ASUS will unveil a new Chromebook Education series at CES in Las Vegas next week. The devices provide lightweight, ruggedised Chrome OS computer solutions for educational use, which ASUS says continues its commitment “of providing an extensive range of innovative products and services for the education sector”.
ASUS provided the following information ahead of CES:
ASUS Chromebook Tablet CT100: ASUS’ first Chrome OS tablet
The ASUS Chromebook Tablet CT100 is designed to serve as a familiar introduction to technology for younger kids. It has the same version of Chrome OS that is available on the notebooks but fits into a recognizable form factor that’s reinforced to withstand life in the hands of children. The tablet’s rubberized chassis measures just under 10 mm thick, making it easier for small hands to hang onto and less likely to take a tumble as a result. And if it does end up in freefall, it’s rated for drops up to 100cm; the height of most tables and desks.
Its 9.7-inch QXGA display is covered in a strong tempered glass to help it stay protected against scratches while it travels to and from school. A stylus slides into a little garage in the tablet’s frame for safekeeping, when it’s not being used for art, tracing letters, or practising numbers. The tablet sports a Hexa-core OP1 processor that is made especially for Chromebooks. That works alongside 4GB of RAM to keep performance smooth as students skip between Chrome and Android apps. School work can be stored on the 32GB of onboard storage, which is ample room for files as well as a few games. It has a 35Wh lithium-polymer battery, enough for a full school day, and it charges via the same standard USB Type-C (USB-C) connection that’s found on most smartphones.
Click here to see how the new line of ASUS Chromebooks are the ideal laptops for schools.
ASUS Chromebook C204 – Tough, compact, and school-ready
The ASUS Chromebook C204 changes its colour to a dark grey finish, looking less “toy-like” than its blue and white predecessor. Its chassis is also thinner than the previous generation while remaining just as tough as its predecessor. The rubberized chassis is reinforced with thick bumpers on each corner to absorb shock, and the keyboard is tamper-resistant, preventing the keys from being pried out. It can withstand falls up to 120cm when dropped flat, and up to 80cm when dropped on its sides. A raised rubber rail on the bottom of the laptop makes it even easier to hang onto, making it less likely to be dropped.
Its 11.6-inch HD display features an anti-glare coating and is attached to the base with a 180° hinge, allowing the laptop to lie completely flat. Its hinge has been tested for 50,000 open and close cycles, ensuring that it won’t loosen over time. Its wider range of motion makes it easier for kids to share the screen during group work. The keyboard is the primary source of input and features a deep 1.5mm of key travel, which allows for deeper key travel, minimising typos.
Under the hood, there is a dual-core Celeron processor from Intel, as well as 4GB of RAM. That’s plenty of power for several Chrome tabs to be open simultaneously and ensures smooth switching when multitasking across Android and Chrome apps. There’s 32GB of onboard storage for studying materials offline, though most students will spend their time in the cloud, working through G Suite for Education, Google’s suite of cloud-based education apps. These include Google Classroom, Google Docs, Google Drive, and Google Slides. A USB Type-A port is available to connect external storage or plug in a mouse, and there are two reversible USB Type-C ports for newer peripherals or connecting to monitors in at home or in class. An integrated microSD card makes it easy to transfer photos from a camera to the cloud, and the audio jack lets students plug in to listen to virtual lessons or make video calls using the HD webcam.
The 50Wh battery, in combination with the power-efficient Chrome OS, will ensure all day long battery. Connectivity with dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11ac) allows for connections on the 2.4GHz band as well as the less crowded 5GHz frequency, ensuring no dropped connections.
The durability of ASUS Chromebook C204 makes it a perfect fit for the classroom, where shared devices see more wear and tear than the average laptop. But accidents happen, and in the off chance the device is damaged, it’s been engineered for easy repair. It features a more modular design than before, making part repairs easier. The mainboard can be accessed in three steps, and a service door has been added to make the ribbon cables easier to reach.
Click here to find out why ASUS’ latest 2-in-1 laptop will complement education.
ASUS Chromebook Flip C214 – Flip, explore, and learn!
Schools often have to choose between laptops or tablets when deploying a fleet of devices for a full class, and there are trade-offs associated with both. Laptops are what most students will go on to use in high school and college, but tablets offer access to interactive touch-based lessons, more natural problem-solving in subjects like math, as well as the ability to take notes and practice penmanship or travel outside of the classroom to take notes and conduct experiments. The ASUS Chromebook Flip C214 has a convertible design that transforms between a tablet and a laptop — or anything in between — based on student’s needs.
The 2-in-1 has the same rugged exterior, spill-proof keyboard, and dark grey colour scheme. The hardware includes an N4100 Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage complemented by expansion via MicroSD or USB Type-A. Students can connect to external displays or charge up via either of the two USB Type-C ports, and a stable and reliable internet connection is facilitated by the dual-band 802.11ac.
The 11.6” HD display is equipped with an anti-glare coating and is anchored by a durable 360° hinge that allows it to easily switch between laptop and tablet mode depending on the type of lesson. An optional stylus can slot into a garage on the side, which means teachers don’t have to hand out styluses for lessons and collect them at the end of class.
The 2-in-1 is reinforced to minimize damage, but in the event that there is an accident, it is easy to repair. With just a few tools, it is easy to replace the battery, the motherboard, the keyboard, or even the thermal module. Getting inside the laptop takes just a few minutes, which means broken parts can be replaced without taking a computer out of commission for more than a morning.
Click here to find out about ASUS’ most powerful Chromebook.
ASUS Chromebook C403 – Bigger 14” screen, ultra-tough design
The ASUS Chromebook C403 utilizes the same ruggedized design as its predecessor but packs a larger screen. Its 14” HD display provides ample workspace for longer and more complicated projects. It has a matte coating to minimize distracting reflections from overhead lights and a 180° hinge that allows for more freedom of motion and different work positions.
In addition to being bigger, the C403 is also the most powerful of the latest line. It can be equipped with up to a dual-core CPU from Intel and features 4GB of RAM. While most students will access and use G Suite, Google’s suite of cloud productivity apps, including Google Classroom, Google Docs and Google Slides, and store their work in the cloud – backed up to Google Drive for safekeeping – there’s 32GB of onboard storage for working on assignments offline.
In addition to enlarging the screen, the travel distance on the keyboard has also been increased. The keyboard features 2mm of travel to ensure long typing sessions aren’t uncomfortable. Thanks to being bigger, it packs two USB Type-A port, so students don’t have to unplug their mouse to plug in a USB drive when taking that assignment to the printer.
There are also two USB Type-C ports with support for outputting to external displays. Both ports are also capable of charging the laptop, and the laptop is rated for up to 11 hours on a single charge. An audio combo jack has been integrated for when students want to buckle down and do some work while listening to music or need to watch video presentations for school. Headphones aren’t required for great sound, though; extra room in the chassis allowed for more powerful speakers. The included stereo speakers feature extra-large chambers that pump out volume up to 80dB.
In keeping with other newly introduced ASUS Chromebooks, it is ruggedized and made for rough handling. The durability includes reinforced corners and a rubberized exterior to protect it from bumps and falls. The spill-resistant keyboard adds extra protection, and the hinge allows for a full 180-degree range of motion. Similarly, the C403 also is also easily repairable and allows IT professionals to get inside the chassis and replace components in just a few steps.
The C403 is the largest of the new ASUS Chromebooks, but even with the ruggedized chassis, it’s only 13.5” wide and just over 9” deep; no bigger than a textbook, and easily fits into any bag or backpack.