HP announced the Chromebox Enterprise G2, a desktop computer that runs Chrome OS, yesterday as part of its new lineup of Chrome Enterprise products. (The company also revealed new Chromebooks made for business customers last week.) That should give Dell a bit more competition in the "Chromebooks but for enterprise" market, and help Google convince businesses of Chrome OS' potential.
The Chromebox Enterprise G2 probably won't impress many enthusiasts. There are two configurations: the first offers a dual-core Intel Celeron 3867U with Intel HD Graphics 610 and relies on a 65W external PSU; the second boasts a dual-core Intel Core i3-7130U with Intel HD Graphics 620 that requires a 90W external PSU. Both offer 16GB of DDR4-2400 memory and either 32GB or 64GB storage via an M.2 SSD.
Offering a maximum of 64GB storage capacity on a desktop would be insane on any other platform. But HP is essentially just wrapping a device around the Chrome browser, so it can safely assume that anyone considering the Chromebox Enterprise G2 is content to use cloud-based storage. Most web apps don't require that much processing power, either, so it's not like HP needed to use top-of-the-line CPUs.
The only thing the Chromebox Enterprise G2 really needs is an abundance of connectivity options. That's why HP outfitted the device with two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports and one USB 3.0 Type-C port; one Gigabit Ethernet port; the Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 for 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 support; and one 3.5mm audio jack. (Which could prove useful in an office.)
Anandtech reported that HP plans to release the Chromebox Enterprise G2 in the U.S. sometime in November. Pricing information wasn't revealed; HP hasn't yet shared details about the new device on its website. We suspect it will be priced low enough to convince potential enterprise customers they should buy the Chromebox Enterprise G2 in bulk for their employees who spend most of their days in a browser.
