The high end of the Chromebook market is a bit on the underrepresented side for now, but that seems to be changing. Super high-end Chromebooks with slim, metallic bodies and all of the latest bells and whistles paired up with strong processing packages and plenty of storage, like the Samsung Chromebook Pro, are slowly making their way into the mass market, and a new model from ASUS looks to fill that niche as well, if its specs and pictures thus far are any indication. The new Chromebook from ASUS, known in the Chromium codebase as “Cave“, recently saw one of the online retail listings for it updated, with a possible release date and some new photos.
To recap on the specs, what we have here is a relatively beefy sixth-generation Intel Core M3 processor, paired up with a whopping 8GB of RAM. Power-wise, this package is roughly equivalent to what one would find on Core i-series super high-end business laptops from around 2010, meaning those who want to install Windows or Linux will still find a pleasantly quick experience and somewhat passable gaming, but shouldn’t expect to run a large-scale CAD file or game at high resolutions. The multitasking beast still fits squarely within Google’s cloud business model, providing the user only 32GB of storage, though that can be augmented by a microSD card slot. The thin aluminum body, somewhat reminiscent of Google’s widely praised design for the Chromebook Pixel, boasts two USB Type-C ports and a 12.5 inch screen. The resolution of that screen isn’t entirely clear at this point, but early speculation says it will be a more than adequate 1920 x 1080 unit. The whole thing can backflip into a svelte tablet form factor to make the Android app experience and media consumption that much easier.
The new photos show off the Chromebook from all angles, and its design is nothing short of head-turning. While perhaps not as thin as the Samsung Chromebook Pro or as solid as the Chromebook Pixel 2, the stylish notebook’s inspirations are quite clear. Users familiar with ASUS’ laptop lineup may also notice some design cues from the slimmer members of their Republic of Gamers family, such as the rounded edges and flat aluminum and glass construction. The device is shown as being available starting on November 22, though there is no guarantee that the details are correct.
