Google has finally announced the launch of their much anticipated product dubbed as Asus Chromebit a pocket computer that runs on Chrome OS. Google has announced that Chromebit will be available for purchase starting January 2016 at a priced of INR 7,999.
Asus Chromebit is visually similar to Intel Compute Stick and is powered by a quad core Rockchip RK3288 processor clocking 1.8 GHz coupled with 2 GB RAM. It runs on Chrome OS and comes equipped with 16 GB of internal storage. It does not support expandable storage and on the connectivity front comes with Bluetooth 4.0.
You can simply plug it into your tv or a monitor and can enjoy watching movies, web surfing, editing documents and run applications.
Key Points That Goes Against Chromebit and Makes It Most Costly Half PC Experience
First of all Chromebit is based on Chrome Operating System and therefore offers very limited functionality which is mainly focused around Google Chrome web browser. You can not find many apps that run on Chrome OS like you can find for Windows, Linux or any other operating system.
It does not support gaming so you can not play games either or use it for apps like Photoshop etc. So spending 8K for very limited use is not a very wise decision.
Secondly, it comes with just 16 GB of storage onboard which is really disappointing. What puts the final nail in the coffin is that it does not support expandable storage so there is no way you can expect to add another 1 MB of file without deleting anything already on it. This minimal onboard storage is a big disappointment on part of Chromebit.
Thirdly, it is just an oversized USB stick that requires continuous power supply for operation and lacks any kind of internal battery or power storage option. Once the power supply is cut it is totally useless piece of plastic. Imagine editing an important document and the power supply is disrupted.
Fourth, it has only one USB port and for operating it you will need a keyboard and a mouse which totally fails the purpose of the PC. Either you have to connect the keyboard and mouse via bluetooth or you have to use USB extension dongle for proper functioning. Forget about pen drives and external hard disks.
Fifth, it is not suitable for travel purposes as it needs mouse, keyboard and a continuous power supply so it can be a big turn off for people who are on the move most of the time.
