Dell is expanding its education options and now it's offering more choices: its latest education laptops can now run either Windows 10 or Chrome OS.
This week brought a number of affordable laptops and hybrids specifically designed for classroom use and a number of offers from both Google and Microsoft hold great potential. Dell is not playing favorites and its new education laptops are ready to go both ways, depending on users' preferred choice of OS.
Dell Education Laptops
The new line of education laptops from Dell includes the 11.6-inch Latitude 11 / Chromebook 11, the 13.3-inch Latitude 13 / Chromebook 13, and the 11.6-inch Latitude 11 Convertible / Chromebook 11 Convertible.
All devices are rugged and reinforced to resist shock and the daily wear and tear classroom use would involve, and they have a rubberized base trim to handle potential drops or tumbles. The systems also come with fully sealed keyboards and touchpads so that potential spills don't do any damage.
Dell also touts that its new education laptops can last for a full day on a single charge, so they won't let students down in the middle of a project.
All three devices are fully compatible with either Chrome OS or Windows 10, aiming to offer more choices to customers especially since many schools have multiple technology needs and implementations.
"With this release of our best-ever portfolio of education devices, we want to empower student-led learning by providing the tools both educators and students need to inquire, create and collaborate, wherever that may take place," says Jon Phillips, Dell's managing director of worldwide education strategy.
New Dell Latitude And Chromebooks For Education: Specs And Features
The convertible models can be used either as traditional laptops or as tablets, with the screen rotated at 360 degrees. The Windows 10 version of the Dell Latitude 11 Convertible also supports Dell's Productivity Active Pen, which allows users to draw and write on the screen.
The other two Chromebook and Latitude models come with special designs involving 180-degree durable, lay-flat hinges to facilitate collaboration by making it easier to gather around a single device. The devices also feature ergonomically designed keyboards and Dell says the keys are 50 percent more tamper-resistant than in previous models.
The Dell Latitude 11 running Windows 10 is available with 7th Gen Intel Celeron and Pentium processors, while the Chromebook 11 is available with 6th Gen Intel Celeron and Pentium processors.
The 13.3-inch Latitude and Chromebook models, meanwhile, can be configured with Intel Core i3 or i5 processors and the Windows versions can also support mobile broadband for internet access when Wi-Fi is not accessible.
Pricing And Availability
The Dell Latitude 11 Convertible and Chromebook 11 Convertible (3189) will have a starting price of $579 and $349, respectively. The Latitude 11 and Chromebook 11 (3180) will start at $349 and $219, respectively, while the Latitude 13 and Chromebook 13 (3380) will start at $519 and $299, respectively. All models will go on sale on Feb. 7 in the United States.
