Somehow, I heard about Toshiba's $120, Windows 8.1 tablet but not their Chromebook 2. This ChromeOS-based laptop will have a choice between one of two 13.3-inch displays. The entry level is standard HD while the premium model is upgraded with a 1080p, IPS monitor. Prices range from $249.99 to $329.99. It is expected to be available on October 5th.
On the low end, you are looking at a browser-only device with 2GB of RAM, and Intel Celeron processor, 802.11ac, HDMI out, an HD webcam, two USB ports (one 2.0 and one 3.0), and an SD card slot. The higher-end device is the same, except with the better screen and double the RAM (4GB). At $330, that is a pretty good deal if you can live in Google Chrome day-in and day-out. Of course, this raises concerns about browser lock-in because you are buying a device with only one choice. That said, you are doing the same if you buy iOS, FirefoxOS, or Windows RT devices, so it is not a complaint about ChromeOS, specifically.
As stated, the Toshiba Chromebook 2 will be available October 5th, starting at $249.99.
I can’t find what celeron CPU
I can’t find what celeron CPU it is, I hope it’s faster than the 2955u (that thing is pretty slow)
This could be a really good low budget laptop. And I assume it wouldn’t be a problem to install a preferred Linux distro, I did that to my acer c720 Chromebook and it was relatively easy (as well as a storage upgrade to M.2 128GB SSD). I doubt they will do anything to prevent you from replacing Chrome OS after you enable developer mode.
My biggest gripe on the c720 is the non upgradable 2GB soldered RAM..
I don’t think most people will be missing windows on such a low end laptop, and that will help keeping the cost down.
The CPU is expected to
The CPU is expected to perform at a comparable level to the past models although Chrome OS has seen some optimization in newer updates. It is important to note that although this model will have 4gb of ram soldered to the board, it is expected (as it was with the Toshiba Chromebook 1) that the SSD will not be NGFF and will also be flash SD card memory that is soldered to the board. If you want to see this for yourself look up “replacing HD on toshiba CB one” on youtube.