Mobile Computing

Acer Intros Slim Touchscreen Notebook

• By Rhea Kelly
• 11/19/14

Acer America is rolling out a lightweight touchscreen notebook that can last up to 10 hours in the classroom without a recharge. The TravelMate B115 offers 10-point multitouch, measures less than 1 inch thick and weighs in at 3 pounds.

Pre-loaded with Microsoft Windows 8.1, the device boasts an Intel Celeron N2940 processor, 500GB(3) storage and 4 GB of RAM (expandable to 8 GB). Its 11.6-inch widescreen HD (1,366 x 769) LCD LED backlit display features a "ComfyView" anti-glare matte surface, to improve viewing in bright light. The TravelMate B115 also has a full-size keyboard and integrated Precision Touchpad that supports two-finger scrolling and pinching, swiping across charms and application commands. The notebook also sports an integrated HD (1,280 x 780) webcam with 720p audio/video recording, as well as a built-in microphone.

Connectivity features include: HDMI for connecting to external displays; Intel Centrino Advanced–N 7260 for wireless networking; Bluetooth 4.0; and one USB 3.0 port and two USB 2.0 ports.

The TravelMate B155 comes with Acer ProShield Manager, security and management software that allows IT to protect sensitive data and oversee IT assets remotely. Featuring pre-boot authentication, ProShield "protects the notebook from the BIOS level all the way to the application level. Users can create a Personal Secure Drive to seamlessly store and encrypt all critical files, ensuring that if the notebook is lost or stolen, the data can't be accessed. In addition, a File Shredder utility lets users permanently remove unwanted files or folders beyond recovery," according to a press release. Other apps include Acer Backup, for backing up data, media and other digital assets; Acer Recovery Manager, for on-demand recovery; and Acer Office Manager, which allows IT managers to deploy security policies, monitor assets and schedule maintenance tasks.

For more information, head to the Acer site.