Acer debuts world's first Chromebook with 15.6" display
CNA
2015-01-05
The Acer Chromebook 15. (Photo courtesy of Acer)
Ahead of the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Taiwanese PC maker Acer unveiled Saturday the world's first 15.6-inch laptop running on Google's Chrome operating system to expand its lineup of the Web-centric computers.
Unlike previous Chromebooks that are less competitive in computing power, the Acer Chromebook 15 will be available with either a fifth-generation Intel Core i3 processor or the next-generation Intel Celeron processor to deliver fast performance and will allow multi-tasking for apps and online games, Acer pointed out.
The Chromebook 15 will offer two options in display resolution: a full-HD display with 1920 x 1080 pixels that enables sharp videos and photos, and an HD display with 1366x768 pixels that is ideal for budget-minded customers, Acer said in a press release.
The price for the new larger-sized Chromebook will start from US$249.99 in the United States. Several models in the product line will be available with either a 16GB or 32GB solid-state drive, with either 2GB or 4GB of RAM.
"The Acer Chromebook 15 is a true powerhouse — it provides fast mobile performance and a large display to help customers accomplish more every day," said Jerry Kao, president of Acer Notebook Business Group.
"Acer has been a leader in the Chromebook market, from providing the latest in technology and trailblazing battery life to designing new form factors. We're driving the category forward again with the world's first 15.6-inch display Chromebook, the Acer Chromebook 15," Kao said.
Also on Saturday, the Taiwanese manufacturer expanded its 13.3-inch Chromebook with a touchscreen, which will be available later this month for €329 (US$395) in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Data from market intelligence firm ABI Research shows that global shipments of Chromebooks, which emphasize Internet connectivity more than traditional Windows-based computers, have been forecast to touch 4.1 million units in 2014, almost double the 2.1 million units shipped in 2013.
The top three Chromebook vendors — Acer of Taiwan, Samsung Electronics of South Korea and Hewlett-Packard of the United States — accounted for 74% of the shipments during the first half of 2014, ABI Research noted.
According to Amazon's listing based on sales from Nov. 1 to Dec. 19, the bestselling laptop over the Christmas holiday season was the 11.6-inch Acer C720 Chromebook, followed by the 13.3-inch Asustek Chromebook C300 in the second place and the 11.6-inch HP Chromebook 11 in the third.
