chromebooktab10
Latest
Chrome OS on a tablet doesn't make a lot of sense
Google and a wide variety of hardware makers tried for years to get Android tablets to catch on, but they were never able to match the success Apple found with the iPad. At the same time, though, Google's Chrome OS was gaining new features and finding traction with both individuals and in the education market. The latter has been particularly important -- and with Apple and Microsoft both pushing tablets for education, Google has decided it's time for Chrome OS to arrive on tablets as well. Enter Acer's awkwardly named Chromebook Tab 10, the first tablet to run Chrome OS. It costs $330 and is focused squarely on the education market. Acer built the device specifically for classrooms; the company has stressed that this isn't a tablet meant for the average consumer. As such, this device doesn't come close to matching the fit and finish you'll find on an iPad or Microsoft's new Surface Go. Still, it's the only Chrome tablet out there, so it's the only way right now to see if Google's OS works as well on a keyboard-less machine as it does on a laptop.
The new iPad vs. the competition: Teaching tools
Thanks to its generous discount program Apple was the king of the education market for decades. Some schools even straight up gave their students iPads. However, many institutions are increasingly adopting Chromebooks as their system of choice, which offer up kid-friendly features at a much lower price. Last year gave us the first budget iPad, and today Apple gave it a slight update and unveiled a host of education-focused features. But even Pencil support and a ton more iCloud storage might not win over educators in right away, especially with products like Acer's Chromebook Tab 10 on the horizon. So we've stacked up the new iPad versus the Tab 10 as well another budget tablet, the Fire HD 10, to see which might be worthy of stowing in your kid's backpack this year.
The first Chrome OS tablet comes from Acer
There have been many Chrome OS devices with touchscreens, but there haven't been pure tablets. You've always had an attached keyboard as a fallback -- until today, that is. Acer has unveiled the first Chrome OS tablet, the Chromebook Tab 10, and there's nary a keyboard to be found. The 9.7-inch slate is aimed at squarely at education, where the all-touch input and light weight (1.21 pounds) could make it a better fit for younger students. Appropriately, there's a bundled battery-free Wacom stylus that lets kids draw and take notes.
