HP Stream goes even lower, bringing Windows 8 laptops to $199
The Stream is a budget "cloud-based PC," now available in two new laptop and two new tablet sizes, making it one of the least expensive ways to get Windows 8.
- Author of the award-winning, NY Times-reviewed nonfiction book The Tetris Effect; Longtime consumer technology expert for CBS Mornings
HP has expanded its Stream lineup with four new models, in addition to the previously announced 14-inch version. Like the original 14-inch Stream, these are intended as cheap, cloud-reliant systems, using a Web browser to access online services much like a Chromebook does, but with the added flexibility of Windows 8.
The two new clamshell laptops are the HP Stream 11.6 and the HP Stream 13.3, costing $199 and $229 in the US, £179 and £199 in the UK and AU$299 and AU$379 in Australia. Both have 1,366x768-pixel displays, with an optional touchscreen on the 13-inch model.
The low-power Intel Celeron processor and 32GB of SSD storage allow for a fanless design, but after a full Windows 8 install, there probably won't be much room left on the SSD for applications and files. Colors include magenta and blue, helping these stand out from typical budget laptops.
Both clamshells include 1TB of online storage via Microsoft OneDrive and a subscription to Office 365, both good for one year, plus a Windows app store gift card (worth $25 in the US and £20 in the UK). The 13-inch model also includes a 4G antenna and 200MB of data per month (250MB via 3G in the UK), with paid upgrades available via a scheme called HP DataPass.
While probably the least expensive Windows 8 laptops you're likely to find, the specs might make even a very casual computer user cringe, at least if you were planning to use it as you would a standard laptop. Instead of installing and running apps, and storing large amounts of data, the Stream is meant to operate almost as a Chromebook would, accessing remote cloud-based apps and services, but with the ability to perform normal Windows 8 functions (such as running installed software) in a pinch.
In our brief hands-on time with the 11-inch and 13-inch versions, the Windows 8 interface felt fast and responsive, but that's due in part to Microsoft's excellent work optimizing the OS for nearly any CPU. We'll have to perform more extended Web-surfing and productivity tests to see if the Stream can really work even as a casual PC.
Also new are two slate-style tablets, the HP Stream 7 Tablet and HP Stream 8 Tablet. These Intel-powered tablets run full Windows 8, and include the same OneDrive and Office 365 deals, as well as Skype credits. The 8-inch model also includes the same HP DataPass deal as the as the 13-inch Stream, giving 200MB or 250MB of free data per month.