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The CTL Chromebook PX11E “Secure” Special Edition is a budget ChromeOS laptop with an 11.6 inch HD display, an Intel Celeron N4500 Jasper Lake processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage.

Up for pre-order for $255, the Chromebook also has something you don’t often find on laptops: a transparent bottom cover that lets you see the computer’s electronic components.

Is this a feature that’s useful in any way? Maybe?

CTL has a history of making Chromebooks for the education sector, and I suppose there’s something educational about seeing the heat pipes, wireless card, memory, battery, and speakers without removing the cover. It also kind of reminds of those transparent phones that were all the rage in the 1980s and 1990s, so I guess there’s sort of a retro feel to this Chromebook.

And CTL also makes some claims that the transparent design “makes it easier to look inside the device to find problems like loose connections or damage from liquid.” But actually fixing the laptop is a little tougher: the bottom cover is held in place by a set of tamper-proof screws that require a special tool to remove. That’s why this is called a “Secure” special edition laptop.

The laptop has an 11.6 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel touchscreen display, a 180 degree hinge, an MIl-SDT 810H tested body, support for WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, a 720p camera, stereo 2W speakers, and a set of ports that includes:

  • 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C (with Power Delivery and video output)
  • 1 x USB 3.0 Gen 1 Type-A
  • 1 x 3.5mm audio

The laptop measures 11.5″ x 7.8″ x 0.7″ and weighs 2.6 pounds.

via Chrome Unboxed

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  1. I’m sorta thinking that maybe this isn’t meant to spot moisture, or loose connections, but to stop students from smuggling stuff in inside the school issued chromebook.

    Reply

    1. Fair point, I know I used my empty PCMCIA slot to smuggle Fruit Rollups into class.

      Reply