Category: HP

HP Unveils the Windows 10-Powered Elite X3

HP has unveiled its Windows 10-powered Elite X3 smartphone at the ongoing Mobile World Congress. HP claims that this smartphone can be used as a laptop as well as a desktop. The Elite X3 bears some high-end specifications.

The phone comes with a 5.96-inch QHD touchscreen, a 16-megapixel camera at the back, an 8-megapixel camera at the front for clicking selfies. It will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM, 64GB storage and up to 2TB of expandable storage via MicroSD card slot. The device packs a large 4,100mAh battery and comes with support for USB Type-C and will also support USB 3.0, Qi wireless charging.

The Elite x3 also houses a fingerprint scanner, a fancy iris sensor, a special docking connection, IP67 certification for water and dust resistance, as well as MIL-STD-810G rating for withstanding drops from 1 meter or less. It will also support Microsoft’s Continuum feature. Pretty impressive we say.

HP confirmed the Elite X3 will be available this summer although the company did not specify the exact date or pricing of the device. We’ll know more in the weeks to come.

February 22, 2016
HP Elite x3 Images and Specifications Leaked

It’s hardly been a week that the rumours of HP readying a new weapon to take on the smartphone market reached the Internet, and now latest leaks are here to reveal the might of the smartphone, HP Elite x3 in all its glory.

HP is expected to announce the Elite x3 at MWC next week, and as such, it’s not too big of a surprise images and specs of the device have leaked today. The Elite x3 which will be a Windows phone will pit itself against the Microsoft’s Lumia 950 XL in the Windows 10 mobile ecosystem, as it packs some very high-end innards.

The phone will come with a 5.96-inch QHD touchscreen, a 16-megapixel camera at the back, an 8-megapixel camera at the front for clicking selfies. It will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. It will also come with support for USB Type-C and will also support USB 3.0, Qi wireless charging.

The Elite x3 will also house a fingerprint scanner, a fancy iris sensor, a special docking connection, IP67 certification for water and dust resistance, as well as MIL-STD-810G rating for withstanding drops from 1 meter or less. It will also support Microsoft’s Continuum feature. Pretty impressive we say.

Source

February 19, 2016
HP to Reportedly Unveil a Windows Phone at MWC 2016

Latest reports suggest the company best known in India for making laptops has now plans of getting back into the mobile manufacturing space.

HP which has tried its hand in the market before and now it is being tipped to launch a phone based on the Windows platform. Originally dubbed as the “Falcon”, it is now expected to be called the Elite X3.

According to sources ,the Elite X3 it will be powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 820 SoC, and will come equipped with a 5.8-inch Quad HD display. Sadly, the report says that it will come only with 1 GB of RAM. As far as the rest of the specs go,the phone will have 64 GB of inbuilt storage and the camera setup will be an impressive 20 MP shooter on the back and a 12 MP one on the front.

Probably the most interesting part of the rumour is that it pegs the device for a launch at MWC 2016, which if it indeed is true, would be a great thing for the Windows platform which is seeing its presence in the market diminish with each passing day.

February 15, 2016
HP to Work on High-End Tablets Priced Similar to Apple iPad

HP Slate 7 came out in 2013 and since then the tablet-business for the company has not been too smooth. HP had aimed to increase sales by keeping the prices low, but that couldn’t work for the company. The manufacturer decided to modify its tactics this year, the Cyber Monday sale being an example. This year, HP conducted a liquidation sale to sort out the inventory of its low-priced slate-tablets.

Additionally, HP has split itself into two companies -one aims at enterprises, the other at consumers. Tablets for “business mobility” will now be part of production of the company. President of Personal Systems at HP, David Coughlin says the tablets will now aim at retail, education and health care.

“We are going to focus where there is profitability and growth and will not chase the low-end tablet market. We are focusing on business mobility to deliver tablets built for field service, education, retail and healthcare,” says David Coughlin

As HP got rid of pretty much most of it low-range tablets, the tablets still on the website have similar price tags as iPads. HP Envy 8 Note are two consumer tablets available on the website. They feature an Intel Atom chipset and are priced at $329 and $429 respectively. These tablets are further equipped with a stylus controlled interface.

iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil

The lowest price tablets by HP are two variants of the HP Slate 8 which include an 8-inch device powered by Snapdragon 801 along with Android 5.0 pre-installed. These tablets are priced at $469 and $499.

