Chromebooks are consistently rising in popularity. The Chrome-operated laptops are great for anyone who wants a fundamental, decent-priced machine. In fact, with the exception of a few brand name Chromebooks, most are made to be budget-friendly. After releasing its Chromebook 2 just last year, Toshiba is already looking forward to the launch of its refreshed, Chromebook 2. This is a good move for Toshiba, as this version is said to have a better processor, and some new backlit keys.

There's many similarities between Toshiba's old and new Chromebook 2 (it's been “refreshed”, not revamped), with just enough changes to make everyone happy. According to 9 to 5 Google, the model still has that 13.3-inch 1080p IPS display, something Toshiba didn't really need to add on to, as it provides plenty of color reproduction and wide viewing angles. However, this version will sport Skullcandy front-facing speakers, dual array microphones, and an HD webcam. Most importantly, there's now a backlit keyboard, and the choice of 5^th gen Intel Core i3 or Celeron processors. Battery life remains around 9 hours (Engadget)..

Unlike most second gen laptops, Toshiba didn't go too far, changing every aspect of it just to see if that's what the consumers want. Instead, it stuck with its tried and true Chromebook 2, altering just enough to give its processor some oopmh, and some backlit keys for those of us whose keyboards go pitter patter in the night. This is a basic device, made for basic needs, not to mention you need to enjoy Chrome to endure it. If it's enough for you, it will be available for $329 and $429, for the Intel Celeron and Intel Core i3 models, respectively, next month on Toshiba's website.