A new HP Stream 14 will run Windows but will sell for just $199. As trends show increased adoption of the Chromebook by small businesses, Hewlett-Packard offers its own inexpensive laptop with cloud storage features, running a more familiar operating system to business users, which is the HP Stream 14.
The new Windows device is expected to be unveiled and available later this year. And a $99 tablet could be on the way, too.
The official data sheet for the HP Stream 14 was leaked earlier this week and then published by the German website Mobile Geeks.
Don’t expect the internal specs of this new inexpensive laptop to blow you away, though. The HP Stream 14 will run on an AMD processor chip and have just 2 GB of internal memory. It will also feature either 32- or 64-gigabytes of flash storage. An SDXC card slot will allow you to expand that memory, too.
Unlike the Chromebook which runs the Google Chrome Web browser as its operating system, the HP Stream 14 will run a full version of Windows 8.1.
The computer features a 14-inch, 1366×768 resolution display. There are three USB ports and a webcam for video chats, presumably through another Microsoft product, Skype.
And just like Chromebook, HP Stream 14 offers abundant storage space in the cloud. In this case it’s 100 GB of free storage on Microsoft’s cloud service OneDrive for two years as opposed to the Google Drive storage available to Chromebook users.
Certainly, Microsoft is the driving force behind the new inexpensive HP device. And there’s reason to believe the software giant will work with other hardware partners to provide more inexpensive laptops in the near future.
Earlier this week in an article on the inexpensive laptop trend, Gigome writer Kevin C. Tofel noted:
“I expect many other similar low-cost laptops to arrive by year’s end…The company isn’t willing to cede the bottom of the market to Google and said it will be working with hardware partners to create compelling choices for Windows laptops in the $199 to $249 price range.”
So we can anticipate a new trend of Windows powered Chromebook alternatives in the market soon, as business users and others increasingly embrace lower cost technology that is heavily dependent upon the cloud.
HP Photo via Shutterstock
Interesting idea. I think it has some legs, but it’s so late to the game that I think the Chromebooks will eat their lunch.
Rob Centros
I wonder if I’ll be able to install Linux Mint on it? Otherwise it’ll just be a doorstop.
Mike
What I don’t think they realize is that many people actually want to get away from Windows. I don’t think too many Chromebook users have been thinking “This is great – it’s cheap, light, and does the job, but I wish it ran Windows.”
Joshua
I remember Windows on netbooks, and how bad it was. Chrome was designed for low spec devices and runs just fine on them. Windows wasn’t, and looking at the minimum system requirements for Windows 8.1, it looks like simply turning it on will max out the system, to say nothing of actually using it to get any work done.
Aira Bongco
I know that a lot of folks don’t like Windows. But when I tried it on a Nokia phone, I think it’s quite good. It doesn’t have the clutter that other platforms have and it is good for minimalists like me. I have yet to try it on a netbook though. Let’s see what HP can do.
Shaun
I might just buy this wipe out windows and load chrome os on it.
AdamBoy64
Looking forward to this device hitting the shelves.
Butler T. Reynolds
Cool stuff. I find these HP devices interesting, though except for the weight factor and maybe battery life, I don’t know why you’d buy one of these rather than a cheap Acer laptop that comes with a large hard drive and more RAM? A quick look at MicroCenter shows laptops with 4GB RAM and 500GB hard drives for anywhere between $199 and $229. (It makes the idea of purchasing a Chromebook seem really strange, for me at least.)
If you use these cheap laptops in the same way that you might use a Chromebook or a Stream, they’ll boot quickly, run great, and offer you the option of large desktop applications that you might need in a pinch.