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Google announced the Acer Chromebook Tab 10 ahead of Apple's big education event for the rumored launch of a low-cost 9.7-inch iPad for K-12 students.
And while Apple heads to a school in Chicago for its launch, it's probably no coincidence that Google gave a preview of its Chrome OS tablet to an elementary school in Apple's home town, Cupertino.
Cheeky little launch there
The tablet features a touch display with a 2,048 x 1,526-pixel resolution and supports the built-in Wacom EMR stylus. Google says that the stylus uses machine learning to enhance the writing experience for students. The stylus also doesn't need charging or pairing.
The tablet supports Google Play and gives teachers and students access to Android apps with planned support for Google Expeditions AR in the works.
The Chromebook Tab 10 runs on a Rockchip OP1 processor with dual-core Cortex-A72 and quad-core Cortex-A53 processors. It comes with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, weighs 1.21lb (550g), and according to Acer, offers a nine-hour battery life.
The tablet also features a two-megapixel webcam and five-megapixel rear camera, dual speakers and mic, USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 1 port, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD slot, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
330 Euros on launch in May inc VAT so should be under £300
nice, but google still getting it rong by not having a viable "child environment" sandbox based on family management.
Their solutions are half arsed and bitty.
not going to stop me and the family living in a google world but they could have made it easier to me to manage the boys' devices and internet realms.
That's amusing, given that last week I was reading about how Chromebooks are to be running native Android apps (so the end of the tablet is nigh and all that).
Or the end of the distinction is nigh?
Easy to add a keyboard and use as a laptop or use as a tablet, unify the platform and make it so you can have both
My iPad mini has pretty much run its course, so I'm looking for a cheap "Tablet" with a keyboard. I've seriously consider one of those Asus flip things.
Because my Apple infrastructure is based around work, and personal is Android I'd look at one of those - as long as there's a keyboard case. I'm using my work iPad with apple keyboard cover at the moment which of course limits content e.g. Banking apps, but I don't won't to pay £600 for hime browsing.
Ive been running an asus flip for over a year now and its been excellent. TBH I hardly use the android functionality, but the touch screen with chrome is useful.
like stoner I hardly use the apps on my Asus flip; chrome does all I need. Just use it as a 12" tab most of the time, with a built in stand
Good to know - which do you have? For my news reading, stw forum, Instagram, email use I'm looking at this:
that's the one I have. typing this on it now. I use it all day. Its on all the time in the Kitchen I watch programs on it in front of the fire at night, and it comes with me to London for work.
+ tves
Light, small, fantastic keyboard. Fast, enough memory to not suffer from heavy work. Reliable, stable. Accurate track pad with good positive click.
- tves
Battery indicator not v accurate and low battery indication not effective so after heavy use it can just shut itself down without warning.
Not the brightest screen but excellent resolution and deep blacks.
Proprietary charger plug is stoopid. But it was necessary to get the Wattage in for fast charging (and it does charge v quickly to be fair)
Has been abused for year now, and still looking good as new.
I have a slightly faster one but I wanted a decent screen (gorilla glass and all), and i definitely wanted it to be able to do a lot (i know it's a chromebook, and it's all in the cloud etc). At the time at JL, the Intel M7 version was the same price as the Intel M3 one. So why not?
It's not now; the M3 is £100 cheaper, so I probably wouldn't think it was a premium worth paying.
One negative - as Stoner says - is the USB-C charger. I know it's the future (blah blah), but I've nothing else with it at the moment. I have bought a £5 USB-C from amazon, and it will charge from a normal wall plug, but it's obviously a lot slower. Other than that, there's not a lot. You can't download into Chrome from BBC iPlayer (you can watch via streaming of course), but you can download via the iPlayer app. Bonkers really.
It is lovely aluminium. No real plastic. The kids thought it was an Macbook; it does look and feel a quality bit of kit.
Very quick to start up; so quick that I actually turn it off every night, rather than just shutting the lid. As I've got it set to AutoOn, by the time I've opened it into tablet mode it's ready to go. And as it's set to unlock when my phone is in range, there's no password to enter. It's just ready to go.
I am impressed. To the extent that when the family laptop goes (soon!), I'll either convert that into a chromebook, or buying another Asus flip (possibly a cheaper one)