December 4, 2015
Here’s a Look at Some Great Deals on Laptops Ahead of Diwali
Has the festive Diwali air gotten to you yet? It is, afterall, the season to be a shopoholic. There are plenty of great offers and discounts available these days, if you know where to look. Today, if you happen to pass by online retailers, you can avail some great discounts on laptops.

The offers have a time period so if you’ve been thinking about getting a new laptop, you may want to head over to one of these websites and add a laptop to your cart soon. However, before you do so, you might need a better idea of what’s on sale. We’ve broken it down in terms of price range. Have a look and decide the right one for you.

Laptops Under Rs. 20,000

Dell Inspiron 3551

Dell’s new Inspiron 15 3551 does make an impression thanks to its thinner profile and its surprisingly long warranty. Running times are also better than most of the competition. The graphics aren’t the best here and only some 3D games with very low demands are playable with these cards.
- 2.66GHz Intel Pentium N3540 N3540 processor
- 4GB DDRL3 RAM
- 500GB 5400rpm Serial ATA hard drive
- 15.6 inch screen, Intel HD Graphics
- Ubuntu Linux 14.04 SP1 operating system
The laptop is currently available at Rs. 17,999, down from Rs. 20,990, which is a 14% discount.

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Lenovo G50-30 80G001VNIN

The Lenovo G50 is also being offered at a 20% discount and is currently priced at Rs. 18,499. The laptop offers great performance for a low price. The G50-30 is apt for basic tasks like browsing, Skype or watching videos. The laptop only needs little power and operates quietly.
- 15.6-inch LED HD display
- Intel Pentium Quad Core N3540 Processor
- 2.16 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.66 GHz.
- 4GB DDR3L RAM
- 500GB storage and a 720p HD webcam.
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Laptops Under Rs. 30,000

Lenovo G40-45 (Notebook)

Looking for a budget-friendly laptop is not an easy task. Especially one that packs enough punch to get you through the day. Interestingly, the Lenovo G40 series, which is famous for its affordable prices, is powered by AMD A8 processors; a mobile quad-core system-on-chip (SoC) that integrates a Radeon R5 GPU. This laptop comes with an optical drive and gives a decent batter life with its four-cell battery. Overall, the laptop gives you the most bang for your buck.
- APU Quad Core A8
- 8 GB DDR3 RAM
- 1 TB HDD
- Free DOS
Dell Vostro 15 3558

The Dell Vostro is designed primarily as working device. It is powerful enough for daily tasks. This display isn’t anything to brag about, but it is decent for this price range. There’s a great discount going on for the Dell Vostro right now. The laptop is priced at Rs. 24,999 down from Rs. 28,799 and is being claimed fast.
- 15.6-inch LED backlit display
- 1.7GHz Intel Core-i3 4005U 4th generation processor
- 3.5 kg
- 4GB RAM and 1TB hard drive
- Intel HD Graphics 4400
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Laptops Under Rs. 40,000

Lenovo G50 80L0006HIN

Priced at Rs. 30,499, the laptop is being offered at a 22% discount. This laptop provides great graphics with a 2GB AMD Radeon graphic card. That is one of the key selling points of the G50 80. The laptop won’t heat much when playing graphically intense games and also comes with 1TB of internal storage.
- Intel Core i3 1.9GHz processor.
- 15.6-inch display with AMD Radeon R5 M230 2GB 3D graphics.
- 4GB RAM
- 1TB of internal storage.
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HP 15-ac101TU

For a laptop at this price level, the HP 15 looks really good. Instead of a simple texture, HP has gone with a diamond pattern for the lid which enhances the aesthetic appeal. The laptop is a decent entry point for those looking at a basic Windows 10 OS. The HP 15-ac101TU wins has a slim and sleek design. There’s a 10% discount on this HP laptop. Offered at Rs. 30,990, the deal is 60% claimed as of now.
- 5.6-inch screen with Intel HD Graphic 5500
- 2GHz Intel Core i3 5005u processor
- 4GB RAM and 1TB hard drive.
- Windows 10 pre-loaded. The deal is 60% claimed as of now.
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Other great deals worth mentioning:

Apple Macbook Pro

The Macbook is currently the best in 50K or above range and is currently available at a sweet price of Rs. 50, 999 down from Rs. 78, 990 which gives you an amazing 35% discount. So if you’re looking for a high-end laptop right now, this is the one to go for. The deal is 76% claimed already, so you may want to decide fast for this one.

