Chromebooks have proved to be a slow burning hit over the last year, with the budget priced machines increasing in popularity to come from virtually nowhere to claim 21 percent of all U.S. notebook sales in 2013.
Acer have now introduced their first touchscreen Chromebook – the Acer C720P – which promises a “great multi-tasking performance,” and up to 7.5 hours of battery life .
Finished in a rather pleasing Moonstone White, the Chromebook packs a 11.6 inch HD LED back-lit 1,366×768 pixel resolution touchscreen display with 10-point touch, offering gesture support for swipe, tap and pinch to zoom, plus an integrated HD webcam.
Inside beats an Intel Celeron 2955U processor based on Intel Haswell coupled with 2GB of DDR3 RAM, while connectivity options include 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi.
Capable of booting up in a speedy 7 seconds thanks to its fast 32GB SSD, the Chrome OS powered machine measures up at 0.78 inches thin and weighs 2.98 pounds.
The beauty of the Chrome OS is that is updated automatically, so will always have the latest features and security, and each user can have separate accounts so that it’s easy for one machine to be safely shared around making these machines perfect for work/educational use.
Additionally, with a user’s details and data stored in the cloud, if a machine is stolen, everything will be restored when the user logs in with a new machine.
The sleek wee beastie comes with up to 100GB of free Google Drive storage for the first two years after purchase, and should be available now at a starting price of €299.99/£249 in Europe/$299.95 in the U.S.
Specs:
| Operating System | |
| Operating System | Chrome OS™ |
| Processor & Chipset | |
| Processor Manufacturer | Intel |
| Processor Type | Celeron |
| Processor Model | 2955U |
| Processor Speed | 1.40 GHz |
| Processor Core | Dual-core (2 Core) |
| Memory | |
| Standard Memory | 2 GB |
| Memory Technology | DDR3L SDRAM |
| Memory Card Reader | Yes |
| Memory Card Supported | Secure Digital (SD) Card |
| Storage | |
| Solid State Drive Capacity | 32 GB |
| Optical Drive Type | No |
| Display & Graphics | |
| Screen Size | 11.6″ |
| Display Screen Type | Active Matrix TFT Color LCD |
| Screen Mode | HD |
| Backlight Technology | LED |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Multi-touch Screen | Yes |
| Screen Resolution | 1366 x 768 |
| Graphics Controller Manufacturer | Intel |
| Graphics Controller Model | HD Graphics |
| Built-in Devices | |
| Webcam | Yes |
| Microphone | Yes |
| Finger Print Reader | No |
| Interfaces/Ports | |
| HDMI | Yes |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 1 |
| Total Number of USB Ports | 2 |
| Software | |
| Operating System | Chrome OS |
| Input Devices | |
| Pointing Device Type | TouchPad |
| Keyboard | Yes |
| Battery Information | |
| Number of Cells | 3-cell |
| Battery Chemistry | Lithium Polymer (Li-Polymer) |
| Battery Capacity | 3950 mAh |
| Maximum Battery Run Time | 7.50 Hour |
| Warranty | |
| Warranty | Limited Warranty agreement applies. |
Here’s the full press release for your delectation.
A Touch More Chrome with Industry’s First Touchscreen Chromebook
BIOGGIO, Switzerland
Editors’ Summary:
- Acer’s first touchscreen Chromebook – the Acer C720P – provides a natural way to enjoy all the benefits of Chrome
- Available in selective countries early December starting at only €299.99
- Great multi-tasking performance and up to 7.5 hours of battery life with fast Intel processor
- Boots up in only 7 seconds with fast 32GB SSD
Acer today announced the availability of its first touchscreen Chromebook, the new Acer C720P, a new model in the Acer C720 Chromebook line that was introduced last month. The new C720P provides the many benefits of touch on the device’s 11.6-inch HD LED back-lit display to take advantage of the Chrome interface.
“Our new touchscreen C720P gives customers an intuitive way to browse sites online, enjoy apps, and do more with the Chromebook,” said John Miedema, director, business product unit for Acer EMEA. “The Acer C720 Chromebook line has been praised for its performance and battery life, and this new touchscreen model allows us to address the needs of an even wider range of customers with exciting new capabilities. We’re certain many holiday shoppers will jump at the chance to get a touchscreen Chromebook for just €299.99.”
The new Acer C720P touchscreen Chromebook is being introduced after the launch of Acer’s new “A Touch More” marketing campaign that highlights the company’s growing range of innovative products with touch capabilities.
The Acer C720P’s touch capabilities are enjoyed on its vibrant 11.6-inch ComfyView™ HD display that has a 1366×768 resolution to keep websites, images and video crisp and clear. The multi-touch display allows customers to use gestures such as swipe, tap and pinch to zoom to interact in a natural way with the Chromebook so they can better enjoy educational apps, browse websites, scroll through Google Docs, play games and more.
Like the rest of the new C720 line, the new C720P touchscreen model is powered by an Intel Celeron 2955U processor based on the Intel Haswell micro-architecture, so it delivers fast performance and excellent multi-tasking such as running multiple tabs and apps. The processor also enhances battery life; it keeps customers going for up to 7.5 hours for extra productivity and fun.(1)
The C720P gets customers working and connecting quickly with its 32GB SSD that provides a fast boot time of less than 7 seconds and quick resuming from sleep.(2) The large SSD also provides ample storage capacity for saving video, photos and other files. In addition, the touchscreen C720P features 2GB of DDR3 memory.(2) Plus, the Acer C720 quickly connects to hotspots and wireless networks via 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi.
Thin and Lightweight Design Includes all the Extras
The Acer C720P Chromebook measures only 2 cm and weighs only 1.3 kg pounds, making it easy to carry to meetings, classes, and anywhere life takes today’s busy consumers. The C720P’s compact chassis houses everything needed to stay productive, connected and entertained on the go. It features an integrated HD webcam for video chats as well as capturing video and photos to share online. The new Chromebook features a dual speaker design that delivers crisp and clear stereo audio during online chats as well as for enjoying music and movies. Connecting to popular consumer electronics devices such as camcorders, digital cameras and smart phones is easy and convenient with the Chromebook’s USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports. Its HDMI port can be used to provide video and content to external displays and HDTVs.
Security for Multiple Users, Collaboration
Customers will appreciate that the Chrome OS is updated automatically, so it always has the latest features. Multiple layers of security features including data encryption and verified boot defend the Acer C720P Chromebook against online threats, malware and viruses. The Acer C720P Chromebook keeps data safe when the device is used by multiple users, such as for collaboration in the classroom and for projects for home, school or work. Users can have separate accounts to ensure their project, Gmail and other information is kept safe if the Chromebook is lost, stolen, or lent to a friend.Chromebooks Are Ready to Work and Play
Acer Chromebook customers are provided several extras to make use of their new C720P touchscreen Chromebook right out of the box. They can access up to 100GB of free Google Drive storage for the first two years after purchase, so files, documents, photos and more are stored safely in the cloud.(3) Acer Chromebooks are easy to start enjoying, as they come with popular Google products built in including Search, Gmail, YouTube, and Hangouts.
Pricing, Availability and Warranty
The Acer C720 Chromebook will be available early December in Switzerland, Germany, UK, France, Netherlands, Sweden and Finland with a starting price of €299.99(4).
