The Acer Chromebook Tab 10 is the world’s first Chrome OS Tablet

Acer today took the wraps off a tablet oriented towards the education market dubbed the Chromebook Tab 10. Unlike many Android slates, the Chromebook Tab 10 is the first tablet that runs Chrome OS, the same operating system running on Google’s Chromebooks that offers a desktop environment and that allows it to use apps from the Google App store.

As the pioneer tablet to run Chrome OS, the Chromebook Tab 10 comes with a 9.7-inch QXGA, 2,048 x 1,536 pixel touchscreen up front that works with a bundled Wacom EMR stylus that allows users to take down notes, doodle and the like.

When not in use, the Wacom EMR stylus can be stored in a side-mounted stylus well embedded within the tablet. The best part? It doesn’t need charging nor does it require batteries.

In terms of hardware, the Chromebook Tab 10 runs an OP1 processor that combines a pair of dual-core Cortex A72 processors and a set of quad-core Cortex A53 processors to handle the grunt work. This is supplemented by 4GB RAM and 32GB of expandable storage via a microSD card slot on the side.

Connectivity options include 2×2 MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 and a USB Type-C Gen 1 3.1 port for charging and docking duties. The front also sports a 2-MP selfie camera while the rear has a 5-MP camera. Battery life for the Chromebook Tab 10 is rated at about 9 hours before needing a charge.

All this is crammed into a cobalt blue hued casing that weighs about 550g and is just under 10mm thin. The Chromebook Tab 10 will be priced at US$329 (about RM1,269) and will be available in the United States starting from April with a global release slated sometime in May though no availability for Malaysia has been announced just yet.