Acer products range from laptops to desktops, to tablets and smartphones, to projectors and even cloud solutions. As of late, it’s become obvious that the company has been in the mood to offer something different; a different kind of PC solution, with a place of interest being the educational environment. Perhaps, in knowing how important it is to provide the most comfortable, mobile options to its laptops, Acer saw it was time to directly target the student and traveling customer niche. In doing so, Acer went along with the countless PC manufacturers that are all doing the same thing in building 2-in-1 notebooks that can multi-task their heart out.

Acer’s TravelMate Spin B1 convertible laptop is directed toward both the educational sector, and the business market. Acer’s aim is to stand out in its ability to transform a standard notebook to a tablet. Honestly, this isn’t standing out so much as it is doing what seems like every new Windows PC is doing. The market is in that direction, but it’s not for lack of hard work or creativity that Acer has hopped on board. It’s simply a current theme for consumers to want an end to their inflexible notebooks. Since 2-in-1s are nearly all I write about these days, I’d say it’s because, in most cases, companies are transforming their standard models into hybrids (ahem, Dell XPS 13). This makes me think about a possible “end” to the simple laptop era?

Okay, we know the reason behind the birth of the TravelMate Spin B1, specs are next, important and sparse. So, the display on this 11.6-inch convertible sports either a Full HD, or HD with a touchscreen, plus an optional stylus supporting Windows Ink (students still love jotting down notes, you know). It runs Windows 10 out of the box, and, as convertibles do, transfers between 360 degrees- perfect for any worker who wants to use the full flat position for a presentation, a clamshell for video, and so forth (we all know the four modes by now). Bonus- there’s more here than one may think. Acer took the initiative to build these with a rugged quality. That middle rubber frame, which is frequently handled when changing from one position to another, features shock absorbency, an added protection that becomes helpful if the device were to suffer a drop to the ground. The level of durability doesn’t end there. The Spin B1 can handle 132 pounds of downward force upon its lid. That’s the equivalent of someone sitting on it like it’s a booster seat, and if that were to happen with the laptop still intact, consider it a graceful survival. More protection from the occasional accident, especially for the average student typing away with a drink sitting near their hands, includes a spill-resistant keyboard and touchpad, which will move liquid (up to 330mL) away from internals thanks to special flowing channels.

Other specs include an Intel Pentium processor, two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0, one HDMI, a headphone jack, SD card reader, Bluetooth 4.0 and dual-band Wi-Fi. At up to 13 hours of battery life, which is actually rather easy to imagine when checking out the measurements of this rugged thing, there’s actually not much else to be reported in concern of internal hardware details. Nope, sorry. We are currently left in the dark about the system’s size and weight, price, and everything else Acer isn’t ready to talk about yet. The talk should continue once Acer plans to launch its “beast”, in the second quarter of this year.