Acer Chromebook 512, Chromebook Spin 512 Launched; Rugged Acer TravelMate B114-21 Also Unveiled

Acer has added two new products to its lineup of Chromebooks in the form of the Acer Chromebook Spin 512 and Acer Chromebook 512, both of which feature a rugged build and are targeted at students. The new laptops comply with the MIL-STD 810G military standards for durability and also feature a shock-absorbing build. The company has also launched the rugged TravelMate B114-21 notebook which runs Windows 10 S and adheres to the same build quality standards as the two new Chromebooks launched by Acer.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 512 is a convertible Chromebook which can be used in multiple modes such as the traditional laptop mode, tent mode, and tablet mode, thanks to a 360-degree hinge. The Chromebook Spin 512 features a sturdy which complies with the MIL-STD 810G military standards as well as the ASTM F963-16 and UL/IED 60950-1 toy safety standards, aside from sporting a spill-proof keyboard with a liquid drainage system at the bottom of the chassis.

Talking about the specifications, the Acer Chromebook Spin 512 can be configured with a quad-core Intel Pentium Silver N5000 or a quad-core Intel Celeron N4100 processor, paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC internal storage which can be expanded via a microSD card slot. The new Chromebook features a touch-sensitive 12-inch IPS LCD display (1366 x 912 pixels) with an aspect ratio of 3:2 and a wide viewing angle of 170-degrees with a layer of Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass on top.

The Acer Chromebook 512 flaunts a rugged build and has a 180-degree hinge

Port selection includes two USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 1 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, a microSD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Acer Chromebook Spin 512 also has support for Wireless-AC 2x2 802.11ac MU-MIMO for Gigabit Wi-Fi connectivity and also comes with a dockable Wacom EMR stylus. Acer claims that the new Chromebook can last for up to 12 hours on a single charge. There is an 8-megapixel webcam for facilitating video calls.

The Acer Chromebook 512 has a traditional laptop form factor with a 180-degree rotatable hinge and adheres to the same build quality and durability standard as the Acer Chromebook Spin 512. Moreover, the port selection, battery, and display (non-touch) of the Chromebook 512 are also identical to its convertible sibling. The Acer Chromebook 512 offers a choice between an Intel Celeron N4000, Celeron N4100, or a Pentium Silver N5000 processor paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage.

The Acer Chromebook 512 has been priced at $329 (roughly Rs. 23,400) while the Acer Chromebook Spin 512 carries a price tag of $449 (roughly Rs. 32,000). Both the new Chromebooks from Acer will hit the shelves in Q2 2018 in North America and the EMEA region.

The Acer TravelMate B114-21 is powered by an AMD APU with Radeon graphics

The Acer TravelMate B114-21 is a rugged notebook which runs Windows 10 in S mode. The new laptop also complies with the same durability standards as the two new Chromebooks from Acer and features a rubber bumper and an impact-resistant body which can withstand drops from a height of up to 122cm. The Acer TravelMate B114-21 can be configured with up to a 7th Gen AMD A6-9220C APU coupled with Radeon R5 graphics, ticking alongside a peak 16GB of RAM and up to 256GB of dual-lane PCIe NVMeSSD storage.

Acer will also reportedly offer low-powered versions of the device too powered by an AMD A4-9120 APU and up to 64GB of eMMC flash memory. The new Acer laptop comes with a 14-inch full-HD (1920 x 1080) display with a 180-degree rotatable hinge. Port selection is covered by an HDMI port, two USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.1 port, an SD card reader, a 3.5mm headphone jack and an RJ-45 Ethernet port, while Wi-Fi 802.11ac handles wireless connectivity. The Acer TravelMate B114-21 starts at $319 (roughly Rs. 22,700) and will be available at some point in Q2 2019, however, availability will vary on a regional basis.