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@ 2015/01/22This morning coinciding with the FETC (Florida Education Technology Conference), Acer announced two new Chromebooks with enhanced durability targeted at education customers, the C740 and C910. Both feature reinforced covers that can withstand up to 60kg of force and corners that can withstand a 45cm drop, and they also have reinforced hinges, making them better suited to the rigors of life in a back – or in the hands of a careless student.
As far as the hardware, the C740 is the updated iteration of the C700 series, with the above durability enhancements along with some changes to the internal components. The latest models sport 5th Generation Intel Core processors up to the i3-5005U, along with the next-generation Celeron 3205U, both of which use the new 14nm Broadwell-U architecture. I know one of the complaints with the C720 and earlier Acer Chromebooks was that the keyboard wasn’t all that great, and with the apparent reuse of that chassis it’s difficult to say if Acer has made any changes to the feel of the keyboard – the Chromebook 13 as an example has a much better keyboard feel. However, Acer does note that “the keyboards were designed for an excellent typing experience for students, some who are still learning keyboarding skills” so there’s some hope that the C740 has updated this element.
As far as the hardware, the C740 is the updated iteration of the C700 series, with the above durability enhancements along with some changes to the internal components. The latest models sport 5th Generation Intel Core processors up to the i3-5005U, along with the next-generation Celeron 3205U, both of which use the new 14nm Broadwell-U architecture. I know one of the complaints with the C720 and earlier Acer Chromebooks was that the keyboard wasn’t all that great, and with the apparent reuse of that chassis it’s difficult to say if Acer has made any changes to the feel of the keyboard – the Chromebook 13 as an example has a much better keyboard feel. However, Acer does note that “the keyboards were designed for an excellent typing experience for students, some who are still learning keyboarding skills” so there’s some hope that the C740 has updated this element.
