Acer C720 Chromebook (11.6-Inch, Haswell micro-architecture, 2GB)
Acer C720-2848 Chromebook comes with these high level specs: Intel Celeron Processor 2995U, Google Chrome Operating System, 11.6″ HD Widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit Display, Intel HD Graphics with 128MB of dedicated system memory, 2048MB DDR3L SDRAM Memory, 16GB SSD Drive, Secure Digital (SD) Card, 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN, Bluetooth 4.0, Built-In HD Webcam, 1 – USB 3.0 Port, 1 – USB 2.0 Port, 1 – HDMI Port, 3-Cell Li-Polymer Battery (3950 mAh), Up to 8.5-hours Battery Life, 2.76 lbs. | 1.25 kg (system unit only).Chromebooks are a unique class of mobile computing devices, designed specifically for Web-based tasks. They differ from traditional laptops in a few important ways:
Chromebooks run Web-based apps, not traditional PC applications.
Chromebooks are designed to be connected to the Internet. You can create documents and spreadsheets or edit photos on a Chromebook using Google apps designed for these purposes. The Chrome operating system will not load and run traditional PC software like Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop. However, files created in these applications can be viewed and edited using Google apps on your Chromebook or cloud-based applications like Microsoft’s Office web apps.
You store your files in the Cloud, not on the machine.
To help make them thin and light, Chromebooks are built without large-capacity drives. So instead of storing your documents, videos, and photos on your computer, you save them to Google Drive (Google’s Cloud-based storage service). Your files are password-protected and secure, and you can access them anywhere there’s an Internet connection. If you know you’ll want access to a file or photo offline, however, you can easily save it to the built-in solid-state drive.
Acer introduces its new Chromebook, the C720 – the best performance 11.6″ Chromebook with speed, simplicity and security all built in. Continually updated, always new, the Acer C7 Chromebook keeps getting better and better. It starts in seconds, is powered by the new Intel® CeleronTM 2955U Haswell micro-architecture processor and has up to 8.5 hours of battery life giving you all day to run your favorite Google apps or access your photos, videos, music and documents from anywhere.
Key Features
- 11.6″ Anti-Glare HD Widescreen LED-backlit Display
- Intel® Celeron® Processor 2955U (1.4GHz, 2MB L3 cache)
- Haswell micro-architecture
- Google Chrome Operating System
- 16GB SSD Drive
- 2048MB DDR3L SDRAM Memory
- Intel® HD Graphicswith 128MB of dedicated system memory
- Acer InviLinkTM NplifyTM 802.11a/b/g/n (MIMO Dual-Band 2.4Ghz & 5GHz) Wireless LAN
- Bluetooth 4.0
- Built-in HD Webcam
- Two built-in stereo speakers
- 1- USB 3.0 Port
- 1- USB 2.0 Port
- 1- HDMI™ Port
- Full-size Acer FineTip Keyboard
- Multi-Gesture Touchpad
- 3-Cell Li-Polymer BatteryUp to 8.5-hours Battery Life
- 2.76 lbs.| 1.25 kg (system unit only)
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Fast. Light. Portable.
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The Acer C720 Chromebook, boots in less than 7 seconds, and automatically stays up-to-date (and virus free) without interrupting you. With 16GB SSD and the new Intel® CeleronTM Processor 2955U (Haswell micro-architecture), the C720 can load content-rich webpages quickly and easily, provide great HD video playback, and multitask effortlessly, allowing multiple pages to run at the same time.
This third-generation Chromebook has a design that is 30 percent thinner than its predecessor. Your Chromebook slips easily into a bag or purse, weighs just over 2 pounds and has up to 8.5 hours of battery life. It’s equally comfortable at home or keeping up with everything you do everyday, even when you’re offline. The 11.6″ HD anti-glare display enables students and families to enjoy the Chromebook outside in sunlight for classwork, reading, playing games and more. Crisp resolution brings family closer during video chats, and the HD webcam presents you at your best, too. Want bigger? Extend your view to your big screen via the HDMI® port. |
Everyday Security
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Chromebooks have multiple layers of security to keep you safe and worry free. Plus with automatic updates, the Chromebook downloads security and software upgrades so you don’t have to. No more updates to track.
Store and access your photos, music, videos, documents and more from anywhere with Google Drive. It’s simple, and all your files are backed up automatically online, safely and securely. Plus enjoy 100 GB of free storage on Google Drive for two years. Feel safe sharing your C720 Chromebook with friends, family and even the occasional guest. Each user has their own login, files, apps and settings, so you never have to worry about anything getting messed up by someone else. |
The Best of Google
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Chromebooks come with popular Google products built in: Search, Gmail, YouTube, and Hangouts. So you can work, play, and do whatever you want, right out of the box. Create documents, spreadsheets, presentations and drawings with apps like Google Docs, Zoho and SlideRocket. Enjoy full screen video chat with up to nine friends using Google+ Hangouts.
