Tag: Chromebook

Acer has launched a set of four new Chromebooks, two 13″ models with impressive specs, and two 15″ models with so-so specs.  The new models are the Acer Chromebook 13, Acer Chromebook Spin 13,  Acer Chromebook 15, and the Acer Chromebook Spin 15.  As the name somewhat suggests, the two Spin models are 2-in-1 designs where you can fold the screen back onto the device to go into tablet mode.

The 13″ Chromebooks sport a 2256 x 1504 IPS display with a 3:2 aspect ratio.  They are powered by the Intel Core i3 or i5 processors and comes with a minimum of 8GB of RAM.  For the Chromebook 13, you get 32GB of Storage.  For the Chromebook Spin 13, you can get either 8GB or 16GB of RAM which is coupled up with 64GB or 128GB of storage depending on the configuration.

Google has begun rolling out the latest update to ARCore for Android, the system level app that brings Augmented Reality to your devices.  The new update is version 1.4.180716066 for those keeping score at home.  The update brings support for the upcoming Google Pixel 3, codename Blueline, as well as the Pixel 3 XL, codename Crosshatch.  Given that the AR Core app is updated every 4-6 weeks and that this is the first reference to the new Pixels, it likely means that we getting close to launch.

Having the two new Pixel 3’s in the mix isn’t surprising but there was a surprise in that the first Chromebook is now listed as supporting ARCore.  That is the new Acer Chromebook Tab 10.

After being announced for the education sector in March, the Acer Chromebook Tab 10 is finally available from a wide range of retailers.  Priced at just under $350, the tablet is powered by Chrome OS and is the first true Chrome OS powered tablet in the market.

The QXGA 9.7″ backlit LED display of the Chromebook Tab 10  renders at 2048 x 1536 which supports stylus input.  In fact, it comes with a stylus and it can be stored in the device.  Camera wise, you have a 5MP rear camera and a 2MP selfie camera.  Connectivity is handled by the 2x2MIMO 802.11ac WiFi antenna and you have Bluetooth 4.1 built in too.  Finally, it 34 Wh battery that provides 9 hours of power to the tablet.

The anticipated Google event later this year to announce the new Pixel 3 lineup is shaping up to be far reaching like last year.  Rumors and leaks suggest that in addition to a new Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, we will likely see a Pixel branded smartwatch and updated Google Pixelbuds.  Now we can add an updated Google Pixelbook 2 to the mix.

Evan Blass, one of the most reliable sources for leaks and information, Tweeted over the weekend that an updated version of Google’s flagship Chromebook could be coming at the event, which is believe to happen around the October time frame.

Add to this fall hardware lineup a second-generation Pixelbook, with smaller bezels, scheduled to ship before the end of the year.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 22, 2018

Truthfully this isn’t too surprising given that the Mountain View company appears going with a yearly cadence on all of their hardware updates now.

Google today announced the opening of an Early Access program for their new Chromebook Grab and Go initiative for the enterprise.  Aimed at lowering IT costs and making devices available to anyone, the Grab and Go program provides Chromebooks charged and ready to go for anyone in the enterprise to check out and use for their laptop that day.  Because nothing is stored locally on the device and all in the cloud, the only thing that users need are their login credentials and all their content is there.  It is the ultimate example of the simplistic but powerful way that Chrome OS works today.

Chrome devices and Chrome Enterprise are the key ingredients that make this program so effective. With Grab and Go, centrally-located racks with fully-charged Chromebooks are available 24/7. As soon as an issue arises, employees can grab any of these devices and log in through their corporate account. Because their work is already stored in the cloud, they can jump back into projects immediately, as if they never left their old device.

The post from Google, IHS estimates that large enterprises lose up to $60 per year with IT downtime.  The Chromebook Grab and Go program aims to throttle that back by having devices always available for workers when their primary laptop is down.

As part of the Amazon Prime Day sales, you can now pick up the excellent ASUS C302 Flip Chromebook for $449.  That’s a savings of $50 off the regular price.  That’s for the well appointed Intel m3 model that comes with 64GB of storage.  If you want to pick up the faster Intel m5 model, that’s on sale too for $599, a savings of $49.

The Asus Chromebook C302 has a 12.5″ display that has a resolution of 1920 x 1080.  It has an Intel Core M processor clocked at 2.2 GHz so it has a lot of horsepower under the hood.  Couple this with 4GB of DDR3 RAM and 64GB of storage, you have a Chromebook that can handle being your every day computer needs.