Acer is bringing Google's Chrome operating system to desktops with its new Chromebox CXI in the U.S.
On Thursday, August 21, the Taiwan-based company announced the launch of the Chromebox CXI, which is perfect for "education, small to medium businesses and budget-conscious users" who want to take advantage of the affordability and safety of the Chrome ecosystem.
"The Acer Chromebox CXI is an excellent fit for schools and any other institution or business where conserving costs and space are high priorities," said Simon Hwang, president of Acer Stationary Computing and Display Business Group. "Due to the ease of management, the Chromebox can significantly reduce technical support and consequently lower the total cost of ownership."
The Chromebox CXI is enclosed in a chassis that measures .6 liters (6.51 c 5.12 x 1.3 inches) and stands straight. It is also VESA mountable. The Chromebox CXI runs on an Intel Celeron 2975U dual-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz and boots up in barely eight seconds thanks to its 16GB solid state drive (SSD).
The device looks to maximize space and has four USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader, HDMI and DisplayPort outputs, and a LAN port. The Chromebox CXI has a RAM capacity of up to 4GB.
The Acer Chromebox CXI also brings with it unmatched wireless connectivity thanks to Bluetooth 4.0 and Gigabit Ethernet.
Come September, Acer will release two Chromebox models - the CXI-2GKM and CXI-4GKM. The CXI-2GKM and CXI-4GKM will have a memory capacity of 2GB and 4GB, respectively. Keeping the price point similar to rival ASUS' Chromebox offering, the 2GB model of the Acer Chromebox XI will retail for $179.99. The 4GB model will set consumers back by $219.99.
Both the Acer Chromebox XI models will come with a mouse and keyboard and will be available for sale in the U.S. and Canada "late next month."
