Asus has introduced the BR1100 range of laptops that are aimed at students who have been studying from home. The new compact laptops come with a military-grade chassis that is similar to the TUF series laptops which Asus makes and features a spill-resistant keyboard too.
According to the company, since the arrival of Covid-19 in the country and many schools shutting down, families have had to allow their children to use their personal computers or invested in more affordable and bulkier laptops.
The Asus BR1100 laptops have been launched in two models - the Asus BR1100CKA which costs Rs 24,999 and the touch screen model Asus BR1100FKA which retails for Rs 29,999. The devices are available for purchase from Amazon, Flipkart and the Asus eStore.
#ASUS presents all-new ASUS BR1100 for students - Rapid Inside Durable Outside!This series has segment leading Intel Celeron processor, Durability & All-day Battery Life. Available on ASUS E-store @amazonIN & @flipkart from Rs. 24,999/-. Learn more https://t.co/8ShsMMQOpg pic.twitter.com/RKsGvKhvGhApril 27, 2022
Even though the higher model does come with a touchscreen display, many of the features and specifications are the same on both devices. They both come with an 11.6-inch HD LED-backlit display with a resolution of 1366x768 pixels. At the heart of the system is an Intel Celeron N4500 processor that can handle day to day tasks. It also comes with 4GB DDR4 RAM with a 2933MHz frequency. You also get 128GB of NVMe SSD storage that is expandable up to 2TB.
When it comes to connectivity options, the laptop comes with a Type-C port for charging and data transfers, a Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, a USB 2.0 port, an HDMI 1.4 port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It also supports dual-band WiFi, an Ethernet port and Bluetooth 4.2.
To enable joining their online classes, the laptop features a 13MP HD webcam on the front with the company’s proprietary 3DNR noise reduction technology. There is a privacy shutter integrated into this webcam as well. The Asus BR1100 also improves privacy by adding support for TPM 2.0 and a dedicated Kensington lock.
The durable laptops come with a 42Wh lithium-polymer battery pack which provides a claimed usage of up to 10 hours. It can be juiced up with the 45W charger that’s included with the laptop. Other features include a stereo speaker setup and dual microphones. The Asus BR1100 also supports a stylus on the touchscreen model.
While adding durability to the laptops, it's surprising that Asus has added a 180-degree hinge to the base model and a 360-degree one to the touchscreen model. The company has also made sure that the laptop can be repaired easily by keeping components easily accessible without the need for complex tools.
An interesting take on laptops for kids
While many companies have had to rethink the way they do businesses post-COVID, this is an interesting take on how Asus was able to create a product only for the sole purpose of bringing an affordable laptop for online schooling.
Asus’ latest offerings have ignited a curiosity and hope to see the product line expand and even succeed. The devices even remind me of the age of netbooks. These compact systems have all the connectivity ports we need and yet are capable to handle many of the day-to-day activities. And more.
