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Acer C720 11.6" Chromebook 2GB RAM 32GB SSD USD $247.45 Delivered from Amazon

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Acer C720 11.6" Chromebook 2GB RAM 32GB SSD USD $247.45 Delivered from AmazonAffiliate
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scotty on 21/07/2014 - 14:31 amazon.com (1727 clicks)
Last edited 21/07/2014 - 16:40 by 1 other user
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Amazon has just dropped the Acer C720 Chromebook 16GB to $179 USD in response to BestBuy's price drop. However it doesn't seem to deliver to Australia. On the other hand, the 32GB has also dropped its pricing to $229 USD but Amazon posts to Australia for $18.45.

So at the end it costs USD $247.75 / approx AUD $264 (assume you pay USD with fee-free credit cards rather than using Amazon for conversion). You get

  • 11.6" 1366x768 screen
  • 32GB local storage
  • 1.25kg
  • ChromeOS

I bought it when I posted the last deal, and wrote a short review about it.

Price History at C CamelCamelCamel.
Computing Chromebook 11.6inch Acer Computer Laptop

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closed Comments

  • Davo1111 on 21/07/2014 - 14:48
    +18

    I wrote a review with follow up here

    TLDR: If you want the portability/price point of a tablet with a physical keyboard AND you only use the chrome browser, this is the device for you. If you want to do anything else (outside chrome browser), you've got to follow finicky workarounds and i wouldn't recommend this device.

    • andyken on 21/07/2014 - 15:14
      +7

      conclusion: save your money and stay away from this thing :)

      • Davo1111 on 21/07/2014 - 15:27
        +4

        Like i said, it just depends on your use.

        It's great at night for youtube and forums. But doesn't have a good media player like vlc, so anything without the right codecs won't work. You can only use a browser based ftp too :/

        Yeah you can do work arounds with crouton and crubuntu, but not everything is perfect with those solutions.

        more detail on codecs/containers

        • wired00 on 21/07/2014 - 17:52
          +1

          Thanks for the review, would be good if linux was easier to get rolling on it with that "security screen" etc.

          btw, you mentioned about no delete. thats just like mac, ie Fn + backspace = delete on a mac too

        • Davo1111 on 21/07/2014 - 19:22
          +1

          Yeah, if you scroll down i made a couple of updates.

          ALT+Backspace = delete

        • Jackson on 21/07/2014 - 22:43
          +1

          Really cannot see the value in these over an x86 w8 tablet for a similar price, w8 tablets have great battery life, great screens, are portable, and much more versatile. Microsoft are protecting their turf very aggressively here

          (edit: Intel CPU)

    • scotty on 21/07/2014 - 15:40
      +10

      If you want the portability/price point of a tablet with a physical keyboard AND you only use the chrome browser…

      Maybe not amongst the tech-heads on OzBargain, but the percentage of computer users that fit into that category is actually surprisingly high. There are also many who buy Chromebooks as a secondary device rather than their sole computer.

  • ReAvenger on 21/07/2014 - 15:15

    This price drop is due to the i3 model release soon, but this model is still amongst the top of the chromebook crop

  • kev go westie on 21/07/2014 - 15:20

    Is it possible to play video on the chromebook and mirror it via the chromecast? I just realized the chromecast has very limited apps that can mirror onto the tv. I just need a device to surf the net and play downloaded videos, will this work?

    • Davo1111 on 21/07/2014 - 15:31
      +3

      Is it possible to play video on the chromebook

      Yes, but it has to be one of the supported formats any odd codecs won't work. TV works fine for me, but Movies are hit and miss.

      this explains the issue

      mirror it via the chromecast?

      I don't have a chromecast so can't test that.

      will this work?

      Start up chrome web browser, if you can do it on that, then you can do it on the chromebook.

    • scotty on 21/07/2014 - 15:42
      +5

      I take that as an opinion. Yes Chromebook won't run Office and other Windows RT apps. Likewise Surface RT won't run Chrome and its NaCl apps.

      • gmatht on 21/07/2014 - 19:05
        +2

        Also you could presumably run office.live.com on the Chromebook if you really want to. Though this clearly far from a full replacement for the version of Office included with RT. On the other hand, unlike most of the RT devices this chromebook comes with an Intel CPU. This is faster than most ARM cpus, and ironically it also means I have better application compatibility… even for Windows applications.

        This isn't the recommended use for the ChromeBook, but I bought it since it is easy to install Crouton on, allowing me to use Linux applications such as Minecraft. Linux also allows me to run many old windows applications via Wine, such as e-Tax which just won't run on Windows RT. Running eTax on a ChromeBook isn't the sort of thing you want to do unless you are a bit of a geek, however.

