The HP Chromebase was so perfect, and I only realized that now. Recently I’ve been into Googlebooks because of how it’s based on android with an emphasis on desktop. It has always been my goal to use a versatile lightweight OS that can serve both my tablet and desktop needs. HP Chromebase seems like this that sits on the desk.
The hardware is quite literally the dream hardware that I would look for on a desktop. 4 sided symmetrical bezels, touchscreen, built in speaker, sturdy stand, rotated vertically, lightweight OS. It is very rare to get all of these in one package, and the HP Chromebase seems to be the only all-in-one that checks all of these boxes to this day.
While ChromeOS is frowned upon by a lot, and probably why this product got discontinued, ChromeOS is just perfect for me on this device. This is exactly the device I would use as a desktop with my keyboard and mouse, and then put my keyboard and mouse aside and use it as a tablet for entertainment. ChromeOS, and on this machine comes with the Google Play Store, which allows you to install most android apps, and that is just perfect for that 2-in-1 versatile experience. I suppose an even more perfect solution is if it runs Googlebook OS, which would be able to run android apps natively and have all the mobile-optimized touch-gestures combined with the desktop-level browser.
It is very unfortunate that this device got discontinued after just one generation, I wish that even if this device will never get refreshed, I at least hope a design like this will be brought back in similar products.