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We’ll update the list as new deals come in. The prices mentioned above are subject to change as all mentioned deals are for limited periods of time only.
November 7, 2015
HP Reveals Envy Curve All-In-One PC With 34 Inch Screen

HP has unveiled a new Envy Curved All-in-One PC with a 34 inch screen and 3440×1440 pixel resolution. This new PC will run on the Windows 10 and will also arrive in a bunch of configurations ranging from an an Intel Core i5 CPU, integrated graphics, an HDD and 8GB of memory, to an i7 processor, an Nvidia GeForce 960A graphics card, 16GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD or a 1TB hybrid drive.

Other features include Windows Hello-capable Intel RealSense web cam and Bang & Olufsen speakers. The screen will allegedly be the same as the HP Envy 34c’s monitor, which has a VA panel with LED backlighting, 350 nits of brightness, a 178-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angle, and a typical gray-to-gray response time of 14ms.

The new HP Envy Curved All-in-One PC will be available from the 22nd of November, 2015 and will be priced at around Rs.11,6941.

October 9, 2015
HP Launches New Economical Desktop PCs in India

HP has officially launched its new HP 110 and HP 120 desktops PCs for the Indian market. HP says these affordable desktop PCs are designed specially for everyday use for both small businesses and home users.

The HP 120 is powered by a 4th gen 64-bit Intel Core i3 Processor, with a speed clocked at 3.6Ghz. It runs on Microsoft Windows 8.1 and users can customize the system with additional memory and graphics card. It comes bundled with 2GB of SDRAM which can be upgraded to 4GB. The HP 120 desktop features a 500GB HDD and comes with an included keyboard and a mouse.

Meanwhile, the HP 110 desktop PC is powered by a 64-bit Intel Quad-Core processor bundled with 2GB of DDRL3 RAM along with Intel HD graphics. In terms of storage, the HP 110 comes with a 500GB HDD and comes bundled with a mouse and a keyboard.

The HP 110 Desktop is now available in the market at a starting price of Rs. 23,990 (including taxes). It can also be purchased via the HP online store. However, the exact price of the HP 120 is not yet known though it should start at more or less the same price as the HP 110.

In addition, HP is also offering a 3 year on-site warranty option for Rs.1,499.

February 6, 2015
HP Teams Up With a Fashion Designer to Debut a Sleek Smartwatch

With an onslaught of smart wearables these days, HP has engineered a watch with designer Michael Bastian to create a traditional-looking timepiece called the ‘MB Chronowig’.

This wearable will be compatible with iOS and Android, and comprises all smartwatch features along with a design that emanates traditional watches. The MB Chronowig facilitates users to control music from their wrist, as well as displays email/text notifications. The watch can also sync with your calendar and alarm. This innovative piece does all these nifty little tricks while looking quite elegant – courtesy, the fashion designer.

The smartwatch will be up for sale on the website Gilt.com from 7th November. The range starts from $349 for the base silver-plated model. If you’re willing to shell out $649, there’s also one that comes in black with a sapphire glass and an elegant alligator strap.

November 1, 2014
New HP Sprout Seamlessly Blends Physical with the Digital World

HP had announced recently that it would be unveiling an all new form factor, and it’s here. HP calls it the ‘Sprout’ and it connects the digital and analog with an ease that till now was only possible on Sci-fi features.

Sprout consists of two screens. The first one is a 23-inch LCD screen with 10 point multi-touch capabilities. The second and more interesting one is a 20 inch touch mat which is capable of 20-point multi-touch. The touch functionalities are integrated under the mat.

The Illuminator is where all the magic happens.

What makes the Sprout fully functional is the ‘Illuminator’, which sure sounds like a name for a cyborg. The Illuminator is made up of a set of imaging technologies that are pooled together and placed on an extended arm on the top of the LCD display. It holds in itself a 14.6-megapixel digital camera, a DLP projector, and Intel’s RealSense 3D camera. The 3D camera lets users easily scan 3D Objects and being working on them right away.

HP has created its own UI called the Workspace that is built on Windows 8.1 interface. The company will be releasing a Software development kit for the developers to create app for this innovative new product.

With the specs on hand this is a creative professionals dream come true.

It is powered by a 4th generation Intel Core i7 Processor. The graphics are taken care of by an NVIDIA GeForce GT 745A graphic card with 2GB DDR3 dedicated memory. It comes with 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM (2x4GB and is expandable up to 16 GB). The device flaunts 1TB SATA 6G Solid State Hybrid Drive with 8GB flash acceleration cache. It will also sport an Adonit Jot Pro stylus to write and draw comfortably, and it can be attached magnetically to the upper-right side of the Sprout display.

