acer.com■ Retail Price: $279
Quality and Effectiveness: Acer’s newest Chromebook 11, N7 C731T with touchscreen, is ideal for educational purposes. It has an 11.6-inch display and is lightweight, weighing just 2.9 pounds, and has a pleasantly textured cover that’s easy to grip. The durable cover meets U.S. military standards (MIL-STD 810G)—it can withstand drops from four feet and 132 pounds of downward force on the top. The cover is so rugged that an extra padded cover is unnecessary, reducing cost and installation time. The keyboard can funnel off up to 11 ounces of water and the recessed keys are very difficult to remove. This Acer model would reduce numerous weekly repairs at my school.
Ease of Use: The Acer C731T is extremely easy to use. Brief, colorful instructions pop up when new apps are opened. Chrome is the operating system, and data is accessed and secured through individual Google or Microsoft Office accounts, where students can quickly create, save, and share pictures, documents, presentations, and videos.
Creative Use of Technology: The C731T includes a responsive touchscreen, and its hinges allow opening to 180 degrees for collaborative projects. The device includes a camera, speakers, and microphone for instant messaging, Hangouts, or Skype. Chrome can handle up to nine simultaneous tabs without slowing down. Because is has more than 10 hours of battery life, students and/ or teachers don’t have to recharge this Chromebook every day. It’s a very quiet device without internal fans that can add to the learning space decibel level.
Suitability for Use in a School Environment: This Chromebook could be integrated smoothly into any school or district setting. With its durable outside cover and keyboard design, it will withstand most student abuse and neglect. Most updates are automatic and administrators can deploy apps and extensions from the Web-based control dashboard.
OVERALL RATING:
The Acer Chromebook C731T’s rugged design is perfect for education. It’s quiet, easy to use for collaboration, and will keep student data secure.
TOP FEATURES
● Built for students, the C731T meets military equipment standards, including drop-testing and liquid-testing, and promises a satisfying keyboard, communication, and screen viewing experience.
● Sturdy, lightweight, and quiet, with long battery life.
● Includes a touchscreen and a hinge that opens 180 degrees to encourage creativity and collaboration.
