HP announces new detachable and all-in-one Chrome OS computers

HP is announcing two new Chrome OS computers for its consumer-focused lineup. The first is the Chromebase AiO, an all-in-one desktop computer with a screen that can rotate from landscape to portrait. The second is the Chromebook x2 11, a lightweight detachable that can easily shift from laptop to tablet modes. The company is also announcing a new Works With Chromebook-certified 24-inch USB-C monitor.

All three new products are designed for students, families, and general consumers. The Chromebase AiO will be available at HP, Amazon, and Best Buy this month, while the Chromebook x2 11 will be available from Best Buy this month and from HP’s website in October. Both computers start at $599.99 for base configurations. The M24fd USB-C monitor will be available in October from HP directly for $249.99.

HP Chromebase AiO

Photo: HP

The $600-and-up Chromebase AiO is an all-in-one computer with a rotating display — a first for all-in-one Chrome OS desktops. Its 21.5-inch touchscreen has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and it comes with either an Intel Pentium Gold processor or a 10th Gen Core i3 chip. The base Pentium Gold configuration has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage; you’ll be able to get up to 16GB RAM and a 256GB SSD with an upgraded model, but oddly, there isn’t a configuration with 8GB of RAM available.

The conical base of the Chromebase AiO is made of aluminum and houses dual 5-watt speakers and four ports — two USB-C and two USB-A — as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack. A 5-megapixel camera is available for video calling. You can selectively disable the camera or microphones with the Chromebase’s built-in shutter. Included in the box is a wireless mouse and keyboard.

Photo: HP

Along with its ability to rotate from landscape to portrait, the screen can be tilted back 20 degrees, though there is no height adjustment. HP says portrait mode makes it easier to read long webpages or work with documents. I had a chance to test out a pre-production version of the Chromebase AiO to see how useful the rotating screen is in person — you can read my impressions here.

HP Chromebook x2 11

Photo: HP

The Chromebook x2 11 is an 11-inch Chrome OS tablet that comes with a magnetic keyboard and kickstand to use it in laptop mode. It has Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7c processor (the first-generation chip, not the more recently announced second-gen version) and optional 4G LTE connectivity (but not 5G). HP claims it will last up to 11 hours between charges.

The 11-inch touchscreen display features a 3:2 aspect ratio and 2160 x 1440 resolution. The tablet itself is made of aluminum and has two USB-C ports for charging and data transfer and a microSD card reader. A fingerprint reader is integrated into the power button for biometric logins, while dual speakers provide audio. Unfortunately, HP wasn’t able to find room for a 3.5mm headphone jack.

A 5-megapixel camera is available for video calls, while an 8-megapixel camera is on the back for photo taking or document scanning.

Photo: HP

The Chromebook x2 11 will be available with either 64GB or 128GB of storage paired with 8GB of RAM. The LTE-equipped models come with either 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

Included in the box is a wireless pen that magnetically attaches to the side of the x2 11 to recharge. It can be used with Google’s new Cursive progressive web app for note-taking and sketching. The x2 11 will be the first device on the market with the Cursive app; Google says it will be made available to other Chrome OS devices in the future.

HP M24fd USB-C monitor

Photo: HP

The M24fd is a USB-C monitor that has Google’s Works With Chromebook certification for simple setup with a Chrome OS laptop. It can provide up to 65 watts of power to the connected laptop over the USB-C cable, or you can connect it to other devices over HDMI (1.4) or VGA. There are also two USB-A ports on the monitor for other peripherals.

The 23.8-inch display is IPS and has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. HP says it has horizontal and vertical viewing angles of 178 degrees and supports AMD’s FreeSync tech for more fluid gameplay, with refresh rates up to 75Hz. Brightness is rated up to 300 nits and there is an anti-glare coating on the display itself. HP claims up to 99 percent coverage of the sRGB color space.

Photo: HP

The M24fd’s detachable stand doesn’t rotate like the Chromebase AiO, but it does allow for tilt adjustment from negative 5 to positive 25 degrees. There is no height adjustment, however.