Google has announced the launch of its first education tablet, designed with Chrome OS in a bid to compete with tech giant Apple.
The new device will not only be the first design of tablet to run Chrome OS, but also the first product designed specifically for schools. Priced at $329, the tablet competes with Apple’s entry-level iPad, and can be easily integrated into IT systems of schools with a Chrome education licence.
Similarly to Samsung’s tablet design, Google’s device has a stylus, giving students and teachers different operating options depending on the task. Students can easily pass the device around the classroom, watch presentations, share ideas and jot notes on the tablet with stylus and touch controls.
In addition to basic classroom use, the tablets also will enable students to enter into educational AR experiences and Google’s upcoming rollout of the Expeditions AR platform on the devices.
Further benefits of the low-cost Chromebook include the stylus not requiring to be charged or paired. The stylus also uses advanced machine learning to predict students’ writing for a natural writing experience.
The Chromebook aims to bring many benefits to the classroom from a teaching perspective as well. According to Google, the tablet gives schools the easy management and shareability of Chromebook laptops. With touch and stylus functionality, the lightweight device is ideal for students to create multimedia projects.
Tailored specifically to the classroom the tablet has a ‘Google Classroom’ platform embedded in the tablet, which students can upload files to from group task work. Google has said the tablet also comes with support for hundreds of various learning applications.
Google’s latest device has been a hit with teachers, as Kristine Kuwano said: “They love technology and they have grown up working with touch devices, so tablets are intuitive for them,” said Kuwano.
The tech giant also said that teachers will be able to take students on Google Expeditions to the Great Barrier Reef, the Colosseum, and even to the International Space Station (ISS), all from the screens of their Chrome devices.
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Chrome OS allows students to securely share devices. Similar to Chromebook laptops, students can quickly and securely log on to any device for a personalised learning experience and easily log out from all apps when class is over.
Verified boot checks security at every boot and all user data is encrypted, making each Chromebook tablet secure and shareable, it said.
Google said that the Acer Chromebook Tab 10 will go on sale to educators this spring.
