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Toshiba's retooled Chromebook 2 arrives in October, starts at $330
Toshiba has announced an upgraded version of its Chromebook 2, which is scheduled to ship next month. Compared to last year's, the company's new Chrome OS laptop will be available with 5th-generation (Broadwell) Intel Core i3 or Celeron processors -- both are geared toward performance, so you can expect this machine to be much snappier than its predecessor. Additionally, the refreshed Chromebook 2 features a backlit LED keyboard for the first time. What does carry over from the previous model is that great 13.3-inch, 1080p IPS display, an HD webcam, two USB ports (3.0, 2.0) and the option to add up to 4GB of RAM. Battery life rating, meanwhile, continues to be about nine hours, but hopefully those fresh processors will make Toshiba's Chromebook 2 last longer than before. It'll be available in October for $330 and $430 for the Celeron and Core i3 models, respectively.
A tale of two Chromebooks: one size doesn't fit all
I've been spending a lot of time with Chromebooks. About one a month for the last six months, if my math is correct. Lately, though, I've found myself in the somewhat unusual situation of testing two models at once. Two very different models, I should add. On the one hand, we have the Toshiba Chromebook 2, which brings a full HD, 1080p display and a relatively big 13-inch screen. At $330, it's a good deal compared to similar machines, but it's also on the pricier end for a laptop that basically just runs the Chrome browser. On the other, we have Samsung's newest laptop (also called the Chromebook 2), which has a smaller size and also a smaller price: just $250. But the design is nice and in a way, so is the keyboard. So what matters more, then? A dazzling screen or a faux-leather lid? Robust audio or being priced to sell? Check out our two reviews (Samsung and Toshiba) and decide for yourself. [Image credit: Will Lipman]
Toshiba Chromebook 2 review: great screen, but the battery life takes a hit
Competition is a beautiful thing. When Samsung first came out with its 13-inch Chromebook 2 earlier this year, it quickly became one of our favorite budget laptops, mostly because it was the only Chrome OS device with a sharp, full HD screen. Even so, it was hardly perfect: Its performance could have been faster; it was missing a full-size SD slot; and, at $400, it was kinda pricey too. Here's where that competition thing comes in. First Acer released something similar at a lower price, and now Toshiba is selling a full HD Chromebook of its own, also called the Chromebook 2. While it matches Samsung pixel for pixel, the price is also a good deal lower: just $330 for the top-of-the-line model. But let's not judge a machine purely by its spec sheet, shall we? How does the new Chromebook 2 actually perform? There was only way to find out: Use it as my primary laptop for a week.
