Google has launched a new series of Chromebook laptops called Chromebook Plus that the company says is built for productivity and performance.
The new laptops come from various manufacturers that are part of the Plus program like Asus, Acer, HP, and Lenovo. Google has established a minimum standard of system requirements for a laptop to qualify for Chromebook Plus.
These specifications include a minimum of AMD Ryzen 3 7000 series or Intel's Core i3 12th generation processors, paired with a minimum of 8GB RAM. These laptops also have to include a storage capacity of 128GB or more, and a webcam capable of 1080p resolution. The laptops are also required to have a Full HD IPS display.
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Google is adding a new dedicated control panel on Plus devices for video conferencing. The dedicated panel will allow users to quickly disable or enable the microphone, or enable/disable the camera.
There are some AI-enhanced features for a webcam as well, with enhanced lighting, noise cancellation, background blur, live captions, and more. Google Drive file sync will be enabled by default on Plus devices.
Chromebook Plus will also receive more advanced Google Photos features like Magic Eraser, HDR, Portrait blur, and automatic clip creation from videos and photos.
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Google is also partnering with Adobe and LumaTouch for software like Photoshop, Adobe Express, and LumaFusion. Chromebook Plus users will get three months of Photoshop and Express subscriptions for free, along with the purchase. They will also get three months of Nvidia's GeForce Now cloud gaming subscriptions.
Upcoming AI features for Plus include an assistant that can work across multiple websites, and the ability for users to create AI-generated wallpapers. Google says it will support Plus devices for 10 years with software updates.
The prices for the Chromebook Plus start at $399 and the initial wave of devices will come from manufacturers like Asus, Acer, HP, and Lenovo. The devices will go on sale starting October 8.
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