Chromebook "Nocturne" Detachable To Fix HP Chromebook x2's Flaw

Chromebooks are starting to expand into more than just the "book" factor. But before Acer's first Chrome OS tablet, there was the HP Chromebook x2, the first detachable Chromebook. For its price and specs, it was a near-perfect portable Chromebook save for one critical flaw: its keyboard had no backlight. Fortunately, it seems that an upcoming detachable Chromebook will correct that mistake and push the Chrome OS envelope again.

As far as Chromebooks are concerned, the HP Chromebook x2 is both typical and unique. Like some of the higher end Chromebooks, it ran on an Intel Core m3, with 4 GB of RAM, and a 12.3-inch 2400x1600 screen with active stylus support. What set it apart from the brood was that it was the first of its kind to detach completely from the keyboard where other Chromebooks simply folded all the way back.

That feature may have come with a price, though why it did is still a mystery. With no backlit keyboard, users would be left fumbling in the dark or using the screen's dim light. But there is hope, at least for those still waiting to buy a Chromebook. A change in Chromium's source code states that a certain "nocturne" device will have a backlit keyboard.

Of course, other normal Chrombooks already have that feature but what makes the nocturne special is that it is another detachable like the HP Chromebook x2. At least based on previous clues dropped over the past months. Those clues include a 2400x1600 screen resolution and, curiously, a Skylake (6th gen) Intel processor. Ideally, that would be upgraded to at least Kabylake before it hits the market. Then it would be similar to HP's version.