Lenovo has taken the wraps off its brand new budget Chromebook at this weeks IFA event in Germany.
The Lenovo Chromebook 100S price starts at a cheap $179 US and it will go on sale in October. Lenovo say their ‘most affordable Chromebook ever’ is ‘great for anyone on a budget’.
As with other low-cost Chromebooks, such as the ASUS C200, a low price doesn’t mean low performance.
The IdeaPad 100S features an Intel N2840 (Baytrail) processor, 2GB RAM and 16GB of on-board flash storage.
A model with twice the memory and storage will also be available according to Lenovo.
It has an 11.6-inch HD (1366×768) screen which, understandably, is not IPS. It weighs 2.6lbs and measures 0.8-inches tall when closed.
Ports wise there are two USB ports (1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0), a full-sized HDMI out, SD card slot and a lacklustre 1MP webcam.
Lenovo say the 100S should manage 8 hours before needing a charge (though this will vary based on what you’re doing with it).
Also Available With Windows 10 (!)
Interestingly the 100S is also available to buy with Windows 10 for — rather aptly — $10 more. For the money you get a different OS, a quad-core Intel Atom Z3735F processor and two USB 3.0 ports (rather than the Chrome OS model’s one).
A 14-inch version of the IdeaPad 100S will also be available with a Celeron (Braswell) processor and a more exuberant price of $259 US. Lenovo has not said whether this 14-inch model will also be available with Chrome OS.