Convertible Chromebook, anyone?
Apparently Google and its hardware partners are going to target non-education markets with at least six 2-in-1 Chromebook models scheduled for release this year. Two of them will come directly from Google, while Hewlett-Packard and Acer also plan to release branded models of their own. These upcoming systems will join existing 2-in-1 Chromebooks, which include Lenovo's N21 and the Flip 2-in-1 that Asus announced in April.
According to Digitimes, one of Google's planned Chromebooks is a 12.85-inch model powered by Nvidia's Tegra 6 SoC that will target the high-end segment, while the other is a 10.1-inch version with a Rockchip solution inside for the entry level market. Both will feature a detachable display and go into volume production in the third quarter.
As for HP, one of the two will feature a detachable display, while the other will sport a folding design similar to Asus' Flip. Acer, meanwhile, will launch a convertible powered by Intel's Skylake platform.
It will be interesting to see how consumers react to the new designs. According to data collected by Gartner, Chromebook sales are expected to rise 27 percent year-over-year, though that only equates to 7.3 million units. In addition, it's mostly the education segment that's buying these cloud-based systems -- the education market accounted for 60 percent of Chromebooks sales in the U.S. last year.
From maximumpc
from http://bit.ly/1d2CLzY
