Dive Brief:
- Google's next Chromebook design, the Haier Chromebook 11e, is being designed specifically for education and "is built to be abused."
- Thinking of the general mayhem that can come with school children and tech (computers being slammed around in backpacks), the new product is more durable: it has a spill resistant keyboard as well as a removable battery.
- While Google won't say the new Chromebook is totally "kid proof" they do believe it is "a lot harder to break than the other devices out there.”
Dive Insight:
The new Chromebook does not have an announced price yet, but is expected to be less than the $429 Lenovo product that claims to be able to deal with the "daily rigors of K-12 education." The Chromebook market is gearing up for price wars. Haier and HiSense are making $149 devices to gain traction in developing markets. Microsoft has a laptop based on Windows 10 that is also priced at $149.
Of course as more districts become 1:1 finding ways to make sure the computers continue to function is key. Computers with broken screens and missing letters on the keyboards isn't practical. While schools can teach students good computer maintenance, having durable computers is helpful.