Lenovo, Samsung, and Acer have all released Chromebooks. Some of those releases were met with praise while others were less than stellar. Now, HP has released its own Chromebook. Following many rumors, HP has finally released the HP Pavilion 14-inch Chromebook. That’s right, 14-inches of Chromebook for less than $400. While some people do not like Chromebooks (and, admittedly, they aren’t for everyone) HP’s new Chromebook does have some appeal.

If you’re not familiar with Chromebook, there are some things to know off the bat. First, Chromebooks run Google’s Chrome OS. Google bills Chromebooks as bridging the gap between laptops and the cloud. In fact, Google calls Chromebooks “Cloud Computing Notebooks.” That said, Chromebooks provide a simple way to surf the net and perform basic tasks. The HP Pavilion Chromebook has its share of nice features too.

HP Pavilion Size and Ports

As mentioned above, the HP Pavilion Chromebook has a 14-inch screen. HP gave this Chromebook a larger screen in hopes that more people will like the large keyboard and screen option as compared to smaller Chromebook options. In addition to a large keyboard and screen, the HP Pavilion Chromebook comes with a number of ports including three USB 2.0 ports, 16GB SSD, and an SD card slot. Processor-wise, HP has included a 1.1GHz Intel Celeron processor a 2GB of RAM.

The HP Pavilion Chromebook is also on the light side making it easy to tote around. This Chromebook weights approximately four-pounds, so it’s not too heavy to carry when you travel or move around. One drawback to this Chromebook is the battery life. When not charging, the Pavilion’s battery lasts approximately four hours, which is really not a long time. But, do keep in mind that this Chromebook (like other Chromebooks) is just meant to browse the web and run web apps. So, it’s unlikely that you’ll use the Pavilion to complete any large workloads.

Availability

HP’s entry into the Chromebook world begins today. You can pick up your own HP Chromebook by looking at retail stores in your neighborhood or on the web. You can also buy a Chromebook from HP directly from the manufacturer’s website. Is the Chromebook for everyone?

No; but it’s a great way to buy something that’s inexpensive and simply runs using web apps. If you just need a notebook that you can use the surf the web, a Chromebook is an affordable option. Comparably, the HP Chromebook has less battery life than the Samsung Chromebook, but it also comes with a much bigger screen.

If you’re in the market for a Chromebook, it will be hard to beat HP’s latest price and screen size. If you want a laptop that can be used as a work tool, this probably isn’t the option that you should choose. That said, HP did put forth a great Chromebook with plenty of features and specs for the right buyer – and you just can’t beat that price. Make sure to check out HP’s offering in stores and online today.