Acer toughens up its kid-focused Chromebook keyboards - Ars Technica

Acer is taking an interesting approach to durability with four Chromebooks it announced today.

The Chromebook 512 (C852), Chromebook 511 (C734/C734T), Chromebook 314 (C934/C934T), and Chromebook Spin 311 (R722T/R723T) join Acer's education-focused machines with keyboards featuring "mechanically anchored keys." According to the company, that makes it difficult for users—especially curious young students—to rip keys out of the laptops, while still offering keyboards that are easy to repair or replace.

An Acer spokesperson further explained the keyboard to Ars, saying that a ridge under each key makes it difficult for fingers to get under and pop it out.

The keyboards should be able to withstand up to 11 fluid ounces of liquid through an integrated drainage system that "helps protect internal components," Acer said.

In addition to the tough keyboards, all of the laptops' chassis are said to meet durability standards used by the US military, specifically MIL-STD 810H and MIL-STD 810F for sand and dust.

The company also announced the Chromebook 511 (starting at $350 in February) and Chromebook 512 (starting at $350 in January).

Meanwhile, Acer's Chromebook 512 comes with a 12-inch screen at a 3:2 aspect ratio, rather than the wider 16:9 aspect ratio the other machines use.

Acer said this feature is especially helpful in low-light situations.

It's the only new Chromebook featuring a screen reinforced with Gorilla Glass and Acer's antimicrobial coating, which fights bacteria with a silver-ion agent.