Toshiba Refreshes The Chromebook 2 With Broadwell
by Brett Howse on September 22, 2015 6:35 PM EST- Posted in
- Laptops
- Toshiba
- Chrome OS
- Chromebook
Toshiba announced today that it has refreshed their Chromebook 2 model. The new version will be available with 5th generation Core i3 or Celeron processors. Thanks to the the poor branding by Intel and vague release notes by Toshiba, the Celeron model may be the same N2840 as before or it may also be Core based. This is a pretty mild refresh, but the optional Core should mean a pretty significant increase in performance compared to the outgoing Silvermont based N2840.
The Chromebook 2 keeps its 13.3-inch IPS display, as well as the ability to configure it with up to 4 GB of memory which should be plenty for most tasks in Chrome OS. The notebook is just 2.9 lbs and offers up to nine hours of battery life according to Toshiba. The company is trying to leverage some other branding as well, saying that the front facing stereo speakers are tuned by Skullcandy.
| Toshiba Chromebook 2 Specifications | |
| Processor | 5th Generation Core i3 or Celeron |
| Connectivity | 2x2 dual-band 802.11ac (Intel 7260NGW) Bluetooth 4.0 (Intel 7260NGW) |
| Memory | up to 4GB DDR3L |
| Storage | 16GB eMMC |
| Battery | 3-cell ~10.8V, 3860mAh, 44Wh |
| I/O | 1 x USB 3.0 1 x USB 2.0 HD webcam Dual array microphone HDMI Headphone/mic jack SD Card reader |
| Dimensions | 12.6" x 8.4" x 0.76" / 320 x 213 x 19.3 mm |
| Display | 13.3-inch IPS 1920x1080 |
| Weight | 2.95 lbs. / 1340g |
| Price | $330 (Celeron) $430 (i3) |
Overall, the device does not change much, but it was already one of the nicer looking Chromebooks around. We were able to do a full review on this based on the N2840 Celeron, and the one complaint was that it needed a bit more processing power. The i3 model should help out a lot in that respect. The new model also gains a backlit keyboard which is kind of surprising in this price range.
The new models will be shipping on October.
Source: Toshiba
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charliebrownau - Wednesday, September 23, 2015 - link
GdayI own a Refreb Toshiba Chromebook 2 which I bought at JBHIFI for AUD$250
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEn0KDriJL0 )
at the time the next model up with better screen was US$200ish on Amazon
Things that Laptop needs:-
* DLNA CLIENT as a proper program or app NOT
by plex and works via WIFI/LAN
* Backlit keyboard
* Better file explorer
* Copy of LibreOffice or Open Office for those times
you want a proper offline office suit without internet
* BETTER MEDIA CODEC support or VLC or both
* Better os , ChromeOS is too reliant for the internet
- either a ChromeOS Pro - A pro version that is more like Linux for the advanced computer uses that want to access more functionally of the laptop and a start menu
- or Ubuntu/Debian/Mint installed onto it , with all the chrome apps pre installed
* needs HEVC codec and MKV codec support
Great things about it:
* USB3 , my USB3 stick flys
* Starts up in record time
Everything works really well
* Laptop recharges quick
* Laptop lasts for 11 hrs
* Great integration with google/gmail/youtube
* HDMI Port is good
* MP4 and most xvids playback really well
Things to make it cooler/better/nicer:
* Replaceable RAM would be nice considering Australia has to pay
100 bucks more for this laptop
* Ethernet port would be nice
* Option to install Linux without jumping thou all the hacks and hoops,
would it be that hard for google to release Linux google os with a start menu
/ lxde or xfce and more offline app support
Also Toshiba needs to release drivers for linux so you can get SOUND and SUSPEND working on all linux distros on the old "Toshiba Chromebook 2"
webdoctors - Wednesday, September 23, 2015 - link
Seriously look into crouton. Its a side by side install of Ubuntu in a virtual environment running concurrently with ChromeOS. I have it running on my Toshiba Chromebook 2 flawlessly and you get full driver support since ChromeOS handles all that part.This way I can access my company's VPN client, run real apps (I've even run Virtualbox and run windows 10 through it!! using the SDCARD slot and USB3 stick) including MS Office via wine, openoffice, and GIMP etc.
Its safe and there's no risk to bricking the Chromebook unlike doing a real Ubuntu install...
jabber - Wednesday, September 23, 2015 - link
I'm waiting for the 13" Dell Chromebook. That thing is a beauty!R3MF - Saturday, September 26, 2015 - link
any chance the Corei3 SKU will come with 32GB emmc?15percentfaster - Saturday, September 26, 2015 - link
I have a CB2 and it is easily the nicest laptop I have had with a really nice screen and performance is ok. Definitely worth buying the 4GB version. I also quite like the plastic case and it's really light as a result.