HP Updates Low-Cost Stream Family With Three New PCs

HP announced new additions to its Stream line of affordable PCs. The attractive price pits the Windows-based Stream line against Chromebooks, and its features are fitting for its purpose.

Namely, the Stream eschews powerful components and massive storage in favor of reliable Wi-Fi and long battery life. This makes a Stream laptop the perfect option for a cloud user; files will mostly be kept online, and although a Stream would most likely be used as a light work and multimedia machine, the Intel Celeron N3060 is powerful enough to run more demanding applications. The HP Stream 11 and Stream 14 are receiving facelifts, but HP's Stream x360 (not to be confused with its predecessor, the Stream 11 x360) is a new product altogether, and its specs and pricing are similar to the Stream 11 and Stream 14. The new Stream x360, like it's older counterpart, can be used as a laptop or folded into a stand, a tent, or a tablet.

At this price point, the Stream line's specifications aren't going to be very different from a Chromebook's. It's impressive to see Windows 10 loaded onto such low-end systems, but potential buyers looking for cheap laptop with a simple interface might find Chrome OS more attractive--particularly as Chromebooks are beginning to get the Google Play store.