Sprout is targeted mostly toward artists, designers, architects, publishers and other creative professionals. It will cost $1,899, which is a great price for a debut product with such innovative features. It ships with a 20-inch touchscreen monitor, a physical keyboard and a mouse. Though you may want to do away with the peripherals and just use the digital keyboard and feel its fantastic, futuristic pleasures.

October 31, 2014
HP Expected to Unveil a New Form Factor PC Called ‘Sprout’ Next Week

After phones, tablets and smartwatches, seems like the world needs to now get ready for a PC with a new form factor. HP is about to unveil a new device which is expected to be different from anything we’ve seen till now. The product is called ‘Sprout’.

Sprout is expected to bring a whole new way of interacting with computers. Its components are minimal. It is made of one large flat screen which will be similar to HP’s Pavilion Touchsmart line. Apart from the display, there’s a touch-enabled surface and a 3D scanner and projector placed in an overhead device.

Sounds like something interesting is being cooked behind the curtains at HP. Though its functionalities are not clear yet but looking at components, it looks ready for some advanced tasks. Re/code reports that the device might project an image on the surface from the overhead device. Users can manipulate this image with their hands or a stylus. Adding new objects to this image is fairly easy. By just keeping an image on the surface, the 3D projector captures it and introduces it in the image. It seems like a great proposition for at least the graphics industry.

The target consumers for this device are businesses and prosumers so one can expect the price to be on the steeper end. But like every technological innovation, its success will lead to cheaper copies, so there’s no worry in that. For long, Keyboards and Mouse have been our way of interacting with computers, it’s good to see HP bringing a new approach to interface with the digital world.

Sprout would be unveiled at a function in New York on the 29th of October. The device is expected to run on Windows initially but may even run Android OS in the future. We’ll be keeping an eye on the release and will bring you the latest. Keep checking iGyaan for more.

October 24, 2014
HP Announced Chromebook-Like Laptops and Super-Cheap Tablets

Hewlett-Packard promised fall would be the season of new, affordable Windows laptops. Keeping their word, the company announced the HP Stream 14-inch Notebook. The Stream series is HP’s version of the low cost Windows laptop, meant to compete head to head with Chromebooks on price, but still offer the powerful operating system.

This Intel Celeron-powered Stream will have an 11.6-inch HD non-touch display and 32GB of eMMC flash memory for storage. The company also unveiled a 13.3-inch touch-optional SKU that goes for $230, and 7 and 8-inch Stream tablets priced at $100 and $150, respectively.

The 11.6- and 13.3-inch notebooks are both fan-less designs with HD displays. The 11.6-inch Stream and the 14-inch model announced earlier this month have non-touch displays. Touch is optional on the 13.3-inch model, but HP did not reveal how much that feature would add to its cost.

The 13.3 inch model also is available with optional 4G connectivity, and as a value add, HP is including 200 MB of free data every month for the life of the device. As another value add, HP is offering one year of free Office 365 personal, which includes 1 TB of online storage and 60 Skype minutes per month.

Battery life is listed from HP at 8:15 for the 11.6 inch model, and 7:45 for the 13.3 inch model. The HP Stream laptops are available in several colors, and will be priced at $199.99 for the 11.6 inch model and $229.99 as the starting price for the 13.3 inch model.

September 30, 2014
HP and Google had Planned for an Enterprise Nexus Device

Just when we got to know that Motorola might bring out the next Nexus smartphone, it is now being reported that HP and Google were to partner together for an enterprise Nexus device.

The Information reports that the two tech giants have been having talks to bring enterprise specific devices and were planning to expand Google Now for enterprise needs.

Google and Apple had previously made the decision to quell all the lawsuits they had been hurling at each other in the past. The companies had decided to compete in the market instead of the courthouse, and this seems to be the beginning of the market wars. Just a few weeks back Apple had partnered with IBM to bring enterprise solutions through its iOS ecosystem.

The proposition that was being examined between the two companies was the prospect of bringing Google Now to the corporate environment. Google would try to simplify data gathering and access through Google’s personal assistant.

Being an enterprise device, the hardware had high-end encryption. It is said that Google wasn’t appreciative of the hardware that HP brought into the deal, and hence, the talks have apparently failed.

This surely doesn’t seem like the end of Google’s pursuit to bring convenience in enterprise mobility. The mobile environment in the corporate arena is up for grabs, and the monetary rewards will be massive. There is a massive opportunity here, and the company that gives the perfect enterprise mobility solution will be rewarded the way Microsoft was rewarded with its desktop computer business. This war will sure be fun to watch and follow.

