The state of Chromebooks for retail is a pretty sorry state of affairs in Australia, but for the education market business is apparently good. The latest model to hit the education market is the Acer Chromebook 11 C771, a rugged laptop with up to 13 hours of battery life.
The Chromebook will have a number of configurations, with Intel Celeron Core i3 and Core i5 processors, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The 11.6″ IPS display has a 1366×768 resolution and will have both touch and non-touchscreen configs, the display sits attached to the main Chromebook with a 180-degree hinge.
In terms of ports, the C771 has a USB 3.1 Type C connector for fast data transfers as well as two USB 3.0 ports, 3.5mm headphone jack and one HDMI port. It comes with built-in Wi-fi and a HDR webcam with HD Audio support.
The C771 is thin, just 21mm and weighs only 1.35kg, but is built to mil-spec, MIL-STD 810G(4) specifically. With the rubber bumpers it can withstand drops of up to 122cm, and withstand downward pressure on the lid up to 60kg. The mil-spec build combined with a 13 hour battery life makes for a great machine for the education market.
At this stage, the Chromebook is only confirmed for the US market, where it will start selling next month starting at US$279 for the non-touchscreen version. We’ve dropped a note to Acer Australia asking about availability.
I have been reading a lot about the newest technologies lately. I’ve been doing this mostly because my students asked me about the device that could help them plan their time better and help them learn more. I have already heard about the newest Acer and I am particularly grateful for this article. Now I can recommend to my students for reviewing and making their own decision. I would also love to read the users comments and whether they are happy with the Acers performance.
Is there anywhere in AU that one can purchase a Chromebook with a 1080p screen at a non-insane price?