Available for backorder, go to other sellers on the right and look for sold and shipped by Amazon .
For those who missed out yesterday, It's back and cheaper by $7 AUD
For those who bought yesterday,. Contact Amazon chat and they will refund the difference
Just at the gym so will update later
CamelCamelCamel.
It's currently not in stock by Amazon, I guess that's why you can't find it. They must have sold out. Keep an eye on it though, because it has been restocked several times by Amazon in the last 3-4 days. Hopefully it will make a comeback at the cheaper price for Cyber Monday.
I posted the in the first bargain post for this Acer Chromebook 11. I thought you guys might find it useful to. It’s a bit long, sorry :)
I ordered my Chromebook on 26/11, and received it on 1/12 – possibly the fastest I’ve ever received anything from Amazon.
I currently have a MacBook Air (MBA) Mid-2012 and an iPad Air 2. I use my iPad Air 2 with an external keyboard at work, however, I find the experience a bit compromised and I’ve always wanted to try out Chrome OS. And my MBA is used at home by my Wife and I, so it doesn't go to work. It also doesn't have the battery life to achieve what I need.
So, I used my Acer Chromebook 11 at work today, and was pretty impressed with the performance and use-case (and the outstanding battery life). I use Google Docs at work for meetings, notes, etc. Using the Chromebook today, I found I could achieve my same work a lot faster than with my iPad Air 2 setup. My typing was faster and more accurate, correcting mistakes and moving around a document/spread sheet was a lot fast, and browsing of the web was more enjoyable because you are getting the desktop web. One difference, though, is that my iPad Air 2 gets push notifications for text, email, etc, whereas this doesn't seem to be possible for the Chromebook (not that I was expecting it too). It's also easier to charge my iPad at work, and my white Chromebook certainly stood out!
Here are my current PROS and CONS for the Acer Chromebook 11:
PROS
• the screen is better than I was expecting (it's definitely not in the league of iPads, Samsungs or other IPS panels, but it looks fantastic for a budget PC. I was considering the Lenovo 100S, but the screen on that is terrible compared to the Acer Chromebook)
• the battery is superb!! I am amazed with the battery life on this thing. I can't get over how much I am impressed with the battery life. It easily surpasses my mid-2012 Macbook Air.
• it's pretty fast all around, especially considering the specs. I only notice slow down when I have 6+ tabs open, including having YouTube open. (I think this is more a RAM problem than processor. 4GB in a Chromebook would probably be perfect)
• the keyboard is pretty nice too. I'm still getting used to the Chrome OS specific keys, but overall it feels nice to type on.
• the trackpad works really well and is quite large. Scrolling is as good as any mac I've tried.
• although the body of the laptop doesn't look as good in real life as it does in the product photos, it still feels very solid for such a cheap laptop. There are no creaks in the plastic either.
• internet browsing on the Chromebook is very fast. But for some content-heavy web pages, you have to wait until the webpage has finished loading before you can scroll and move around smoothly. This isn't a problem, just a slight different between iOS/Mac and the Chromebook.
• I'm still getting used to Chrome OS. So far, I like it for my intended use for this laptop - using Google Docs at work, and browsing the web and YouTube at home.
• the WiFi is crazy good in this laptop. It's by far got a stronger antenna than my iPhone 6s Plus and iPad Air 2.
• the speakers are actually pretty good, and loud. Much better than I was expecting. I would probably say that the speakers in the Chromebook sounds louder than my iPad Air 2.
• the output from the 3.5mm audio jack is also very, very loud.
• Google Docs seems to work fine in offline mode, and everything just syncs again when you re-connect to the internet.
• this thing cold boots fast, and wakes from sleep within 1-2 seconds. Very nice.
CONS:
I only have a couple of cons:
• the keyboard letter keys make nice sounds when you type on them, but my spacebar key is alot 'clickier' than the rest of the keys and makes a noticeably annoying clicky sound. (I know, it's a HUGE deal)
• it's the same with the track pad. I like tapping the track pad (not clicking it), and when you just tap the bottom half of the track pad it makes a sounds because there must be an air gap between the top of the track pad the bottom click mechanism. I don't know if this is specific to my laptop, or on everyone. I am half tempted to open it and see if I can alter it…
• the actual click on the trackpad is REALLY loud too.
• I tethered my iPhone to my Chromebook for internet access. I would've liked the Chromebook to hold the connection, even when in sleep mode. It's not a big deal, it just means I need to re-open the settings->hotpost section of my iPhone each time I turned on the Chromebook.
And that's it! Really minor complaints.
At the end of the day, I can't believe this computer only cost me about $135 AUD (after credits and other promotions). It's an absolute steal.
If I end up sticking with this laptop long term, I'll probably dream of a couple of key upgrades: 4GB RAM, a nice IPS panel, backlit keys, and charging via MicroUSB or USB-C, not proprietary cords. (but then the Chromebook would probably cost $300-500, not $94.99)
Final thoughts:
This device won't be replacing my MacBook Air at all. I routinely tell people that my MacBook Air mid-2012 (my first ever Mac - and still my only Mac) is the best computer I've ever owned. The only thing letting it down these days is battery life. I'm lucky to get 3 hours out of it.
I see the Chromebook as a 'much enhanced' iPad Air 2 experience for school, work and casual browsing. I don't really see it as a proper 'computer' to replace a Mac or a Windows Laptop for all other uses. So I'm not really comparing the Chromebook to the MacBook Air (except for browsing and YouTube, and the huge difference in battery life - which wouldn't be a big deal for newer MacBook Air's).
The Chromebook also won't replace my iPad Air 2 (which is better for movies and a bit of gaming). For me, the Chromebook slots into a small section of my work life for portable computing on the go that's light and fast, and web browsing and YouTube at home. I will also prefer having the full desktop internet experience, and I significantly prefer a physical keyboard.
Like I said, I still have rose-coloured glasses on. I don't want to build up too much hype, because your MacBook, Windows computer or Desktop are still a lot faster and more capable than this little Chromebook. However, I'm still absolutely amazed with the performance and quality of the device for the cost. $94.99USD is an unbelievable price for what you get!
Thanks for the review. I'm looking forward to mine arriving. Expecting it will be nice for everyday browsing (which is mainly what ill use it for). And then when I need a bit more power will use Google remote desktop to display my macbook which has a ruined screen.
No worries, I'm glad it helped. I use that Google Remote Desktop alot as well, and it works really well. I was doing that to my home PC from work today (on the Chromebook). Worked a treat.
Good to hear the remote desktop works well.can't wait - pity mine only just left US.
Ah ozbargain, making me spend money I don't need to simply because of the bargain.
Anyway I'm selling mine for cost price see my post here if interested. https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/223976
does anyone have the link for one being sold and shipped by Amazon, and ships to aus. I cant find one…