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Acer Chromebook 14 - Silver US $289.09 (~AU $380) Delivered @ Amazon [14" FHD IPS, Intel Quad Core, 4GB RAM, 32GB SSD, Android]

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Great little chromebook that stands out (I am submitting this deal from one exactly like this).
Very useful because it can run Android apps out of the box! So you have MS Word, MS Excel, MS Outlook, Remote Desktop, and whatever else you need for productivity.

Pro's:

  • Android apps and Play Store out of the box on stable channel! Make sure that you check for OS updates as soon as you unpack it.
  • Gorgeous 14" Full HD IPS display with great colors, viewing angles, and anti-glare finish
  • sleek aluminum body that looks like MB Air - not your average plastic chromebook
  • promised 12 hours from single charge, I am getting about 10, still very decent
  • quad core Intel Celeron N3160 (~7500 Octane score)
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 32 GB storage
  • 2 USB 3.0 ports
  • HDMI port
  • dual-band AC Wi-Fi

Con's:

  • no SD card slot, so keep that in mind!
  • not upgradeable whatsoever, everything is soldered onto the motherboard
  • screen could be brighter!
  • keyboard is your standard chromebook fare, does the job, but very shallow key travel
  • no touch screen, you won't be able to use some Android apps to the full potential

For me the con's were not too important: I store my larger media files on a tiny USB 3.0 flash drive, and I have a USB 3.0 card reader to look at the photos from my camera. All in all very useful and beautifully crafted device with a great screen.

Price History at C CamelCamelCamel.

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closed Comments

  • Con's:
    - no SD card slot, so keep that in mind!

    yeah surprise they cant cramp in even micro sd reader built into the case. it has 14" screen means the space under keyboard is large enough. (thinking of ms surface)

    • my thoughts exactly! I took it apart, and there's plenty of space inside for:

      • larger battery
      • 2 x m.2 SSD's
      • Google Home Mini
      • NFC chip
      • little tube amp to fire up professional headphones

      But then perhaps the weight would approach 3 kilos, and also keep in mind that Acer is spitting out two dozen chromebook and laptop models per year, and needs to keep them competing with each other, perhaps, so that people that want the best of both worlds buy 2 devices instead of 1.

      I was considering the Acer Chromebook 15, that is equally priced, has a 15" Full HD IPS display, card reader, and is upgradeable (you can stick a huge m.2 SSD in there and have all the storage that you like!), but it's cheap plastic and bulky. So I went with the stylish option (subj).

    • 32GB non-expandable storage with ChromeOS plus the Android kernels etc. I'd be surprised if they have 10GB left over for user installed applications if that.

      • at the moment, with all Android apps I need, plus a couple of movies downloaded, I have 20 GB of free space.
        let's see how it goes :) time will tell

        • +1

          How so? 32GB = 28GB realistically. You saying you have two operating systems in there, apps and 2 movies within 8GB?

          From my understanding, ChromeOS takes up about 6GB already by default

        • +2

          @bchliu: how would I know? I just look at Downloads folder, click details and that's what it tells me, 20.3 GB free. what am I, a mathematician?

        • @kasaresj: lol.. ok. Just curious, that's all.. :)

  • You can run word and excel on a chromebook through online website, all chromebooks have this not just those that have Play Store apps.

    • +1

      you can run Android apps offline, and edit your words and spreadsheets on a plane, for example

      • Argument is moot - Google assumes everyone is always connected with unlimited bandwidths to the Internet as a design principle. It wasnt until recently that they finally realised that this is not always possible and people need offline access to their apps (eg. offline Google Maps, Offline Google Office etc).

        • what google assumes is google's business :) if they want me to always be connected, what are they suggesting, bed confinement? well, then chromebooks should be coming with LTE module by design, but they don't, so I couldn't care less what they ASS-ume.

        • +1

          @kasaresj: You don't have any value to Google unless you are connected because they cannot collect data about you nor serve unwanted advertising if you are not connected.

        • +1

          @Diji1: I don't have any value to anyone, since I never buy expensive or useless gadgets. Only cheap and useless lol

        • @kasaresj:

          well, then chromebooks should be coming with LTE module by design

          That would mean having a second data plan. I'd rather use my phone as a wifi hotspot.

        • @manic: I tried to pull it off above the Pacific Ocean, but LTE reception was a bit wonky even for my iPhone XZ PlusPlus (goes by the name of Xiaomi Mi Max 2)

  • It doesn't run Android apps yet - only the '14 for Work' version does: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chrome-os-systems-suppo…

    I've got this laptop though and it is an excellent device for the price you pay

    • +1

      that page is outdated, I am checking it often, too.
      Which is why I was surprised when my chromebook all of a sudden told me that Android apps are available now.
      On stable channel, mind you.
      Check Amazon reviews, a few latest reviews also mention that Play Store is now available on this device.

      • +1

        Oh awesome, I'll be getting on the Android bandwagon as soon as I'm home tonight!

        • enjoy! :) on the system page it says that the build date is October 9th, doesn't chrome OS let you know there's an update available? Just in case I'll be checking mine every couple of days then.. I was sort of expecting automatic updates

        • so, did you get Android apps? or is only my chromebook special

        • Nope, just the special version unfortunately :(

        • @punkindrublic: here are my Chrome build and Android build details:
          https://imgur.com/FnwOJVg
          https://imgur.com/ficUM2B

          what does your build look like? Are you sure you have exactly the same model? and are on stable channel?

        • @kasaresj:

          Okay, it looks like my Chromebook hadn't updated - the new update seems to indicate I can install Android apps, so thanks for pointing this out!