August 14, 2014
Hp’s Premium Smartwatch Brings Beauty and Geek Together

What does it take to put smartwatches on the wrists of the masses? Well, HP seems to believe a premium design is the answer. That is why they are teaming up with designer Michael Bastian and US-based premium retailer Gilt, to create a smartwatch that does not immediately shout ‘geek’ when worn on your wrist.

HP is going to take care of the internals on this timepiece, and it will have all the basic functions and capabilities of a smartwatch. These include notifications for all calls, text messages and emails, along with user controls for applications like the music player. HP is said to be building all the software that runs on this watch, so it is highly unlikely that it will run the Android Wear platform when it finally releases. The watch will be iOS and Android compatible. Functionality wise, it is highly reminiscent of the Pebble Smartwatch, the watch that many believe ushered in the wearable revolution.

Michael Bastian released sketches of the upcoming watches

Michael Bastian is going to take care of the design aspect of the smart watch, which will feature a circular 44mm stainless steel case. It will also have options for various interchangeable bands made of leather, rubber, or nylon. Bastian says the design cues came from luxury automobiles, namely interior features like the dashboard and trim.

The watch will be exclusively available on premium online retailer Gilt’s website, and is pinned for a release this fall. It is very likely going to carry a premium price tag to match that premium design.

The Gilt website provides very little detail on the actual smart watch, as it is simply labeled ‘A Michael Bastian Smartwatch’ and features a black body and a round, blueish dial. Perhaps a better idea is provided by these separate sketches prepared by Bastian himself, giving us a better look at what the timepiece might look like when it is finally released.

This is not the first time a manufacturer has tried to create a fashionable smart watch, as the Moto 360 has already wooed a fair share of the audience with its beautiful design. Even the recent Pebble Steel smart watch follows this mantra. But will HP’s effort have an added advantage due to it’s cross-platform compatibility? We’ll have to wait till this fall to find out.

By Pranav Arora

August 2, 2014
HP Brings the Droid on the New 14-inch Slatebook

HP is close to releasing a 14-inch Slatebook, which will run on the Android operating system(OS). An Android operating system sounds more functional than an internet only Chrome OS. This also begs the question why Google went with the chrome OS when they already had a winner in the Android.

This Slatebook will be on the shelves in the US markets on 20^thJuly. It is powered by a NVIDIA® Tegra® 4 mobile processor with quad-core CPU (1.8 Ghz) GPU to run high-end graphics and optimize performance. Also a powerful processor is needed for the Full HD 1080p touchscreen on the device.

The memory included is a 2GB 1600MHz DDR3L SDRAM which is good enough for the Android Jellybean 4.3. Its a lighter OS in comparison to the other notebook operating systems. This will be a device for people who prefer functionality over performance. A touchscreen will also add to the convenience for such users. The stated 9 hours of battery life is great for multimedia enthusiasts.

This slatebooks dual color design(yellow and black) adds to its youthful appeal. The integrated Beats Audio™ – Quad speakers will be a treat for the multimedia lovers. HP could have added a swivel to the device so that it could be used as a tablet. This would have probably created a MOTO G like revolution laptop devices, but maybe they wanted to keep this one plain and simple.

The increased connectivity between the laptop and an android phone will certainly attract a lot of people towards this device. Android is the world’s most used OS and this might just be the big break that Google was looking for to enter the laptop OS market.

With its SuperSpeed USB 3.0, a USB 2.0 and an HDMI version 1.4b Jacks, the device will give a complete laptop experience with a portable OS. The device is priced at $399 on the website, but it is expected to sell at $429.

Looks like HP has found the droids it was looking for.

June 2, 2014
Pros and Cons of Buying a Google Chromebook in India
-By Rohan Naravane

Google announced the launch of their cloud-centric ChromeBooks in India. Two models; namely the Acer C720 and HP Chromebook 14 are going to be sold via select outlets of Croma and Reliance Digital and online via Flipkart.com. Priced at Rs. 22,999 and Rs. 26,990 respectively, these will go head-to-head with a variety of traditional Netbooks and Laptops available at those price points. With respect to hardware, they’re almost similar but instead of running Windows or Linux as their OS, they run Chrome OS. Chrome OS is a lightweight Linux-based Operating System designed to work purely with web applications. That means, there are very few ‘native’ apps baked into the OS; most of the work you’ll do is online, powered by the built-in Chrome browser. So, what are the Pros and Cons of buying a Chromebook in India over a regular laptop?

