HP Launches Chromebook 14 With Touchscreen, 4 GB RAM And 32 GB Storage For $439

Back in October, HP announced it will have versions of its Chromebooks that come with touchscreens. Today, HP announced that its Chromebook 14 now comes with touch and a few other improvements.

The old Chromebook 14 came with a Tegra K1 processor (quad-core Cortex A15 CPU), 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage, and the device cost $300. The new Chromebook 14 with touch also has a Tegra K1 processor, although HP is not clear whether it's the same Tegra K1 version as in the old Chromebook, or the new Denver-based model (which is in the Nexus 9).

The new Chromebook 14 also has a 1080p resolution display, while the old one only had a 1366 x 768 resolution. This is a notable upgrade, as 1366 x 768 is quite low for a 14" screen size. It also comes with twice as much RAM and storage (4 GB and 32 GB, respectively). The new model will see a commensurate cost increase, resulting in a higher $439 price tag.

Chromebooks are usually known for being inexpensive machines, but the $439 price tag might not match that description for many potential customers. Touchscreens tend to add significantly to the cost of a low-end machine, although the device does come with twice as much storage and RAM. However, the increase in price seems significantly higher than what those improvements should cost.

The closer you get to the $500 threshold, the more people will expect to see at least an Intel Core i3 processor in the machine, too. ARM chips make more sense at the $200-$300 level, where they have adequate performance for that price range. When the machine costs close to $500 or more, people expect not only significantly higher performance, but also a more advanced operating system.

Chromebooks remain a solid choice for education where their simplicity and security are real strengths. In the mainstream market, those features appeal to a smaller subset of customers, while the rest just wants the operating system they've used before (usually Windows).

The HP Chromebook 14 with touchscreen will probably find a market with those who love Chromebooks but weren't happy with the current low-spec'd models. They wanted a higher-resolution screen and 4 GB of RAM and are willing to spend a little more to get it.

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Lucian Armasu
Lucian Armasu is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He covers software news and the issues surrounding privacy and security.
  • damianrobertjones
    No... just no. The storage is simply silly and, in all honesty, I'd rather have Windows. The adverts on Tom's are getting REALLY annoying.
    Reply
  • Jay Liu
    I don't expect i3 at 500. I expect i5. Starting from 600 I expect i7. As for HP's pricing, why would people want to pay 400 on so much limitations? Chrome books are nice but they're essentially just low powered tablets with keyboards. You could get an iPad AIr or nexus 9 with the money. Both would offer better screen, more portability, and much higher resale value.
    Reply
  • FlyTexas
    This does read like an advert... Frankly the price is nuts, you can buy a faster Windows laptop for less money. The new $249 Dell and HP machines with an Intel dual core CPU and Windows 8.1 offer 500GB of hard drive storage and 4GB of memory along with a nice 15.6" screen. Why would you pay $439 for a super limited ChromeBook?
    Reply
  • Dian Aleksandrov
    Honestly,I wouldn't buy any laptop with underpowered arm-based cpu
    Reply
  • FlyTexas
    http://www.amazon.com/15-6-Inch-Intel-Celeron-Laptop-500GB/dp/B00L49X8E6/

    Take a look at that one:

    15.6" screen
    Intel 2.16 GHZ dual core CPU
    4GB RAM
    500GB hard drive
    Windows 8.1

    On sale right now from Amazon for $244.99

    This HP Chromebook for $439 is just absurd...
    Reply
  • FlyTexas
    Or this one:

    http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-15-6-Inch-Laptop-500GB-Drive/dp/B00HNWLYSK/

    ASUS 15.6" Notebook - $378

    Intel Core i3
    6GB RAM
    500GB hard drive
    DVD DL burner
    Windows 8.1
    Reply
  • FlyTexas
    Wait, I get it, you want a TOUCHSCREEN?

    Ok, ok...

    http://www.amazon.com/15-6-Inch-Convertible-Touchscreen-Laptop-500GB/dp/B00MA7A876/

    ASUS 15.6" laptop

    Core i3 CPU
    6GB RAM
    500GB hard drive
    TOUCHSCREEN
    Windows 8.1

    For $449... so for $10 more than the HP Chromebook you get a REAL CPU (that Core i3 will run rings around the ARM chip), you get 50% more RAM, a WHOLE lot more storage, a touchscreen, and it runs Windows, so you can actually run all your software.
    Reply
  • epobirs
    The 1080p display is really the only outstanding feature at that price. The 720p-ish displays that dominate low end laptops are the one point of inadequacy for most non-gaming use. Otherwise, what a cheap laptop delivers these days is pretty amazing.
    Reply
  • passat31
    I really don't get the whole thing about chromebooks...really whats the point? especially for these prices.
    Reply
  • alextheblue
    The 1080p display is really the only outstanding feature at that price. The 720p-ish displays that dominate low end laptops are the one point of inadequacy for most non-gaming use. Otherwise, what a cheap laptop delivers these days is pretty amazing.

    Agreed. But it could have the best quality 4K display on the planet and it still wouldn't appeal to me without a faster processor.
    Reply