The Chromebit is a discontinued stick PC running Google's ChromeOS. It was able to be plugged into any display via HDMI to act as a personal computer. Keyboards and mice were able to be connected over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The device was announced in April 2015 and began shipping November 2015. The Chromebit no longer received updates after November 2020.
 | |
 The Asus Chromebit installed to a TV | |
| Manufacturer | Asus; Google |
|---|---|
| Introduced | March 31, 2015 |
| Cost | US $85[1] |
| Type | Stick PC |
| Memory | 2 GB |
| Connection | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Ports | HDMI, USB |
| Weight |
|
| Dimensions |
|
Functionality
editA Chromebit uses a display with an HDMI port to control a desktop variant of the Chromebook netbook, which runs Google's ChromeOS operating system. ChromeOS primarily supports a single application, a web browser, thereby relying heavily on an Internet connection for software functionality and data storage.[1]
Chromebits have a superficial resemblance to the Chromecast, another Google device, but whereas the Chromecast is designed to display multimedia and web content from an Android or ChromeOS device on a television or other large-screen display, the Chromebit is a self-contained personal computer.[2] The device competes against the Intel Compute Stick, which offers similar plug-in functionality using two other operating systems, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.[3][4]
Technology
editInternally, the first Chromebit resembles a standard Chromebook laptop.[5] The device features 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, as well as a USB 2.0 port at one end. The other end swivels, enabling it to fit into a variety of HDMI slots.[2] The Chromebit has a total RAM capacity of 2 gigabytes and 16 gigabytes of flash memory.
Availability and models
editGoogle announced the Chromebit on March 31, 2015. Google and Asus began shipping the first model that November.[6][7] The Chromebit no longer received updates after November 2020.[8]
| Announced | Brand | Model | Processor | RAM | Storage | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2015 | Asus | Asus Chromebit CS10 | Rockchip RK3288 | 2 GB | 16 GB | 12 CM |
References
edit- 1 2 "Chrome OS is here to stay". 2 November 2015.
- 1 2 Hollister, Sean (March 31, 2015). "Google's Chromebit Turns Any TV Into a Chrome PC for $85". Gizmodo.
- ↑ Kessler, Derek (31 March 2015). "Google Chromebit packs an entire Chrome OS computer into an HDMI stick". androidcentral (published March 31, 2015). Retrieved 2015-03-31.
- ↑ "Intel® Compute Stick". Intel. Retrieved 2015-03-31.
- ↑ Bell, Karissa (March 31, 2015). "Google debuts the Chromebit, a Chromebook dongle for under $100". Mashable.
- ↑ "More Chromebooks, for everyone". Google Chrome Blog. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-21.
- ↑ "This $85 Device Turns Any Screen into a Computer". U.S. News & World Report. 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2015-12-21.
- ↑ "Auto Update policy - Google Chrome Enterprise Help". support.google.com. Retrieved 2020-04-27.