Even though Acer is known to have Chromebook and Chromebox under its wings for quite some time, the company never made the push for Chrome OS in Malaysia. That is about to change though as Acer has kickstarted its Chrome OS effort in our market by launching five new Chrome devices for Malaysia today.
Covering several market sectors, Acer’s main Chrome proposition for consumers is the Chromebook R 11 738T which is equipped with a 360-degree dual-torque – a signature trait for Acer R series devices. This allows the Chromebook to be utilized through multiple form factor including tablet, tent, and display alongside the traditional notebook position.
Built with an 11.6-inch HD (1366 x 768) IPS touch display, the Chromebook R 11 is powered by Intel Celeron N3160 quad-core processors alongside 4GB DDR3L RAM. Weighing at only 1.25kg, it also comes standard with 32GB eMMC-based internal storage and up to 10 hours of battery life. Not to forget, it also has the distinction as one of the first Chromebook to be able to support Google Play apps.
At the same time, Acer also have another model for consumers in the form of Chromebook 11 N7 C731 which might be a traditional clamshell but it still comes with an 180-degree hinge which could be useful in group discussions. The laptop is also designed to be compliant to the MIL-STD 810G standard which is why it has reinforced honeycomb structure so that it can withstand up to 60kg of pressure.
Built with 11.6-inch HD (1366 x 768) display, the Chromebook 11 N7 also comes with spill resistant keyboard and up to 12 hours of battery life. In addition to its Intel Celeron N3060 dual-core processor, users can obtained it with up to 4GB of RAM and 32GB eMMC-based internal storage.
Acer has also launched another MIL-STD810G compliant model for our market although it is mainly targeted for enterprise users given its name: the Chromebook for Work 14 CP5-471. Furthermore, the laptop is equipped with Intel Core i5-6200U, 8GB RAM, 32GB eMMC internal storage, and up to 12 hours of battery life. It is also features a 14-inch HD (1366 x 768) display that is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass.’
As for the two new Acer Chromeboxes that the company has launched in Malaysia, they are pretty much targeted at enterprise customers as well although their roles are totally different from each other. Specifically, the Chromebox CX12 is designed to be a secure office desktop system with a very small footprint or as part of digital signage setup while the Chromebox for Meeting CXV2 is a complete solution for video conference.
In terms of specifications, the Chromebox CX12 is powered by Intel Core i3-5005U while the Chromebox for Meeting CXV2 features Intel Core i7-5500U and accompanied by a Logitech full HD webcam with wide-angle Carl Zeiss lens, omni-directional microphone-speaker combo, and remote control with built-in keyboard. Both systems also come standard with 4GB of RAM, and 16GB solid state drive.
Available immediately from Acer retailers nationwide, the Chromebook R11 738T can be obtained for RM 1,499 while the Chromebook 11 N7 C731 is listed at RM 999 for its 16GB model and RM 1,099 for 32GB model. As for Chromebook for Work 14 CP5-471, Chromebox CX12 and Chromebox for Meeting CXV2, they are priced at RM 2,299, RM 1,999 and RM 4,599 respectively.
