Toshiba’s Refreshed Chromebook 2 Adds Broadwell CPUs, Starts at $330

Most Chromebooks that hit the market don't tend to impress by way of their specs, and there's a good reason for it: most of them are inexpensive. But, inexpensive doesn't have to equal boring, something Toshiba's upcoming Chromebook 2 easily proves.

At the forefront, this new Chromebook will feature Intel's 5th-gen Core processors, aka Broadwell, which in addition to providing a performance boost also delivers improved battery life (8.5-hours, in this notebook). The $329.99 model features a Celeron processor, while the $429.99 uses Core i3. Neither are high-performance in the grand scheme, but both should suit the needs of most Chromebook users.

Other perks of the Chromebook 2 include a 1080p resolution in a 13.3-inch screen, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, dual USB ports (one each of 2.0 and 3.0), HDMI, an SD card slot, Skullcandy speakers, and a webcam. All of this weighs just 2.9 pounds. Also worth mentioning is that users will gain 100GB of Google Drive storage for that specific device, 90 days of Google Play music, and 12 in-air passes for Gogo Internet service. Based on the teaser image above, I'd have to say that it also looks awesome. It's amazing what a few hundred dollars can net you nowadays.

Toshiba is set to begin selling its Chromebook 2 next month, and it will be available in various etailers, retailers, and on its own webstore.