Acer’s hiding a
quiet revolution in its mainstream Chromebook 11: two USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5Gbps)
Type-C ports, which work for connectivity and for charging. Don’t run in a
panic to the dongle store—you still get two USB 3.0 Type-A ports (whew!). But
USB-C has remained rare in entry-level machines like the Chromebook 11. This
tells us the tide is turning, and all the benefits of USB-C will soon be
available even at budget levels.
Chromebook 11 specs and features
The Chromebook
11 CB311-8HT and CB311-8H, announced Saturday at CES and due to ship in April,
otherwise represent a simple refresh of the company’s longstanding and popular
product line. The pricing will start at $249. Here are the specs and features
we know.
CPU: Intel Celeron (part
numbers were not specified)
RAM: 4GB is the only
amount offered.
Display: 11.6-inch,
1366x768 IPS in touch (CB311-8HT) or non-touch (CB311-8H)
Storage: 16GB or 32GB eMMC
HDR webcam (high
dynamic range, which should deliver better image quality) with integrated
microphone
Connectivity:
Ÿ Two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C ports
Ÿ Two USB 3.0 Type-A ports
Ÿ One microSD card reader
Weight: 2.43 pounds
Thickness: 0.71 inch (no other
dimensions were provided)
Battery life: Up to 10
hours
As with other
recent Chromebooks, the Chromebook 11 supports the Google Play Store, so you
get access to all the Android apps you could possibly want. Google’s still
working on making these apps more Chromebook-friendly, but their simple
availability has increased the usefulness of Chromebooks beyond education and
basic web browsing.
Acer’s
Chromebook 11 is so mainstream you might overlook it. This year, with Android
app support and especially USB-C, it’s a sign that the average computing
experience is moving forward—but gently, so you’re not shut out of your
precious USB-A peripherals just yet.
No comments:
Post a Comment