  • Merlict on 21/07/2014 - 16:10
    +1

    I don't want one, but it's hard to call this bad value for sure.

  • millionairebargainer on 21/07/2014 - 16:18

    Thank you scotty.

    It's worth mentioning that Acer has the most delightful customer support I've ever experienced anywhere and I've called in for assistance more than once. Really reliable and long-lasting(is that the word?) products.

    I want this! I really need to find a way to purchase from Amazon as I only use PayPal.

  • team teri on 21/07/2014 - 16:36

    According to the camels it has been this price since May. http://camelcamelcamel.com/Acer-C720-Chromebook-11-6-Inch-32…

    Probably due for another price drop soon.

  • MasterNoob on 21/07/2014 - 16:58
    -7

    I dunno… you could always buy a MBA.

    • team teri on 21/07/2014 - 17:03
      +2

      The MBA hardware is still outstanding and there have been some really great price deals recently.

      But: you'd have to be willing to live with the bloatware it comes installed with. It obviously works for Apple, my wife is nearly convinced that she needs to buy the 256GB version after her 128GB drive is full - full with nothing, she has cleaned up as much as she could. All doubled up files hidden in iphoto libraries, etc. Worst OS ever for anyone capable of working with something less "dumb user friendly".

    • morpheu on 21/07/2014 - 17:03
      +5

      for $247?? sarcasm much? can't tell for sure…

  • ahoyhoy on 21/07/2014 - 17:15

    Thinking for the daughter only have one question will minecraft work on it ?

    • twocsies on 21/07/2014 - 17:26
      +1

      https://help.mojang.com/customer/portal/articles/920822-mine…

      "Minecraft will not run on a Chromebook under default settings. Because of this, Minecraft's system requirements list that it is compatible only with Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems."

      You could install Linux on the Chromebook, but then there is the problem that the CPU on the Chromebook does not fulfil the minimum req's for Minecraft.

      • Chromebook…………………….Minecraft Recommended Requirements:
      • CPU: 1.4 GHz……………………CPU: Intel Core i3 or AMD Athlon II (K10) 2.8 GHz
      • RAM: 2GB……………………….RAM: 4GB
      • GPU: Intel HD Graphics……….GPU: GeForce 2xx Series or AMD Radeon HD 5xxx Series (Excluding Integrated Chipsets) with OpenGL 3.3
      • HDD: 32 GB……………………..HDD: 1GB
      • No Java………………………….Latest release of Java 7 from java.com
      • gmatht on 21/07/2014 - 18:46
        +2

        Although it isn't supported, I bought this exact chromebook and had no troubles running Minecraft once I had (1) installed Crouton, which allows the Chromebook to run normal Ubuntu/Linux applications and (2) plugged in a decent mouse. Note that although installing Crouton isn't as easy as installing a usual app, it is easier than installing a whole new OS as you don't have to find boot CDs or drivers etc. So if you were thinking of playing around with Linux anyway, you may want to get this. I found it is easier to run ChromeOS and Ubuntu side-by-side than install Ubuntu on a Windows machine. Follow these step-by-step instructions and Ubuntu should just work, and then you can install the Linux version of Minecraft. The only scary thing is that you have to wipe your device before you install Crouton so it best if it is the first thing you do with your device.

        • twocsies on 22/07/2014 - 03:36

          What was the framerate? On http://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Hardware_performance I can only see max of around 10-20 fps for a Celeron, which I'd definitely call unplayable.

        • gmatht on 22/07/2014 - 19:06
          +1

          @twocsies: I'm getting 35fps on medium settings. If I use max settings I get 20fps, with min settings I get a solid 59-60fps, apparently limited by the 60hz refresh on the Chromebook. A better machine would give me better fps on high settings, but I don't play minecraft for it's ultra realistic graphics :).

    • ozhunter on 21/07/2014 - 17:26

      Not unless you put linux on it and even then there might be problems.

    • ryang on 21/07/2014 - 17:35
      +1

      Assuming you can stretch the budget a bit, it might be worth checking out Dell factory outlet;
      http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/product…

      DFO-2645040IP for $370 looks damn nice!

      • twocsies on 21/07/2014 - 19:29

        It's a good deal but there's also the annoyance that maybe it's not gonna like Minecraft either.

