So what is the Asus Chromebit? It looks like an ordinary thumb-drive, but it’s not as it is more than that. It is a small micro-desktop that will bring cloud-based tools and services to any display. It comes feature-packed all within a reasonably low price.
Get Cost Efficient Cloud-Based Tools With the Asus Chromebit
There are already a handful of Windows 10 laptops in today’s market that are reasonably priced, but with the Asus Chromebit, it brings the price down a notch further. Despite the device looking like an oversized USB drive, it has the DNA of a certified desktop, albeit not a powerful one. It does require a constant source of power since it lacks any hint of an internal battery.
The device needs to be connected via the HDMI input of a TV or a monitor. It will also need a separate keyboard and a mouse which should all be connected via a Bluetooth or a USB Bluetooth dongle. The other peripherals are not provided with the package so you have to get them yourself. But if you already have these lying around in your house, then you can put them to good use with the Chromebit.
Like other computers built around the Chrome OS, the system will run on the Google Chrome Web browser and just a bit of other software offerings. It is a device made to be for cloud-based work. It can store a pretty decent amount of music and movie files with its 16GB internal storage. Just don’t expect to play games with it.
It is not a computer or a laptop so you can’t expect to do anything too extreme with the it. However, despite its obvious limitations, it is a great utility of an online-only computer. Email services, such as Gmail, are handled well with apps. It can also handle other uses such as movie streaming through Netflix, shopping around Amazon, and creating documents through Microsoft’s free-to-use online Office apps.
Often times, there is little reason to download and install apps from third-party providers. The device runs on an ARM-based CPU from Rockchip, which is a Chinese chip maker. It is clearly a cost-cutting move as compared to the Intel Atom-based processors as found on other low-end computers.
Even though you can’t expect to run anything extensively with the Asus Chromebit, but add a mouse and a Bluetooth keyboard, and your HDMI-compatible display will immediately turn into a web-surfing station.