HP and Google join forces for a souped-up metal Chromebook

You know it’s not just any old Chromebook when Google and HP team up for the thing’s product launch. And indeed, the HP Chromebook 13 looks to be a pretty compelling alternative to the MacBook upgrade Apple ushered into the world last week.

The laptop makes a compelling case both in terms of looks and muscle, sporting a 2.8-pound all-metal design, measuring half an inch thick and those sixth-gen Intel Core M processors that have been the talk of the town of late.

That’s backed by 32GB of storage (keep in mind, this is a Chromebook we’re talking about here, so take the usual caveats into account), 4GB of RAM (configurable up to a wacky 16GB), and a battery promising upwards of 11 hours of life on a charge.

The titular 13.3 inch display is QHD+, which works out to a 3200 x 1800 resolution. As for the up front benefits over the recently unveiled Apple, there are ports aplenty (including not one, but two USB-Cs), audio courtesy of B&O and a 780p webcam.

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The system starts at $499. It’s up for pre-order now and starts shipping out in May. We’ll have some hands-on impressions of the device for you, post-haste.