Following the announcement that Android apps are coming to ChromeOS we are expecting Chromebooks to become a little more popular with both Android enthusiasts and everyday consumers. While we still haven’t had our first taste of Google Play on Chrome OS anticipation is high that Android Apps on Chrome OS can deliver an enhanced experience.
Asus have been a long time supporter and manufacturer of Chrome OS devices, indeed supplying one of the three compatible devices that will run the M53 dev option with Google Play when it is released. the Chromebook Flip. Enter the Chromebook C301 – at least Asus’s have some logic to their Chromebook naming convention.
The Asus C301 is a 13.3″ FHD Chromebook with 4GB of RAM and a rather disappointing 16GB of internal storage. Take a look at the full specs below.
| Screen | 13.3 ” FHD (1920 x 1080) LCD @ 165 dpi |
| Touch screen | No |
| Processor | Intel® Celeron® Quad-Core N3160 Processor |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 16GB |
| SD Card | Yes |
| WebCam | HD (720) |
| WiFi | 802.11 b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth | 4.2 |
| Ports | 2 x USB 3.0 1 x HDMI 3.5 mm Headphone jack |
| USB C | No |
| Battery | 48 Whrs |
| Dimentions | 32.9 x 23 x 2.2 cm |
| Weight | 1.35 KG |
Australia has had a rocky start to Chromebooks, especially with retail availability. Asus have been one of the OEM’s who have trickled in their Chromebook line into Australia, but getting your hands on one can still be a bit tricky. We have reached out to Asus Australia to see if there are any solid plans to market the C301 on our shores, we’ll update you if we heard back.
The big question is what hardware configurations will give us the best mix of ChromeOS and Android app experience? Do you need a touch screen? Will 16GB of local storage be enough? Will 4GB of storage and a Celeron processor cut the mustard? At this stage, we just don’t know what the post Play Store introduction on ChromeOS experience will be like.
If we had to guess this device doesn’t look like it was made to form part of the new premium Chrom eOS future, and looks more like a solid but typical Chromebook refresh, still it looks nice.
Are you now looking more seriously at getting into ChromeOS now the promise of Android apps and a consistent app ex[erience is coming to the platform? Let us know in the comments.
