An antimicrobial laptop sounds like a massive gimmick. How can a laptop possibly prevent or inhibit the growth and spread of bacteria?
But, as you might expect, the COVID-19 saw a massive rise in online searches for just that, with people turning to any method possible to stop the transmission of the virus.
Acer had already launched a series of antimicrobial laptops before COVID-19 hit, so it was ahead of the curve. But on the back of the past 18 months, the company has updated its antimicrobial product range, adding more laptops, displays, and accessories.
What Is an Antimicrobial Laptop?
An antimicrobial laptop is one that is coated in an antimicrobial agent, usually covering the keyboard, trackpad, frame, fingerprint reader, and more. The idea is that covering the laptop with an antimicrobial coating makes it less likely to spread nasty microorganisms from person to person.
It's not only laptops that can come with an antimicrobial coating. You'll also find antimicrobial screens and antimicrobial screen protectors.
Acer's Antimicrobial 360 Design coats surfaces in an antimicrobial silver-ion agent. Silver-ion is well known for its protective and antibacterial properties, and Acer can apply the agent to surfaces, keyboards, and much more. Furthermore, Acer uses Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass, which incorporates silver-ions to deliver an antimicrobial but scratch-resistant screen.
Acer Updates Antimicrobial Range With New Laptops and Tablets
With that in mind, say hello to the latest and greatest in Acer's line of antimicrobial hardware. The company is kicking on from the successes of its 2020 antimicrobial hardware, betting that as parts of the world emerge from COVID lockdowns and begin heading back to offices, schools, and elsewhere, germ resistance will remain at the forefront of our thoughts.
Acer Enduro N3 Laptop and Enduro Urban T3 Tablet
With being out of the house in mind, Acer is launching two ruggedized antimicrobial devices: the Enduro N3 laptop and the Enduro Urban T3 tablet. Both are built to the MIL-STD 810H standard, which offers protection against drops and shocks, and both devices are certified IP53 for dust and water resistance.
The Enduro N3 is a 14" laptop that can support up to an 11th-Gen Intel Core I7 CPU along with an Nvidia GeForce MX330 GPU, up to 32GB DDR4 RAM, and an excellent 13-hour battery for maximum outdoor portability. If the laptop is surplus to requirements, the Enduro Urban T3 sports a 10" Full HD screen with an octa-core MediaTek MT8385 SoC, 4GB RAM, and 65GB storage.
Acer TravelMate Spin P4
If you want the benefits and cleanliness of an antibacterial laptop but don't require the chunky corners, Acer's new TravelMate Spin P4 is the antimicrobial laptop for you.
The TravelMate Spin P4 also comes with support for Intel 11th-Gen CPUs, but with the option of a slightly more powerful GPU in the Nvidia MX350. Furthermore, you can add up to 32GB DDR4 RAM, a super-fast PCIe SSD, and up to 1TB M.2 SSD storage. But even though the TravelMate Spin 4 doesn't come overtly hardened like the Enduro N3, Acer has still built it to the same MIL-STD 810H standard to absorb some drops, falls, and water.
Along with the 14-hour battery, you can also flip the TravelMate Spin P4 into presentation or tablet mode, spinning up to 360 degrees on its hinges. Oh, and the TravelMate Spin P4 is also Windows 11 ready, coming with Secure Boot and a TPM 2.0 module.
Acer Banks On Banishing Bacteria, But Does It Actually Work?
Completing the Acer antimicrobial roster is the Acer VE246Q Antimicrobial Monitor, a 23.6 Full HD panel, and the Acer Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse KM501, a tidy-looking mouse and keyboard combination with antimicrobial coating and Chromebook support.
Oh, wait, one more thing.
There's also the Acer Eco-Shell protective jacket, a "breathable but water-resistant" coat made partially from the extracts of spent coffee grounds. If you're wondering how this ties in, the inside of the jacket is lined with silver fabric, "made from yarn that has had silver adhered to it, granting it antimicrobial capabilities."
So, there's that. If you want an antimicrobial laptop, tablet, or coffee-based jacket, Acer is your best bet.
The addition of the jacket does somewhat detract from the other products, but do their antimicrobial properties work anyway? Experts aren't so sure, not least because the surface is only imbued with the antimicrobial agent before purchase.
You'll still need to clean your hardware regularly, and nothing beats regular hand-washing and general cleanliness. But that's not to say it doesn't do anything. If the antimicrobial surface diminishes the chance for COVID and other pathogens to spread, surely that's a good result for everyone?