Acer has announced its new Chromebook Spin 11 (R751T) at the British Education and Training Technology (BETT) Show in London. Designed specifically for the classroom, the rugged convertible Chromebook comes with a stylus powered by Wacom EMR (Electro-Magnetic Resonance) technology, and features four versatile usage modes that are ideal for modern learning environments. The Chromebook Spin 11 (R751T) will provide additional capabilities thanks to support for Android apps via the Google Play Store out-of-the-box.
“Today’s students and teachers depend more than ever on the power of technology to improve learning outcomes. Acer continues to invest in research and development to create products and solutions designed for the needs of modern education,” said James Lin, General Manager, Commercial & Detachable Notebooks, IT Products Business at Acer. “With our new Chromebook Spin 11, students get a ruggedized and easy-to-use device for learning, while school administrators get a cost-effective laptop package for their schools, helping both students and staff to make the most of what modern technology can deliver”.
Equipped with a Wacom EMR stylus, students can enjoy the best of technology combined with a natural experience that mimics that of using pen and paper. With the stylus in hand, students can digitally draw, sketch, take notes, capture ideas and more in high comfort and with precise control, all the while keeping the screen smudge-free. Schools will also appreciate that EMR styli are battery-free and more resistant to accidental drops, reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO).
One of the most impressive features of the new Chromebook is the 360° dual-torque hinge design, which ensures users can enjoy a wobble-free, optimized touch experience in any mode. These modes are:
Tent Mode – Ideal for places where space is restricted (such as fold-down tray tables on bus journeys, or small classroom desks), this mode is great for displaying video content and provides a strong base for touchscreen interactions with apps and webpages.
Tablet Mode – The most mobility friendly mode, the thin body folds over itself to make for a light and easy to hold unit – great for passing around during group-work and great for field trips and class lessons outdoors. This mode is also perfect for art and design projects with the Wacom enabled stylus. A second Acer HD wide view webcam located above the keyboard allows the user to shoot photos and videos just like they would with a tablet.
Display Mode – Great for displaying instructional video content during classes that require hands on work – like cookbook recipes in a home economics class – or for apps that don’t need much touchscreen interaction.
Notebook Mode – Traditional laptop mode for typing and interacting with apps via a full keyboard
The Acer Chromebook Spin 11’s design is specialised to handle the rough-and-tumble of the classroom. Evaluated against the stringent U.S. MIL-STD 810G military standard, the Chromebook Spin 11 is tough and can withstand daily knocks and drops, whether a drop from a table or being jostled around in students’ school bags.
Thanks to a reinforced chassis structure and rubber bumper surrounding the keyboard, the Chromebook Spin 11 can withstand drops from heights up to 48 inches (122cm). The design also incorporates a unique drainage system which can endure up to 330ml of spilled water and channels liquid away from important components. As a further barrier to damage, the keyboard has recessed keys that prevent students from removing, swapping or otherwise interfering with the keys.
All of the above is enabled through solid component choices and features that means it is perfect for school administrators who want a durable, secure laptop that is simple to use for students and can be easily managed at an individual or group level.
Built on the Chrome operating system, the notebook has an 11.6” HD IPS display with highly accurate touch sensitivity. It is powered by either an Intel Celeron quad-core processor N3450 or Intel Celeron dual-core processor N3350 depending on model. It also and comes with 4GB/8GB LPDDR4 memory and either 32GB/64GB on–board storage through eMMC flash.
Wireless connectivity comes through with 2X2 MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, while wired connectivity comes through with 2 USB Type-C ports (USB 3.1 Gen 1 – up to 5 Gbps transfer of data, DisplayPort over USB-C and USB charging) and two type A USB 3.0 ports as well as a MicroSD card reader. The Chromebook Spin 11 (R751T) weighs in at 1.4kg and measures 296 (W) x 206 (D) x 20.5 (H) mm and Acer claims it has up to 10 hours of battery life.
