Acer Introduces Notebook for Education

The Acer TravelMate B117 is designed specifically with the education market in mind.

Acer has launched a new notebook, the TravelMate B117, that company officials say is its first product designed specifically with students in mind.

The Windows 10 Pro-powered notebook is the first from Acer that supports TeachSmart, the company's cloud-based service that keeps students and teachers connected. The notebook comes equipped with software that allows teachers to share class assessments, worksheets and other education material, as well as monitor student progress.

The TravelMate B117 has an embedded LED light on the lid that flashes in different colors. Students can toggle between four colors to indicate their status, thus allowing teachers to keep track of their progress at a glance.

For instance, students can toggle one light to signal a need for assistance or to indicate a quiz or assignment is done, allowing the teacher to scan the classroom to see the progress the entire class is making. Teachers will have a dashboard that indicates the number of students that might have finished an assignment or the breakdown of multiple choice answers.

The TravelMate B117 will be available in Intel Pentium or Celeron processors, sporting an 11.6-inch display, dual digital microphones, HD webcam with HDR support and a precision touchpad that supports Windows 10 gestures. Connectivity options include 802.11ac WiFi with 2x2 MIMO, USB 3.0, USB 2.0 and HDMI with HDCP support.

A frame with a rubber strip protects it from drops and bumps and a solid hinge allows for the notebook to be opened up to 180 degrees. There's also a spill-resistant keyboard.

Acer has not yet announced suggested retail prices or the dates when the notebook will be available. For more information, visit the Acer site.

About the Author

Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.

Featured

  • college student using a laptop alongside an AI robot and academic icons like a graduation cap, lightbulb, and upward arrow

    Nonprofit to Pilot Agentic AI Tool for Student Success Work

    Student success nonprofit InsideTrack has joined Salesforce Accelerator – Agents for Impact, a Salesforce initiative providing technology, funding, and expertise to help nonprofits build and customize AI agents and AI-powered tools to support and scale their missions.

  • server racks, a human head with a microchip, data pipes, cloud storage, and analytical symbols

    OpenAI, Oracle Expand AI Infrastructure Partnership

    OpenAI and Oracle have announced they will develop an additional 4.5 gigawatts of data center capacity, expanding their artificial intelligence infrastructure partnership as part of the Stargate Project, a joint venture among OpenAI, Oracle, and Japan's SoftBank Group that aims to deploy 10 gigawatts of computing capacity over four years.

  • geometric pattern features abstract icons of a dollar sign, graduation cap, and document

    Maricopa Community Colleges Adopts Platform to Combat Student Application Fraud

    In an effort to secure its admissions and financial processes, Maricopa Community Colleges has partnered with A.M. Simpkins and Associates (AMSA) to implement the company's S.A.F.E (Student Application Fraudulent Examination) across the district's 10 institutions.

  • human profile with a circuit-board brain next to an open book

    Georgia State U and Operation HOPE Program Fosters AI Literacy in Underserved Youth

    A pilot program co-led by Operation HOPE and Georgia State University is working to build technical, entrepreneurial, and financial-literacy skills in Atlanta-area youth to help them thrive in the AI-powered workforce.