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Acer AC700 Chromebook Review
Product Summary
Some say the new Google Chrome OS and internet-centered computing is the future, others say it’s doomed to fail. I tend to agree with the latter, but you may find this new kind of computer useful for, err, a hotplate? A coaster? I’m not really sure. One thing is for sure though, the new Chromebooks by Acer and Samsung are different. Probably not in a good way, but because the Acer Chromebook is listed at the top of Amazon’s computer and accessories bestseller list, it’s hard to write it off completely. Don’t expect it to do what your Apple or Windows laptop does, and don’t expect it to be as cool as an iPad. This is more or less a machine for using the Google Chrome OS. Users seem to like this new operating system, but you’re likely going to be underwhelmed and baffled at why someone would make a computer that does very little well and costs as much as computers that do everything well.
The Features
The Acer Chromebook screen is much like that of a tablet computer. It is an 11.6” HD backlit display with CineCrystal technology and 1366 x 768 pixel max resolution. It runs on an Intel Atom N570 dual-core 1.66 GHz processor. This processor is fine for most functions the Acer Chromebook performs, but it is not as fast as it could be. What is unique about these new wifi computers—beside the fact that they do almost everything via the internet—is that most of your files are stored on Cloud. This means that a large hard drive is not necessary. The Acer Chromebook comes with 2GB RAM and only 16GB of storage. It gets 6 hours of battery life, which is decent for a laptop, but not that impressive for something the size of a tablet computer. Acer’s Chromebook comes with a sound card and video is supported by Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 1350. Don’t expect a ton of ports and slots either. There is one USB port and two HDMI ports (Why? We will never know). Also, there is an SD and SDHC card slot, but no optical drive. As previously mentioned it runs on the new Google Chrome operating system, which seems to be the only real reason for buying this computer.
The Design
The Acer Chromebook does have design going for it. It is sleek, small, and lightweight. Its width is 11.2 inches, its depth is 8.1 inches, and it is 1 inch thick when closed. At 3.2 lbs it can be transported easily without weighing you down.
What Users Say
Based on Amazon’s bestseller list users were very excited to get their hands on the new Acer Chromebook, but most are finding there are definitely pros and cons to be considered. Users say they like the lightweight, long(ish) battery life, and quick loading from off-mode. Others really like saving on Cloud for security and ease of storing files and that Google sends automatic updates to its operating system every 2-3 weeks. Users don’t like that they have to be online to do everything and that their new computer is rendered useless the minute they step out of range of a wifi signal. Most users are used to using Windows or Mac operating systems, and though Google Chrome is a slick OS, it can’t really compete with these old tried and true operating systems. Acer Chromebook, as a result, can’t do half of what Apple and PC laptops do for users. Many users complain that $350 is way too high a price to experiment with something that is basically for running apps, browsing the internet, and viewing media on a small screen. Most users found that the Acer Chromebook had less speed, power, and functionality than today’s tablets and similar-sized netbooks.
Final Thoughts
This computer is for the techie that has to have every new toy that comes on the market. It is more attractive than functional, and more a practice in originality than in filling a missing niche in the computing world. It’s bigger than the average tablet, but can’t do most of what an iPad or Xoom can do, and compared with similar-sized netbooks that allow users to get online and run many more programs from their hard drives, it can’t compete. It’s a very stripped-down computer, which would be fine if it didn’t cost as much as a fully loaded tablet or netbook. It has the advantage of being light and portable, and users do seem to like Google Chrome as an operating system. However, because the average user uses a portable computer for browsing, communicating, playing games, viewing and editing media, and running basic business programs, and because there are already relatively cheap similar-sized computers that do all of these things for around the same price, the Acer Chromebook is likely to be more of a fad than a new direction in computing.