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1Acer First to Deliver Chrome OS Tablet With Chromebook Tab 10
Just a day ahead of an education-focused Apple event where it is rumored a new iPad table will debut, Acer and Google sought to grab a bit of attention with the introduction of its own tablet, the Chromebook Tab 10. Unveiled on March 26, the Tab 10 is the first Chrome OS tablet to hit the market. Google claims the Tab 10 is ideal for budget shoppers and education customers who want impressive features at an affordable price. The tablet comes with a 9.7-inch screen and runs on Google’s OP1 processor. The Chromebook Tab 10 may be a tablet trailblazer but its arriving in an increasingly crowded education and corporate mobile device market. Read on to learn whether the Tab 10 has what it takes to impress tablet buyers.
2Acers Introduces the First Chrome OS Tablet
The Acer Chromebook Tab 10 is the mobile device market’s first Chrome OS-based tablet. Rumors have been swirling for months that Google has been working with hardware partners to bring its cloud-focused operating system to tablets. Chrome OS will give Tab 10 users access to all of Google’s cloud applications and enable them to store data on the Google Cloud Platform. Google has promised more Chrome OS tablets will hit the market in the coming months.
3Chromebook Tab 10 Designed Mainly for Education
In a statement, Acer said that its Chromebook Tab 10 is focused on the education market and certain segments of the enterprise market. To deliver that experience, the Chromebook can be integrated with Chrome Education, allowing for schools to manage a fleet of Chromebook Tab 10s from one console. Since Chrome OS relies heavily on the cloud, student information can be stored there, so they can go from class to class to access their data.
4It Has an iPad-Sized Screen
5Android Apps Also Work on This Tablet
6Google’s OP1 Dual-Core Processor Powers the Tab 10
7It’s Designed to Be Highly Portable
The device weighs just 1.2 pounds, which is ideal for students who are usually lugging weighty backpacks. It’s also just .39 inches thick, making it thinner than a large number of competing tablets. Acer said that the tablet’s “cobalt blue color” was specifically chosen to make it easy to find in a crowded classroom.
8The Battery Lasts for at Least 9 Hours
Acer’s tablet features a sizable battery pack that will deliver 9 hours of battery life on a single charge. The tablet’s USB-C port can be used to charge it quickly, but also doubles as a data-transfer port with speeds up to 5 Gbps. A secondary HD display can also be connected to the tablet through the USB-C port.
9Tab 10 Ships With Wacom Stylus
10Acer Plans to Add AR Support Later
Out of the box, the Acer Chromebook Tab 10 will not support augmented reality applications, Acer confirmed. However, the company added that it plans to support Google’s Expeditions AR platform in the future. When Expeditions AR is turned on, students will able to view 3D objects on their screens and in applications.
11Acer to Ship Chromebook Tab 10 in April
Acer’s Chromebook Tab 10 will be available to educational and commercial customers in the U.S. starting in April priced at $329. The Tab 10 offers only 802.11ac WiFi connectivity.