Google showcases the very first tablet that runs on its Chrome OS platform with the arrival of the Acer Chromebook Tab 10 aimed at education.
The operating system has been integrated with all-in-ones, 2-in-1 convertibles, desktops, and laptops, but never before on a dedicated tablet device.
Based on the company's market research, educational facilities reportedly preferred Chromebooks over the competition thanks to its security, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness. Feedback from surveys apparently showed that educators want to have the benefits of the operating system on a tablet device, which is now becoming a reality.
One Step Ahead
Recent sources confirmed that Google's announcement of its new product is strategically intended to attract interest ahead of its competitor. Apple is expected to officially reveal its new low-cost iPad soon, which is also positioned to target the education sector.
Furthermore, Google's product apparently boasts a built-in stylus that supposedly gives it an edge over the upcoming iOS-running slate. Albeit Apple's new device also features Pencil support, but at an additional $99 and requires charging as well as a separate storage.
"The Acer Chromebook Tab 10 combines advances in hardware and application support to enable more meaningful learning for an even wider range of K-12 students," says James Lin, a general manager from Acer. "The new Acer Chromebook Tam 10 encourages students to discover new ways of understanding the world around them," he added.
Hardware Details
A press release from the company reveals that the Acer Chromebook Tab 10 sports a 9.7-inch IPS touch-screen with a 2048 x 1536 display resolution. Moreover, it is configured to detect up to 10 simultaneous touch points and work with the built-in Wacom EMR stylus.
The Chrome OS-powered tablet relies on its six-core OP1 processor, which uses a quad-core Cortex A53 and dual-core Cortex A72 processors with a 4 GB RAM. Experts share that the processor of the device is fine-tuned to work smoothly with the featured operating system and will most likely be used in other devices on the same platform.
Other components include a 2-megapixel front-facing camera paired with a 5-megapixel main shooter. Its 32 GB internal storage can be increased via its microSD slot.
According to the manufacturer, it also comes with two speakers and a 9-hour battery life.
Price And Availability
Commercial and educational customers in North America can grab the Acer Chromebook Tab 10 for $329 next month. There is no word yet on its possible availability in other territories in the near future.
