Toshiba is looking to pick up where it left off with its first Chromebook offering. The aptly named Chromebook 2 may not look all that different from the original at first glance but dig deeper and you'll find a number of noteworthy changes.
It all starts with the screen: a 13.3-incher sporting a 1080p resolution. That's a rarity among Chromebooks as most ship with a lowly 1,366 x 768 panel but I'm sure most won't complain about the upgrade.
Elsewhere, we find a dual-core Intel Celeron N2840 clocked at 2.16GHz, 4GB of RAM and 16GB of speedy flash storage. That's admittedly not much storage for a notebook but keep in mind that it's supplemented by 100GB of cloud storage via Google Drive, free for two years. There's also a memory card slot should you want to expand capacity locally.
Physical connectivity options include an HDMI port, a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, a combination headphone / microphone jack and a security lock (do people actually use these?). Inside, the system is well-equipped with 802.11 ac wireless and Bluetooth 4.0 while the audio system has been tuned by the gang over at Skullcandy.
Toshiba says users can expect up to nine hours of battery life on the 1080p version. They're also planning to offer a 720p variant with half the RAM that'll run for up to 11 hours on a single charge.
The Chromebook 2 measures in at 12.6 x 8.4 x 0.76-inches with a base weight of 2.95 pounds.
Pricing will range from $250 to $330 depending on model. Look for Toshiba's new Chromebook 2 to hit stores on October 5 in the US.