Hewlett-Packard isn’t the only company talking about the security features of its notebooks for the business sector. Acer updated its family of TravelMate P4 commercial notebooks in the United States, offering a great balance of security and productivity for businesses. Now offered in 14-inch and 15.6-inch designs, the new models are based on Windows 10 Pro and include integrated hardware security solutions like smartcard readers and touch fingerprint scanners.
Acer’s announcement on Wednesday specifically stated the TravelMate P449 14-inch model and the TravelMate P459 15.6-inch model, which at the time of this article were not listed on Acer’s website in the U.S. However, these two laptops are available overseas in several different configurations meeting the budgets of every business. The local Acer website currently only lists three configurations of the TravelMate P446.
That said, we only have Acer’s press release to determine what the units will offer once they go live in the next day or so. Here is a general list of features scattered throughout the announcement:
| Operating system: | Windows 10 Pro |
| Screen sizes: | 14 and 15.6 inches |
| Panel types: | Up to an IPS display with touch support, LED backlit |
| Resolutions: | 1,366 x 768 or 1,920 x 1,080 |
| Processor: | Up to Intel’s sixth-generation Core i7 with vPro |
| Memory: | Up to 8GB of DDR4 |
| Storage Type: | SSD |
| Storage amount: | Up to 256GB |
| Webcam: | 720p HDR |
| Battery: | Up to eight hours on a single charge |
| Keyboard: | LED backlit, Chiclet-style with tactile feedback |
| Connectivity: | Dual-band 2×2 MIMO Wireless AC |
| Sound: | “Fine-tuned” speakers and microphones |
| Known ports: | 1x HDMI 1x VGA 1x SD card reader 1x USB Type-C (charges, compatible with Acer’s USB Type-C dock) 3x USB 2.0 ports 1x USB 3.0 1x Ethernet 1x Headphone jack |
| Security: | 1x Smartcard reader 1x Fingerprint scanner 1x Trusted Platform Module 2.0 chip |
| Size: | Up to 0.8 inches thin |
According to Acer, both models can recline up to 180 degrees flat for scenarios like presenting information to clients. They also feature wide touchpads, and pre-loaded corporate-level manageability and security tools in the Acer ProShield suite. Acer even provides its Acer Office Manager software so that IT professionals can monitor computer assets, schedule maintenance tasks, unleash security policies, and more.
“Our newest TravelMate series will suit business travelers and those wanting a practical portable computer for use at the office, home and on the go,” Acer’s America business manager of mobility Steve Su said in a statement. “They’re powerful, secure and user-friendly with the ability to recline flat, while a backlit keyboard enables professionals to work in low-light environments.”
Finally, Acer said that the two new TravelMate P4 laptops feature the same aesthetics that made its TravelMate P6 series an award-winning family of laptops. They are built to “withstand the demands of frequent travel,” indicating the notebooks are perfect for out-of-office meetings, business trips, and so on. They even support Windows Hello so users aren’t required to enter passwords out in public, on a plane, or in a client’s office.
The starting price for the new TravelMate P4 commercial laptops is $649. Check back with Acer over the next several days to see all the configurations the company will offer for the new P449 and P459 models.