        Mojang support says: "If you have a laptop with a built-in (integrated) graphics card, rather than a dedicated card, it is highly suggested that you try the demo before purchase." Just can't do that prior to purchase, but if we know the details we can compare the results on http://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Hardware_performance

        I see a result for a recent-ish Minecraft version 1.7.5 that shows good frame rate at lower resolution (1024x840) using intel HD Graphic 4000 1.5 GB and Intel Core i3-3110m

        These CPUs are very similar (http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i3-4010U-vs-Intel-Core-i3…). But we know that Minecraft needs the GPU more than CPU.

        Going by Dell Outlet's description: "Inspiron 15 Laptop 4th Generation Intel Core i3-4010U Processor (3M Cache, 1.7 GHz, UMA), FY14 C1" I'd imagine that "FY14 C1" would imply HD Graphic 4400 so it's a good chance it could work, but with the caveat that you'd want to call and confirm that graphics.

        All that being said, the DFO-2315240IP with i3-3217U and Intel HD 4000 for $329 might also handle Minecraft and that price is damn nice!

  • gimli on 21/07/2014 - 17:29
    -1

    Whackamole

  • [Deactivated] on 21/07/2014 - 17:36

    For a device like this, it should be very light, but it is as heavy as Macbook Air 13".

    If only it's 500 grams, it can beat iPad.

    • team teri on 21/07/2014 - 17:40
      +1

      Dreaming much? The 11" MBA weighs 1.08kg, this is pretty close and given the price, very reasonable.

      • gimli on 21/07/2014 - 17:48
        -6

        Mac>>>everything else.

        • Davo1111 on 21/07/2014 - 20:23
          +1

          MBA = 4 times more expensive than the C720

  • Noodles93 on 21/07/2014 - 18:15

    Has anyone managed to get Windows running on one of these? I'm guessing there'd be issues with drivers.

    • Cheaparoo on 21/07/2014 - 18:45

      Is it worth the trouble? There are plenty of 11.6" or 12.5" ultrabooks and ultraportables (eg: Asus F202E or X202E) available for not much more coin if you scout ebay and Dell DFO. They come preloaded with at least Win7. Some with Win8.

      • Noodles93 on 21/07/2014 - 19:19
        +1

        Probably not, i'm just curious. Buying that cruddy Optus MyTab (Ozbargain deal a few years back) sparked my interest in tinkering with stuff.

    • gmatht on 21/07/2014 - 19:11
      +1

      I haven't tried, but there are some relatively easy ways of running Windows software on a Chromebook: http://www.howtogeek.com/173353/how-to-run-windows-software-…

      • Cheaparoo on 21/07/2014 - 19:26
        +1

        None are easy (remote host, WINE - windows emulator, running Windows as virtual machine)requiring piggybacking onto another host (remote). The other two having performance/compatibility issues. Plus the complexity of it all??

        If you predominantly run Windows then it's a path best avoided. If you factor in the cost of an additional Windows license then it doesn't make any sense any financial sense to do this.

        There are at lest 16 better options on ebay at the moment if you predominantly want to run Windows on a very portable machine:

        ebay - ultraportables less than $400

        • gmatht on 22/07/2014 - 19:24

          Thanks, I should have made it clear that the "relatively easy" was relative to installing Windows on the C720, not in comparison to just getting a machine that was designed for Windows. Even if Acer did release drivers, there is still the fact that it doesn't have a full windows keyboard and 32GB isn't that much for Windows.

  • blahman on 21/07/2014 - 20:04
    +2

    I am honestly struggling with the whole concept of chrome os note books and what it's uses are. Seem to fall a bit short with everything.

    Seems like a less functional version of the humble and sorely missed netbooks.

    • Twinkletoes Terry on 21/07/2014 - 21:14
      +1

      They cater for the majority of computer users, browsing, shopping, facebook and stuff. Its horses for courses mate. I like a kettle that has temperature control for my tea and coffee you like a normal kettle that just boils for example, now for me that falls a bit short and is no good.

      I run my wordpress sites and another site solely through chromebook. In fact I wonder why I stayed with windows for as long as I did.

      We all have different needs and wants.

    • Agret on 22/07/2014 - 01:02

      All my girlfriend does on her laptop is Facebook, youtube, email, pen pal website, light word processing (resumes) and stores/views photos. Chromebook would be perfect for her uses.

  • hOrny on 21/07/2014 - 23:40

    I'm just after a cheapo laptop for my old man to hop on the internet and type up a letter or two and print it off, and occasionally go on the vicroads website to book a driving test and print the receipt off. He will have online access at all times and isn't tech-savvy enough to do anything else. I'm not too familiar with google docs.

    Would this do the trick?

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