samsung have introduced a couple of new devices featuring the cloud-based OS. The Series 5 550 is an update to last year’s Series 5 chromebook, whereas the Series 3 Chromebox is the first of its kind.

Instead of the original’s dual-core Intel Atom N570 CPU and 2GB of RAM, the Series 5 550 features a dual-core Celeron B867 (Sandy Bridge) processor and 4GB of RAM. But there are quite a few things that remain unchanged, including the display, storage capacity and weight. While overall the Series 5 550, which is available in Wi-Fi ($450) and Wi-Fi/3G ($550) flavors, is much better than its predecessor, battery life is one area where it is vastly inferior. Here’s a quick rundown of the new Series 5’s specs:

• 12.1" (1280x800) display
• 3.3 lbs / 1.48 kg
• 6 hours of continuous usage (down from the original’s 8.5 hours)
• Intel Core  processor
• 4 GB RAM
• Built-in dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Gigabit ethernet, and 3G modem (optional)
• HD Camera
• 2 USB 2.0 ports
• 4-in-1 memory card slot
• DisplayPort++ Output (compatible with HDMI, DVI, VGA)

Powered by a 1.9 GHz dual-core Intel Celeron B840, the $329 Series 3 Chromebox is the very first Chrome OS-based desktop device. It features 4GB of RAM, 16GB of solid-state storage, built-in dual-band WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, Gigabit ethernet, 6 USB 2.0 ports and 2x DP++ display out ports (compatible with HDMI, DVI, VGA).  The 2.6-pound Mac Mini-esque Series 3 ships without a display, keyboard, or mouse.