Among the flurry of new and refreshed laptops revealed today during the Next@Acer event, Acer released the Chromebook 14 for Work. Although there are numerous Chromebooks out on the market today, Acer hopes to set this pne apart from the competition with the promise of robust, durable construction and exceptional performance.
Acer said that the Chromebook 14 for Work is compliant with U.S. Military Standard (MIL-STD 810G) testing and can withstand 132 pounds of downward force and drops of up to 4 feet.
The spill-resistant backlit keyboard offers protection against up to 11 fluid ounces courtesy of two drain holes that keep water away from internal components. Acer’s new Chromebook is also rated for operation under rough conditions such as extreme temperatures, humidity, vibration, rain sand and dust. Corporate customers have the option of printing their own photorealistic graphics and images on the Vibrant Corning Gorilla Glass top cover.
The Chromebook 14 for Work will be available in "HD" (1366 x 768) and Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolutions with anti-glare and a viewing angle of about 170 degrees. Acer managed to squeeze a 14-inch display on a notebook whose dimensions usually normally accommodate a 13-inch display. The system measures 13.03 x 8.94 x 0.88 inches (WxDxH) and weighs in at 3.2 pounds. Other features include a 720p webcam, dual stereo speakers and a microphone.
Acer claimed the Chromebook 14 for Work is the first to feature a 6th generation (Skylake) Intel Core processor, placing it a cut above its Celeron-equipped contemporaries. Potential customers also get to choose between 16 GB or 32 GB of eMMC storage and 2 GB, 4 GB or 8 GB of LPDDR3 SDRAM.
The system promises an estimated battery life of 12 hours on the HD model and 10 hours on the Full HD model. Data transfer and charging is handled through the Chromebook’s USB 3.0 Type-C connection. External displays are handled via the Chromebook 14 for Work’s HDMI port.
Paramount in the Chromebook experience is Google’s secure Chrome OS, with features for system administrators such as Chrome Device Management for remote management or Trusted Platform Module for secure cloud protection.
The Chromebook 14 for Work will be available in May for $349 in the U.S. and €249 in EMEA.
Alexander Quejado is an Associate Contributing Writer for Tom’s Hardware and Tom’s IT Pro. Follow Alexander Quejado on Twitter.
