Acer is doing a new Chromebook, and they’re doing it up big! The new hardware is powered by Nvidia’s Tegra K1 processor, which the graphics and chip-maker has been promoting as a graphics-friendly chipset for Android smartphones and tablets, but this is the first time it’s powering a Chromebook. The K1 allows Acer to deliver a huge amount of battery life with impressive displays, with either a full 13 hours for a 1366×768 version, or 11 hours for the 1920×1080 full HD model.
The 13.3 inch screen comes in two resolutions in order to give buyers options on whether they value battery duration over HD graphics or vice versa. The Chromebook 13 as it’s called will also offer up 802.11ac Wi-Fi, MIMO antenna configuration for more consistent wireless signal pick-up and two USB 3.0 ports. there’s an HDMI port, a 720p front-facing camera, and either 2GB or 4GB of RAM depending on which model you choose. Onboard storage ranges from 16GB to 32GB depending on your configuration.
A model with a 1920×1080 display, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage is available for $299.99, while a 1920×1080 screen with 4GB and 32GB SSD is $379.99. For consumers, the last option is a 1366×768 display with 2GB of RAM and a 16GB drive at $279.99. Education and business customers will also be able to choose a 1366×768 model with 4GB of RAM and 16GB of storage for $329.99.
Acer may have hit the sweet spot in terms of price, display, battery life and design with these (they look like all-plastic MacBooks, mostly). Chromebooks are still going to appeal mostly to a limited group of buyers who need little more than a glorified browser with a full hardware keyboard, but if you’re in the market for one, this looks like it’ll be the one to get, pending some actual testing.