Lenovo just debuted a new Chrome OS tablet, but it’s one meant for the educational segment and it’s also not exactly new. This is very much the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet, in a version reconverted for schools. The same Lenovo also brought to life new Chromebooks.
Chrome OS tablets are a pretty rare breed and few companies have dared to experiment with more than one such device. Lenovo has at least two now, with the Lenovo Chromebook 10e Tablet. The product is a Chrome OS slate, which is in fact a modified IdeaPad Duet. The fabric material has been replaced with a rugged design, meant for the tugging and spills associated with schools. There are water resistant keys here and rubber bumpers.
The product also meet the military standard MIL-STD 810G. The kickstand is able to attach as a case instead of using magnets. The newcomer should go on sale in March priced at $269, which is actually $10 cheaper than the IdeaPad Duet. Lenovo and Google promised 8 years of automatic updates for the machine. Specs include a 10.1 inch screen, a MediaTek Helio P60T processor, 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. Up to 10 hours of battery life are promised, plus there’s a back 8 MP camera and front 2 MP shooter. Stylus interaction is also part of the package.
Lenovo also refreshed some Chromebooks for education, namely the 100e, 300e and 500e models (second gen). They’re available today with the promise of “latest CPUs” and a starting price of $214.
