Acer unveils new Chromebook, Chromebase and Iconia tablet

Acer has been quick out of the blocks with three new devices this year. The company has just announced a new rugged Chromebook, a 24-inch Chromebase model, and an Iconia One 8 tablet.

Starting with the new Chromebook, the latest model fits into the Chromebook 11 line and carries a CB3-131 model number. The laptop is a rather low end device, but there’s quite an attractive looking price and design attached to it. The CB3-131 features an 11.6-inch 1,366 x 768 display, Intel Celeron processor and an option for either 2GB of Ram and 16GB of internal storage or 4GB of RAM and 32GB of flash memory.

Acer has built its new Chromebook from a rugged plastic and aluminium body that can handle 133 pounds of force on the cover and survive a two foot drop. Perfect if you’re a little accident prone or need a rugged device, and it is still relatively lightweight at 2.4 pounds. There is also dual-band 802.11ac WiFi, an HDMI out slot, USB 3.0 ports and an SD card reader. The CB3-131 will be available to purchase in February and will cost $179.99.

The new Chromebase 24 is a higher-end offering, with a 23.8-inch 1080p display and a selection of Intel Core processor options that can be paired up with up to 8GB of RAM. This model will replace Acer’s existing 2.15-inch Chromebase.

The high-end hardware will certainly make the device a speedy performer. Acer has also included four microphones and a tilting webcam for top-notch video calls to your friends and family. The base can also tilt from 5 to 30 degrees, allow you to tweak the stand for an optimal viewing experience. There’s also a 10-point touchscreen model available and VESA mount compatibility.

Acer hasn’t released any price details for the Chromebase 24 yet, but its predecessor started at $329 and ran up to $430 for the top tier touchscreen model.

Finally, we turn to the new Acer Iconia One 8 tablet. The Iconia range has long targeted the budget end of the market and the new One 8 doesn’t appear to be any different with its $99 price tag.

Acer has been a little vague on the hardware, but the Iconia One 8 is said to come with an 8-inch HD (presumable 720p) display, unspecified quad-core MediaTek SoC, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, along with a microSD card slot. There’s a 5 megapixel rear camera, 2 megapixel front facing camera and Android 5.1 Lollipop on-board tying the whole tablet together. This certainly looks like an acceptable entry level tablet, but those who demand higher performance won’t find much on offer here.

Have any of these products caught your eye?