Ahead of the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, PC maker Acer Inc (宏碁) on Saturday unveiled the world’s first 15.6-inch laptop running on Google Inc’s Chrome operating system, which is set to expand its lineup of the Web-centric computers.
Unlike previous Chromebooks that are less competitive in computing power, the Acer Chromebook 15 is set to be available with either a fifth-generation Intel Core i3 processor or the next-generation Intel Celeron processor to deliver fast performance and is set to allow multitasking for apps and online games, Acer said.
The Chromebook 15 is to offer two options in display resolution: a full-HD display with 1920 x 1080 pixels that enables sharp videos and photographs, and an HD display with 1366 x 768 pixels that is ideal for customers seeking high quality on a budget, Acer said in a press release.
Photo: Hu Shun-hsiang, Taipei Times
The price for the new larger-sized Chromebook will start from US$249.99 in the US. Several models in the product line will be available with either a 16GB or 32GB solid-state drive, and 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,” Acer Notebook Business Group president Jerry Kao (高樹國) said.
“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 euros (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 reach about 4.1 million units last year, almost double the 2.1 million units shipped in 2013.
The top three Chromebook vendors — Acer of Taiwan, Samsung Electronics Co of South Korea and Hewlett-Packard of the US — accounted for 74 percent of the shipments during the first half of last year, ABI Research said.
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 and the 11.6-inch HP Chromebook 11.
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