Chromebit


The Chromebit is a stick PC running Google's Chrome OS operating system. When placed in the HDMI port of a television or a monitor, this device turns that display into a personal computer. Chromebit allows adding a keyboard or mouse over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The device was announced in April 2015 and began shipping that November.

Functionality

A Chromebit turns a display with an HDMI port into a desktop variant of the Chromebook laptop, which runs Google's Chrome OS operating system. Chrome OS primarily supports a single application, a web browser, thereby relying heavily on an Internet connection for software functionality and data storage.
Chromebits have a superficial resemblance to the Chromecast, another Google device. But whereas the Chromecast is designed to display video and still images on a television or other large-screen display, the Chromebit is a self-contained personal computer. The device will compete against the Intel Compute Stick, which offers similar plug-in functionality using two other operating systems, Windows 8.1 and Ubuntu.

Technology

Internally, the first Chromebit resembles a standard Chromebook laptop. The device features 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, as well as a USB 2.0 port at one end. The other end swivels, enabling it to fit into a variety of HDMI slots.

Availability, models

Google announced the Chromebit on March 31, 2015. Google and Asus began shipping the first model that November. The Chromebit will no longer receive updates after November 2020.
AnnouncedBrandModelProcessorRAMStorageSize
March 2015AsusAsus ChromebitRockchip RK32882 GB16 GB