Back at CES 2017, Acer announced a Chromebook built for heavy use day after day in schools. Now, it's giving the same treatment to a Windows laptop -- and it's a convertible one to boot.
The Acer TravelMate Spin B1 is an 11.6-inch laptop running Windows 10 Pro with 360-degree hinges letting students use it like a clamshell, a tablet or any position in between.
It has a shock-absorbent middle rubber frame so it can fall off a desk or lab table and survive. It'll handle 132 pounds (60 kg) of downward force on its lid, too. The spill-resistant keyboard and touchpad has channels to move liquids away from internal components.
Though the touchpad will work with Windows 10 gestures, it will also come with either a full HD or HD-resolution touchscreen. And there's the option to use a stylus supporting Windows Ink, so students will be able to jot down notes, draw or diagram on their work.
Other features include:
- Intel Pentium processors
- Battery life up to 13 hours
- Dual-band 2x2 802.11ac wireless and Bluetooth 4.0
- Two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port and one HDMI port
- A 3.5mm headphone jack
- An SD card reader
The Acer TravelMate Spin B1 will be available to education and commercial customers in the second quarter 2017.