Maybe Acer knows what Apple is up to tomorrow, maybe not. Regardless the information and communication tech company announced today the world's first Chrome OS tablet made for the education market, the Chromebook Tab 10. 

Designed for use in K-12 classrooms, the 9.7-inch tablet could potentially add to Google's Chromebook lead in the US education market and take some of the wind out of Apple's education-focused press conference on March 27. The tech giant is rumored to announce an entry-level 9.7-inch iPad made to compete against Chromebooks. In 2017, nearly three out of every five machines used in schools runs on the Chrome operating system, according to researcher Futuresource Consulting. 

Acer's new tablet, which will sell for $329 in April (about £230 or AU$425), is built around a 2048x1536-resolution IPS touchscreen with 264 pixels per inch. A durable Wacom EMR stylus comes standard and stores in the tablet's chassis that's only 0.39-inch thick (9.98 mm). Running on a Rockchip OP1 processor, 4GB of memory and 32GB of storage, the Tab 10 fully supports Google Play giving schools access to educational Android apps. 

The Tab 10 will also feature: 

• Front 2-megapixel webcam and rear 5-megapixel camera
• Dual speakers and mic 
• USB 3.1 Type-C (Gen 1) port for charging, transfers and external displays
  
• 3.5mm headset jack, microSD slot
• 802.11ac (2x2) Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1

Acer also plans for the Tab 10 to support augmented reality (AR) with Google's Expeditions AR. The technology maps the classroom so teachers can place virtual 3D objects in front of students to study subjects like biology and astronomy. 

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