Pros of a Google Chromebook:
- Instant Boot: Chrome OS strips many of the unnecessary processes that a typical computer goes through when you power it on. Thus, a Chromebook is able to typically boot up in about 10 seconds. This is pretty fast; considering a regular laptop running Windows or Linux may take as long as a full 30 seconds for the same. When you close the lid, the Chromebook goes into sleep mode. But when left unused for an extended period, it may shut off to save battery. The good thing is, when you start it again, it would be less agonising of a wait before you can get back to using it.
- Multi-user features: Chromebooks are designed to be shared. The multiple-login feature, that allows multiple users to keep their data and settings private, and the Guest mode that protects your data when somebody else is using it aren’t unique features as they’re available in other Operating Systems too. But one unique thing is — since very little data is residing on the Chromebook itself, when you log into your Google account on any Chromebook, your desktop, shortcuts, wallpaper…basically everything you personalised shows up the way you left it on any other Chromebook.
- Virus Protection and Auto Updates: Chrome OS is fairly immune to viruses as it is based on Linux, which by itself has been reasonably virus-free as compared to Windows. Beyond that, Google has baked in the Verified Boot, which stores the initial booting code in read-only memory, so a malicious app cannot take over when your Chromebook boots up. Then there’s the Trusted Platform Module (TPM); a specialised chip that serves hardware-based authentication. Also, all the apps installed from the Web Store run in a sandboxed mode, which means a malicious app cannot mess up the core of the OS. Finally, since there aren’t any apps natively installed in Chrome OS; web-apps by default run their latest version. And Chrome OS updates by itself; much like how the Chrome browser does on other Operating Systems.
Cons of a Google Chromebook:
- Cannot use native applications: Because Chrome OS is a Linux-based OS that boots into the Chrome browser, there’s no scope for installing native applications. So, if you need to use Tally, Photoshop, MS Office, Skype or any other typical applications people use on computers, beware that you cannot install them on a Chromebook. Sure, you can use web-based alternatives to these apps that may be available on the Chrome Web Store, but they may not provide you with the kind of usability you’re used to.
- Can’t use Printers and Scanners in a Typical fashion: Google promotes the use of ‘Cloud Print’ with their Chromebooks. What this means is, you’ll need to have a Cloud Print Ready Printer , or have a printer connected to a computer with Internet and Chrome browser installed with Cloud Print set up, to be able to fire a Print from your Chromebook. So, although you may have noticed the USB ports on that Chromebook, you can’t simply plug it in and print or scan, like you can on a regular computer.
- Can’t store a lot of files locally: Many Chromebooks (especially the ones mentioned above) come with a 16GB SSD as the primary storage. Out of this, roughly 10GB is available to the user. So, if you intend to tank up the Chromebook with photos, videos, music and other big files, you’ll be running out of space pretty soon. Then again, the concept of Chromebook involves you not having to store anything locally, but rather store it on the Internet (Google offers 100GB of cloud storage complimentary for the first two years). In comparison, typical laptops in its price range come with an ample 500GB hard disk that you can fill up to your heart’s desire.
- Can’t use discs: Chromebooks don’t come with optical drives, nor do they support external ones that connect over USB. If you require to use CDs and DVDs from time to time, the Chromebook is a no-go for you.
- It needs the Internet to work (most of the time): Although Chrome OS has supports apps to work offline, the crux of the matter is that your content is still online. With the puny 10GB internal storage, most of us possibly cannot have everything we need stored in that much space. So, to retrieve something, the Chromebook is going to need the Internet. And in a country like India where easy-to-connect, open WiFi networks are non-existent, it could be cumbersome when you’re out in the open. Sure, you can use a 3G dongle, but then be prepared to incur the expenditure to access every file that could have just resided on a typical computer.
Weighing the Pros and Cons suggests that the Chromebooks are suitable only to a certain type of audience — the kinds who are assuredly going to have Internet omnipresent, and for whom the only application they use on a computer is the web browser. Some people argue that Chromebooks aren’t meant to replace computers; rather serve as inexpensive 2nd computers. Compared to their cost in the US, the Chromebooks launched in India are being sold good 25 to 35 percent higher. In fact, their India pricing is at par with traditional laptops from the same manufacturers. This makes a tough case for Chromebooks to the Indian consumer. But even if it got cheaper, would you want to get one? Or are you not yet ready to migrate to a cloud-only computer?

Rohan Naravane manages the content for PriceBaba.com. He is usually found rambling tech on Twitter @r0han.
October 17, 2013