HP recently refreshed its Stream laptops lineup, with the addition of new model, dubbed Stream 14. Like its previous models, it does not pack in major upgrades in terms of hardware. However, there are notable improvements in both; the specs as well as the design of the laptop, when compared to the predecessors.
HP Stream, the cloud-optimized computer’s first variant was first launched two years ago. With mid-ranged components powering these devices, the company aimed to provide its users with an affordable and portable device. Therefore, it did not stop after the release of the model, and since then it has been introducing improved versions.
As the name suggests, Steam 14, has a 14-inch screen, which offers 1366x768 pixel resolution. The chipset which powers this device is the latest Intel Celeron N03060 which is backed by 4GB of DDR3L SDRAM and 32GB eMMC storage. Evidently, as mentioned above, these specs might not entice many users, as they are not equivalent to the specs of some recent smartphones in the market, such as OnePlus 3.
However, this is what allows the device to be cheaper than the high-end smartphones. It bears a price tag of only $219.There are no attractive features, but we believe, the battery which is claimed to last 10 hours and 45 minutes, the new 2x2 802.11ac Wi-Fi that is said to be extremely fast, and Windows 10 out of the box, are enough to lure many users.
Alongside this new model, HP also announced that it has revamped its11.6” Stream notebook, as well as the hybrid 11.6” HP Stream x360. These models are also packed with fresh components like processor and Wi-Fi. This shows the company is really focused upon delivering an affordable replacement for their PCs, with which they do not have to worry about storage space or performance, as everything is done on the clouds.
In its blogpost, the company stated that it is aware how users are making a switch to cloud-platform as it makes their lives easier, because of enhanced accessibility and low cost. However, its not just HP which offers cloud-based laptops. Rivals like Samsung and Acer came out with the ChromeBooks, which are also cloud-optimizied.
The foremost difference between HP’s Stream laptops and ChromeBooks is the opertating system. HP uses Microsoft’s Windows, which is full blown OS, whereas ChromeBooks are based on Google’s ChromeOS which is more like a web-interface.
Technically, these devices are made to make users lives more productive, with quicker and convenient access to content saved on these laptops. We believe that Chromebook beats HP streams in this regard, thanks to the OS. Microsoft’s Windows may provide added features, and a familiar interface, but ChromeOS offers lightning-fast and the one the simplest interface.
The boot up time of Google’s OS on these laptops have been recorded to be as fast as eight seconds. Whereas, since Windows in not just a web-interface, it takes at least a minute or even longer after it is powered on; which is certainly a drawback. Many performance tests have also proven that HP Stream laptops are slower when compared to Chromebook; which we believe is because of the OS.
If we talk about apps and software, HP Stream would have had the edge over Windows around two months back; as till then Google had not rolled out the support of its PlayStore for ChromeOS. Google’s OS earlier only offered the limited number of apps, which are available on the Chrome Web Store, but now with Play Store apps, users have access to a myriad of programs.
Still it is not like HP’s cloud-based devices completely fail against the Chromebook; it does have its catch for many. For example Windows OS is preferred by most as it has a familiar interface; it also allows users to run desktop apps and offers a decent battery life, which is better than some of the Chromebooks.
Moreover, this time HP has also revised the prices of these devices. As pointed out by The Verge, Acer Chromebook 11, with less powerful processor RAM and even storage, cost almost $250 more than the latest HP Stream 14.