HP's first Chromebox springs into step, flaunts business and pleasure

Good things truly do come in threes if you're a fan of Google's Chrome OS. Not long after Asus and Dell threw their hats into the Chromebox ring, HP has come out with a compact PC of its own.

Initially launching in spring 2014 in the US, the HP Chromebox promises to be an uncomplicated affair.

Whack the 5-inch box wide on your desk, hook it up to an external monitor or TV via HDMI or DisplayPort and you're good to delve into Google's cloud-based ecosystem.

It's no slouch either: the device comes armed with a Haswell-powered Intel Core i7 CPU inside. Though that may seem like overkill for a PC that essentially functions through a Chrome browser, it's also compatible with Google's Chromebox for meetings videoconferencing service that leans on raw compute power to stream 1080p video.

Box of tricks

As such, HP is pitching it as a device that straddles the middle ground between business and pleasure. Companies can manage and configure the device through a web-based management console, and a built-in TPM (trusted platform module) is included for security.

Other features of note include a built-in VESA mount, four USB 3.0 ports, Bluetooth and the choice of three colour options - black, white or "ocean turqoise".

HP hasn't unveiled global availability or pricing for the model yet, but the inclusion of a chip from Intel's more powerful line of processors should ensure that it retails at slightly more than recently-unveiled competing models.

• How is Google making the Chromebox fit for business?

Via Engadget