HP’s new Stream laptops start at $200, trudge on Chromebook’s turf

By Konrad Krawczyk September 29, 2014

hps 11 6 13 3 inch stream laptop starts 200 trudges chromebooks turf — HP Stream 13 Image used with permission by copyright holder

Chromebooks have carved out a big chunk of the super-cheap laptop market for themselves. Microsoft and PC makers realize this, which is why the two are teaming up to create new Windows laptops that are super affordable, and targeted right for the price points where Chromebooks make their homes.

Enter the Stream from HP, which you can get for a lot less than what a high-end graphics card goes for. The new HP Stream laptops are the smaller siblings of the Stream 14, which the company announced during IFA earlier this month.

Related: HP reveals $300 Stream 14 laptop

HP hasn’t exactly provided a wealth of details on these new units, but here’s what we know. The HP Stream comes in two sizes, 11.6 inches, and 13.3 inches. They’re both powered by Celeron processors, include 32GB of eMMC flash memory, and have HD displays. They’re also fanless, so they should work pretty quietly when in use.

HP Stream 11 — HP Stream 11 Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microsoft rips a page out of the Chrome OS playbook and supplements the Stream’s 32GB of storage with 1TB of Microsoft OneDrive space for a year. Google usually includes just 100GB of free Google Drive storage with its Chromebooks, but offers it for two years. You’ll get Office 365 Personal for a year as well.

Interestingly, HP offers 200MB of free 4G data with the 13.3-inch version of the Stream, which replenishes each month. You don’t need to sign up for a contract either. There’s no word on which carrier is handling that though. Also, it’s unknown why the 13.3-inch model got this optional extra, and why the 11.6-inch variant didn’t.

HP says that the 11.6-inch Stream will offer 8 hours and 15 minutes of HD video playback before the battery knocks out, while the 13.3-inch model will last for 7 hours and 45 minutes under the same conditions.

The 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch HP Stream will be available in Orchid Magenta and Horizon Blue, both of which are pictured above. The 11.6-inch HP Stream will start at $200, while the larger 13.3-inch flavor will start at $230. Both will begin shipping sometime in the beginning of November.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Konrad Krawczyk

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Konrad covers desktops, laptops, tablets, sports tech and subjects in between for Digital Trends. Prior to joining DT, he…

Computing

HP sale: Up to 68% off laptops, printers, monitors, and more

Photo of an HP Envy 16 laptop.

HP has a huge sale going on now with awesome laptop deals, monitor deals, and many other deep discounts. If you’re keen to buy a new device for less, this is your chance to do so. There are over 50 different items in the HP sale from high-end laptops to mice, so the best thing you can do is tap the button below and see for yourself what’s out there. Alternatively, if you want to see what we recommend, keep reading while we take you through our choices.

What to shop for in the HP sale
The biggest discount in the HP sale is being able to buy the for $989 reduced from $3,098. Perfectly suited for business users, you get an Intel Core i7-1255U processor, a huge 32GB of memory, and 512GB of SSD storage. A 14-inch WUXGA screen with 100% sRGB, 400 nits of brightness, and 1920 x 1200 looks great, while there are extensive security provisions courtesy of HP Wolf Pro Security Edition. From one of the best laptop brands, you can’t go wrong.

Computing

HP Envy vs. Pavilion: Which is the better laptop line?

HP has been a go-to choice for laptops and desktop PCs for several decades now. Pre-loaded with the Windows operating system, two of the company’s most popular lineups include its Envy and Pavilion machines. These are feature-rich computers, and they’re pretty budget-friendly too, but which of the two HP families reigns supreme? Let’s compare them to find out.
HP Envy

The latest generation HP Envy laptops can be divided in two main design categories: traditional clamshell laptops (HP Envy) and 2-in-1 laptops (HP Envy x360). Where the HP Envy range has previously covered every major laptop size, the latest generation of clamshell designs is limited to just 16- and 17-inch models. The Envy X360 range offers 15- and 14-inch models.

Computing

This HP laptop is normally $1,453 — today it’s $579

A HP 250 G9 laptop on a white background.

One of the best laptop deals for business users looking to upgrade is the HP 250 15.6-inch G9 laptop currently on sale at HP. Usually priced at $1,453, it’s down to $579 for a limited time, so this is your chance to save $874 off the regular price. Sound good to you? Keep reading and we’ll take a look at all the hardware it has to offer.

Why you should buy the HP 250 15.6-inch G9
HP is one of the best laptop brands for general all-around reliability and being well-priced. This particular model has a 12th-generation Intel Core i5-1235U processor teamed up with 8GB of memory and 256GB of SSD storage. That means it won’t exactly be competing with the best laptops but it’s reliable for an inexpensive laptop.