Lenovo and Chromebooks collide with the new ThinkPad X131e Chromebook, announced today. Targeting the education sector, the X131e is meant to be the perfect machine for students, educators, and IT admins. 

 

You may have noticed the term “rugged” in the title. Why rugged? Let me answer your question with another question: have you ever seen students with electronics? Laptops can go through an insane amount of wear and tear being flung around all day. The X131e comes with a rubber bumper around the top cover and stronger corners to protect the system from drops, bumps, etc. The hinges and hinge brackets are also reinforced to last more than 50,000 open and close cycles.

 



 

Along with the beefy build quality, you also get a variety of software options. Using Google Apps for Education along with more apps from the Chrome Web Store, students can easily create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and view a variety of multimedia.

 

There is also a low-light webcam, HDMI and VGA ports, perfect for presentations, and Chromebook’s awesome fast startup times. The X131e measures 11.6 inches and features an Intel processor, a 1366 x 768 HD LED anti-glare screen, and three USB ports. It also weighs less than 4 lbs and has a strong enough battery to last an entire school day.

 

Rounding out the features is the X131e’s customization options, including custom colors, asset tagging services for tracking purposes, and school logo etching to make every X131e unique to each educational institution.

 

The ThinkPad X131e Chromebook will be available February 26th via special bid.