Acer May Unveil Spin B1, TravelMate 2-in-1: A Convertible TravelMate Focusing on Education
Windows has decided to leave the Windows 10 S education market to its original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partners and concentrate on its Surface Laptop. This is to compete with the Apple MacBook. One of the OEM partners that made no delay in announcing hardware with Windows 10 S is Acer with its TravelMate 2-in-1. It is Acer's first hardware to support Windows 10 S operating system and it is aimed at the PC education market.
The Spin B1 is an 11.6-inch notebook and the first in Acer's products to sport a 360-degree hinge, which allows the display to rotate into four different usage modes- laptop, tent, stand and tablet. With this handy feature in the TravelMate 2-in-1, Acer intends to appeal to teachers and students.
According to Digital Trends, the Windows 10 S education OS, the Travelmate Spin B1 also supports Cortana, Continuum. The device comes with touch screen display and an active pen and supports Windows 10 Ink to help students create notes and drawings. The Acer TeachSmart software support lets students communicate easily with teachers, send and receive class notes, quizzes and so on.
The TravelMate 2-in-1 has 11.6 inch 1920x1080 full HD display. Coming with an Intel Celeron processor, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, the device also sports integrated HD graphics. It includes a USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and an HDMI connection. Wireless connectivity is provided by Bluetooth 4.0 and 2x2 MIMO 801.22ac Wi-Fi. The expected battery life is 13 hours.
As mentioned in Slash Gear, the TravelMate 2-in-1 is built to ensure minimum maintenance requirements. Fitted with a rubber frame to provide shock absorption, it also has a pressure-resistant display. The device also has a spill-proof keyboard along with Kensington lock to secure the laptop on carts or tabletops.
With its entry-level specs and sturdy built, the Acer TravelMate Spin B1 is priced reasonably at $300. However, Acer might make it available to only its education and retail partners.