If you’re looking for alternatives to Windows laptops, there’s a new incentive to consider Chromebooks: some of them can run Android apps.
And if you’re looking for such a device under $200, HP just announced its Chromebook 11 G5. The entry-level laptop starts at $189 and offers 12.5 hours of battery life.
The laptop is available with or without a touchscreen. Just as touchscreens are used for smartphone and tablet apps, touch capabilities are important in running many Android apps, and more Chromebooks could have touchscreens going forward.
You could, however, still use Android productivity apps and software like Skype on the non-touch version of the Chromebook 11 G5, which will have access to the Google Play store, HP said.
The laptop weighs 2.51 pounds (1.13 kilograms) and has an Intel Celeron N3060 CPU, which is code-named Braswell. It will be available via resellers in July and through retailers in October.
The laptop will support up to 4GB of memory and 32GB of eMMC storage, according to a specification sheet on HP’s website. It will have 802.11ac Wi-Fi, a webcam, two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, an HDMI slot and a micro-SD card reader.
The screen will display images at a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. A full high-definition screen would have been better, but that’s what you get for the entry-level price.
The Google Play store is becoming available on Chromebooks so users can download and use Android apps. Google has a goal similar to Microsoft’s—to ensure apps work across computers and mobile devices.
Android functionality will bring more education-focused apps to the classroom, HP said. Chromebooks have been particularly successful in the education sector, where they are taking share from Apple.
Going forward, the Google Play store will be accessible to a variety of eligible chromebooks.