The official announcement of Google and Asus's Chromebit took place last April, and since then we've been waiting for more details. But the device hasn't changed its identity at all. Anyone who wants a legitimate Chrome OS environment and has a spare monitor or TV with an HDMI input can easily plug in this dongle-format mini-computer and get the same experience as on a Chromebook.
When we think about developments like virtual reality headsets or modern gaming, we usually need serious hardware on our side. But in most cases, a system with a solid cost-to-performance ratio is enough. That's what the new generation of mini-computers in HDMI dongle format is all about. If you have an unused monitor or TV, with one of these dongles you can easily turn it into a nearly complete computer. Of course, the format comes with its own limitations, and only the user's creativity can work around them, but the first step is deciding what kind of computer you want, and that's where the Chromebit comes in.
Specs and launch
The official announcement of the Chromebit was in April, but for some strange reason, Google and Asus delayed its market launch for more than seven months. During that time, its specifications didn't change: it's still based on a quad-core Rockchip RK3288 SoC running at 1.8 GHz, with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. The single USB port means you'll need wireless peripherals or an active USB hub to connect multiple devices. It runs a full version of Chrome OS and will receive periodic updates just like any Chromebook.
Price and availability
With the Chromebit finally hitting the market, we also get its price: $85… across the pond. Since this is Asus-branded hardware, I imagine there will be a good number of distributors around the globe, and its presence has already been confirmed in several countries, including Spain. Some online reviews have raised concerns about the dongle's internal capacity, but every Chromebit comes with 100 GB free on Google Drive. Of course, that makes you more dependent on the cloud, but with Chrome OS as the operating system, you need to be connected anyway.
