The whole thing weighs just 2.45 pounds and is a 1.3-inch thick, 7.6-inch square.

Priced at $329 (no monitor, keyboard, or mouse included), the Series 3 Chromebox is an inexpensive alternative to the $599 Mac mini. The Chromebox, however, lacks an HDMI port, more powerful Intel Core i5/i7 processors, and discrete graphics.

Again, because the operating system is designed primarily for online applications, the Chromebox doesn't really need more powerful hardware -- but it's hard to imagine many consumers buying these when for a bit more they could get a more powerful mini desktop PC. Chrome OS devices have shown their usefulness, however, in businesses and schools.

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