Acer has launched a new convertible laptop aimed at students and designed to be durable enough to take a bit of punishment in the classroom, offering impressive battery longevity to boot.
The TravelMate Spin B1 is the first of the range to get the ‘Spin’ treatment, meaning it has a 360-degree hinge which allows for the notebook’s keyboard to be folded back fully so it’s flat against the display, effectively making the device a thick tablet.
It can also be folded back partially to put the notebook in stand or tent mode, useful for when watching movies or giving presentations.
The Spin B1 is an 11.6-inch laptop with a Pentium processor and choice of an HD or Full HD display.
As mentioned it’s built with durability in mind, featuring a shock-absorbing rubber frame, spill-resistant keyboard (with channels under the keyboard deck to drain spilled water away from the laptop’s internal hardware), and a pressure-resistant screen which is more capable of taking a knock without any danger of cracking compared to your average display.
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Battery chops
Not only will the B1 hopefully last longer than your average notebook in terms of overall lifespan, but the battery will last better than many portables out there, boasting a claimed up to 13 hours of battery life.
You also get a chiclet keyboard, precision touchpad and a stylus which supports Windows Ink to allow students to easily take notes. And as well as Windows 10 Pro, there’s Acer TeachSmart software on-board which allows for easy communication between pupils and teacher (and utilizes multi-colored LED lights on the laptop, no less).
Connectivity includes dual-band 2x2 MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 on the wireless front, alongside a pair of USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0, and an HDMI connector. There’s also an SD card reader.
Full spec details and pricing will be region-dependent and revealed at a later date by Acer, although we’ve been told to expect the TravelMate Spin B1 to pitch up in the second quarter of this year.
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