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Back to school shopping these days doesn’t end with school supplies, backpacks and new clothes. It also means updating technology tools.

Fortunately, as technology gets more powerful, it also gets more affordable.

Not so long ago, it would be common for a family to share one computer. But now kids want (and often need) their own devices to do homework and of course watch videos and play games.

It may be too expensive to buy each member of your household a high powered workstation, but you can still meet your kids’ technology needs with less costly devices.

For instance, you can get a new Chromebook R 11 CB5-132T-C32M for just $279.99.

Acer Chromebooks are a common choice for schools because they are affordable, boot up fast and have built-in virus protection. With the popularity of Google apps for education and the use of cloud-based storage, these devices are a great option for students.

And of course, the Chromebook R 11 isn’t just for kids. As a mom on the go, driving kids back and forth from school and extra curricular activities, it’s nice to have a lightweight laptop to toss in your bag so you can stay productive while you’re waiting.

You can use the R11 in four different modes…

• Laptop – It has a great keyboard, so kids can be productive doing homework.
• Tent – When watching videos, it’s nice to be able to fold the device into a tent.
• Display (keyboard is face down) – This mode is perfect for sharing photos with someone sitting across the table.
• Pad – Your kids will love that it turns into a tablet.

You and your kids will love how versatile the R11 is.

Personally, I’d mostly use it as a laptop and I’d love the tent mode when traveling.

I also would encourage my kids to use it in laptop mode, because I’m trying to get my kids to type more. Currently, they use my phone and tablet so much that they’re not learning to touch type as quickly as they should.

Here are 10 reasons to love the Chromebook R 11…

1. Stylish with an aluminum top cover and textured metallic finish
2. Lightweight — only weighs 2.76 pounds
3. 11.6-inch HD (1366 x 768) screen with wide viewing angle
4. HD webcam
5. 10 hours of battery life
6. Fast boot-up time
7. The keyboard can be bent back 360 degrees to enable use in laptop, tent, display or pad mode
8. Easily store files, documents, and photos safely in the cloud on Google Drive
9. Chrome OS automatically updates to guard against ever-changing online threats
10. Budget-friendly at just $279.99

If you’d like to see more information on the Chromebook R 11, visit the Acer website.

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Disclosure: We were provided a sample device to test out and photograph.
Written by Susan Carraretto, co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom
Talk with me: @5minutesformom and Facebook.com/5minutesformom
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