One of the reasons why Google’s Chrome OS devices like the Chromebook have become so popular is because they’re competitively priced. It is very easy to get your hands on a Chromebook for $200. Even though they run a web-based OS they still offer countless productivity features, which make them a compelling choice for students. But what if Chromebooks could become even cheaper? That might be a possibility in the future as MediaTek and Rockchip processors find their way into upcoming Chrome OS products.
Most Chromebooks and Chromeboxes right now run Intel chips, while some are also powered by Samsung Exynos processors that are based on the ARM architecture. Rockchip recently demonstrated a Chromebook prototype powered by its RK3288 ARM-based chip and it certainly looks eager to bring its chips to future Chromebooks.
On the other hand MediaTek has contributed code to Chromium OS for a test device that has an entry-level ARM Cortex-A7 processor. Sure it may be slower than the ARM Cortex A-15 dualcore chips found in Samsung Series 3 Chromebook and the HP Chromebook 11 but it would undoubtedly be cheaper.
ARM-based Chromebooks that sell for even lower than $200 would be an appealing possibility, and it just might bring notebooks in markets where people could really make do with cheap systems.
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