        • @punkindrublic: so how do you like it? I simply love it, I switched to Android apps for Gmail, Calendar, Outlook, Word, Excel, YouTube even. now only browsing from the built-in Chrome :) only chrome app for Google Keep works better on Chromebook than the Android version. so now finally Chromebooks feel like a proper PC replacement! offline and online.

        • @kasaresj:

          I've only installed a single Sudoku app but will probably add more as I go!

  • Can i install ubuntu on it?

    • +1

      people out there do, but I can't comment on that, not one of my interests.
      I would say that if you want to run Ubuntu, get the Acer Chromebook 15, on that one you can install an m.2 SSD and have enough storage for 5 Ubuntu's and a Debian.

      • ok thanks for the reply.
        yeah, i just read the description of this one more carefully. 32gb emmc storage not upgradeable. its pretty much hopeless for anything.

        • :) if you say so. I used to think like this, too, but I never filled 16 GB of storage on my old Lenovo chromebook, so I am not sure what would I use all that additional space on. Music is on free spotify, photos are on google photos, and on my camera's SD, and on my home server. And so are movies. what else would I haul around on my chromebook? Documents? I can fit everything I ever worked on into 2 GB tops.

        • +1

          Hopeless for anything? Sure, if you want to download heaps of Amazon, Netflix or Google movies, it wont work, but fine for a few movies.

          Suggest you use Google photos to look after your photos.

          What do you need to store?

        • I just wanted to put ubuntu on it, and do some coding. Need devel packages, git checkouts. So yea. I need to put on an additional SSD at least 128gb.

        • +1

          @ChaLuo: then "hopeless for Ubuntu enthusiasts", didn't know they still existed. not for "anything" :)

        • ok :)

        • @ChaLuo: I would look at this one then https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00T03KQ34/ref=dp_ol…

          Choose Amazon as seller, they deliver to Oz. Comes down at about $370 AUD delivered. Put an SSD in, and with 15" Full HD it would make a great Ubuntu DEV laptop.

  • Now that Android apps have come to Chromebooks, they've become a lot more attractive. How does this handle offline videos? I would use this for watching movies on flights. OP, do you get 10 hours from watching videos?

    • +1

      I'll get a 1080p offline video onto it tonight and give it a go. I have yet to decide what's the best way to watch movies offline on this one:
      - VLC from App Store
      - MX player from App Store (I have a Pro)
      - built in video player ftw?

      maybe someone else can give input here? anyone?

      • There are heaps of video players in the Play store.

        Or just use the Android app if you are using your Amazon, Netflix, Google play movies account etc.

        • +1

          but which one is best? and which one works best on chromebook? this is first chromebook I have that can run Android apps, so I am not sure here.
          even on my Android devices I only ever used VLC and MX, never tried anything else.

        • @kasaresj:

          I have tried quite a few over the past 6 months and am using:

          Built-in video player
          XPlayer
          MX occasionally
          VLC occasionally

          Or the required app when using Amazon, Netflix, Google Play Movies.

        • @matt-ozb: on my desktop I always use VLC because it's most flexible, and works well with subtitles (anime fan, guilty), let's see how does the chromebook fare with highest quality material I've got (1080p). I'll try and report.

      • I've tried VLC and MX on my phone. I haven't actually taken notice of how they affect battery life. I've been using VLC in the last year or so. It's now as good as MX in terms of features, I find.

    • unfortunately didn't get much time to test it (I work too bloody much), so I played 10 minutes of high quality full HD content on built in video player (from local storage). Max brightness, medium volume (jeez those speakers are loud).

      This reduced the battery from 45 to 42 percent. By extrapolation that gives you around 5.5 - 6 hours of movie playback under these conditions (full brightness, medium volume using speakers, high quality content - roughly 1 gig per 10 minutes).

      In real life YMMV, I am flying to Dubai soon enough (that's a 14 hour flight), so I will be able to test it properly (hopefully not and I will be asleep).

      • Thanks for testing! That sounds like it would last as long as my Windows laptop. Was hoping it would last a full flight. I tend to not sleep on flights, so I sometimes can watch 3 movies… but that means watching it on my laptop, and when the battery dies, on my phone.

        • +1

          it would need a bigger battery to last more than that, after all the processor is very power efficient here, it's the screen that's the biggest load on the battery.
          if you're looking for a media consumption laptop on the go, there are better (but a bit more expensive) versions available. However I think that 6 hours of movies (potentially more, since it'll be through headphones, not speakers, and at reduced brightness as max brightness will be too much on the plane) is very decent.

  • +1

    Chromebooks work great for offline videos. With Android apps, you can now use all the options too .. Amazon, Google, Netflix, etc

  • +1

    My wife and me treated ourselves to Acer laptops 256GB SSD Acer with simcard slot and Full HD display and 8GB DDR4 ram, from Hardly Normal, so Aussie warranty for $798

    See here: https://www.harveynorman.com.au/promos/black-friday-comp/ace…

    After tweaking the power settings, I got 8 hours continuous from a full charge.

    Thanks OP.

    • yes, that looks like a great option! however I would never buy a laptop that is more than $500, on principle. but that's me :)

    • +1

      But that has crappy Windows … This ozbargain is for the advanced chromeOS running on Chromebooks. The Chromebook is far superior.

      • yes, chromebook running Debian running Vine just to play that old skool minesweeper

        • Oh you mean Wine … well yeah, if certain apps are critical and not in the Android App Store or Chrome Web Store, then you are left with (a) Crouton as below or (b) install a linux distro.

          https://www.howtogeek.com/162120/how-to-install-ubuntu-linux…

        • @matt-ozb: Wouldn't a Linux distro be heavier? Even XFCE is getting too heavy for my liking. I used to love it for being light, clean and fast. Not anymore.

          Wish I could install official ChromeOS on laptops.

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