With BETT (formerly the British Educational Training and Technology Show) about to start in the UK this week, we’re seeing some new Chromebook hardware being announced and after HP announced their new education focused range, Acer has also announced new Chromebooks with the Chromebook 512 and Chromebook Spin 512.
The Chromebooks are similar with both featuring a 12″ 1366×912 resolution IPS display in 3:2 aspect ratio, though have a few key differences with the Chromebook Spin 512 featuring a 360-degree hinge, while the Chromebook 512 has only a 180-degree hinge allowing you to simply lay it flat on a desk or table. The Chromebook Spin 512 also includes a Wacom electro-magnetic resonance (EMR) stylus that can be stored in a slot in the device.
Under the hood there’s a few differences as well, with the Chromebook Spin 512 powered by an Intel Pentium Silver N5000 or Celeron N4100 processor, while the Chromebook 512 is powered by a dual-core Celeron N4000 processor.
Both models include options for either 4GB or 8GB and either 32 or 64GB of storage (apparently a microSD card slot is on-board), dual USB-C and USB-A 3.0 ports, as well as a headphone/microphone jack. For connectivity you’ll find Bluetooth 5.0 and 802.11ac Wi-Fi on-board and it’s all powered by a 45 Wh 3920 mAh 11.4V 3-Cell Li-ion offering up to 12 hours of battery life.
The Chromebook Spin 512 includes a 8MP ‘world facing’ camera and a HD (720p) resolution web cam with HDR support which has an 88-degree wide-angle lens. It’s not clear if the Chromebook 512 also has the same camera setup, but we’re attempting to find out.
As education focused devices, ACER has had the Chromebooks certified for the U.S. MIL-STD 810G military standard which allows for drops up to 76cm and allows for limited IP rating which includes a spill resistant keyboard.
Acer Chromebook 512
Acer Chromebook Spin 512
At this stage ACER Australia hasn’t announced any availability for the Chromebook 512 or Chromebook Spin 512 but they’ll be heading to the US in April starting at $329.99 for the Chromebook 512, while the Chromebook Spin 512 will start at $449.99.
