The ASUS Chromebox 3 is destined for businesses
We don't yet know much about this little computer.
The vast majority of machines running Google's Chrome OS are laptops, but that hasn't stopped some companies from trying to put the lightweight software into tiny desktop boxes. ASUS has been making a Chromebox since 2014, and they're announcing a new one at CES 2018. Unfortunately, details are rather limited: we know it'll run an "8th generation Intel Core processor" with an untold amount of DDR4-2400 RAM. There's no mention of storage space either. What we do know is that the Chromebox 3 will include USB 3.1 via a type-C port and Gigatbit Ethernet, a logical choice for something you won't be moving around as much as a laptop (don't worry, it still has WiFi, too).
The tiny computer might make a decent living room streaming box, too, with DisplayPort and HDMI output. (ASUS says it can handle 4K video playback.) But let's be honest, this Chromebox is likely destined for light work computing in corporate settings. Chromebooks may have made big inroads in the consumer market, but we'd be surprised if many people buy one of these for the home. If you're still curious about it, ASUS says it'll go on sale sometime in the first half of 2018. In the meantime, we'll see if this little computer is lurking around the CES show floor this week to pry a few more details loose.
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