Google’s Chrome OS-based laptops continue to nibble away at the computing pie that Microsoft and Apple have baked — and now Chrome OS is starting to appear in more and more desktop systems as well.
The latest of these is Acer’s new Chromebox CXI, a tiny rig that’s geared towards businesses, education, and the average consumers as well.
The Chromebox CXI is a no-frills box covered in a matte black finish. A lowercase Acer logo sits on the middle of the left panel when the system is upright, with a Chrome logo and insignia hanging out directly northwest of it.
Related: Why 2014 will be a big year for Chrome OS
Measuring 6.51 × 5.12 × 1.3 inches, the Acer Chromebox CXI is stuffed with very modest specs, as is usually the case with computers running Chrome OS. It runs on an Intel 2957U processor, a 16GB SSD, and either 2GB or 4GB of RAM. Conveniently, the CXI is VESA mountable, so you can attach it to the back of VESA-capable monitors, which lets you significantly open up the space on or around your desk.
The CXI includes a healthy dose of ports, despite its small size; you’ll find four USB 3.0, Ethernet, HDMI, DisplayPort, and an SD card reader. The reader can support cards of up to 32GB in size. If you prefer to connect to the Internet wirelessly, you can do so via 802.11 b/g/n. Bluetooth 4.0 is also offered.
Acer claims that IT departments will love the CXI’s ability to be reset to its factory state easily with Powerwash, a feature that wipes locally stored data but keeps anything associated with user accounts intact. Also, Acer says that the Web-based Google Console Management system makes it simple for IT teams to install an app on thousands of Chromeboxes with the single click of a button.
Related: Google works to make Chrome OS better offline, aims to scoop up Win XP refugees
The Acer Chromebox CXI defends itself from malware and viruses by checking the “validity and integrity” of system files. If it detects any changes that were unauthorized, it will restore itself from a previous backup. This is made possible because user files and system files are stored on separate partitions, simplifying the restoration process.
The 2GB version of the Acer Chromebox CXI will cost $179.99, while the 4GB model will run you $219.99. Though an exact release date has not been revealed for the Acer Chromebox CXI, it will be available sometime in late September.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.