The Chrome Web Store offers thousands of free apps, themes, and extensions to help you make the most of your Chromebook. Watch movies, play games or get work done (if you really have to). The Chromebook will keep it all fresh with automatic updates. The Acer C720 Chromebook stays connected with dual band Wi-Fi. It also comes with 12 free Gogo® Inflight1 passes so you can stay online even when you’re not on the ground. 1Your Chromebook comes with 12 free Gogo® in-air Internet passes (estimated $150 value, redeemable for two years after Chromebook purchase) usable on continental U.S. flights of participating airlines. |
Product Features
- Intel Celeron 2955U 1.4 GHz (Haswell micro-architecture)
- 2 GB DDR3L SDRAM
- 16 GB Solid-State Drive
- 11.6-Inch Anti-Glare Screen, Intel HD Graphics
- HDMI port, 8.5-hour battery life
Meets and exceeds all of my expectations! An outstanding bargain!! To give some background, this is my first Chromebook. I own a PC which I use for gaming and editing video files; and I’ve owned an ’08 MacBook (recently died, which prompted this purchase) and a ’12 MacBook Air (donated to Mom), both of which I primarily used to surf the web, check email, watch youtube, and play music and video files.I needed to replace my MacBook so I researched my options, and based on my needs I narrowed my choices down to the Acer C720 and HP Chromebook11. I read through the limited reviews available at the time, and the overall theme was that the C720 offered greater performance over build/screen quality while the HP11 offered better build/screen quality over performance. I’ve always valued function over form so the C720 it was.I’m glad to report that, IMO, the claims against the C720’s screen – some of which made it sound like it was a total POS – are unfounded as I feel it’s as good as my Macbook Air’s screen. Of course, the build quality isn’t the best, but it’s not like it feels like a flimsy toy by any means. The keys and touchpad feel thinner, lighter, and of lesser quality than my MacBook but still adequate; and for $250 it’s a solidly built machine that meets or exceeds all of my expectations.At the time of purchase the available reviews had not covered whether this machine could meet my main criteria (detailed below in order of importance), and I am pleased to report that the C720 passes with flying colors on all counts! (Note, my ’08 MacBook could not play 1080p video from my Sony Action Cam or GoPro (without the help of Plex Software), a limitation of the CPU/GPU.)1. smooth playback of raw 1080p video files from my Sony ActionCam and GoPro 3 (1080p HDMI output to HDTV also works great!)2. efficiently browse the web – no realistic limitation on open tabs/windows (thanks to the 4gb of ram)3. compact size (the C720 feels just slightly heavier than my Macbook Air and a hair larger in all dimensions)4. great battery life (based on a full charge and screen at 70% brightness, the battery indicator esimates 7 hours of use)5. ability to continue using all of my external HD’s (some laptops I’ve used before don’t play nice)Overall, I am super impressed with the C720, and IMO at $250 it’s an outstanding bargain for a very capable machine. Assuming your primary use is similar to mine – surfing the web while on the couch / in bed, and playing music and videos – this laptop will surprisingly meet most if not all of your needs. The Intel Celeron Haswell chip, while dumbed-down, enables this Chromebook to match the performance of my MacBook Air for all my intents and purposes and even surpasses my older MacBook in video playback. I’m officially a Chromebook convert, and I don’t see myself missing my MacBook anymore! I’ll update this review as I develop further impressions but so far I am very happy with my decision to go with the C720.11/15/13 UPDATE:I’m even more impressed with this machine after having spent another 3.5 weeks with it. Not only can I stream web content in 1080p to my TV via HDMI, but simultaneously on my C720 display I am able to stream 1080p content and browse in multiple tabs all at once with no discernible hit in performance. That’s two 1080p streams to separate displays while still being able to smoothly browse the web. The C720 is a beast!
Acer C720 – Function over form ==UPDATES==11/25/13 – Added information regarding the new $199 model under side notesThis review is going to assume that you’re OK with the idea of a Chromebook – that you’re OK with using pretty much nothing but the Chrome browser. You won’t be able to use Skype or Microsoft Office here, neither will you be able to use things like Final Cut Pro or Photoshop. However, you’d be surprised at how powerful some of the things you find online have become: there are substitutes for programs like Skype and Microsoft Office, found in the form of Google’s Hangouts and their productivity suite. More complex programs like Photoshop have yet to be replicated online, but there are basic photo and video editing software now as well. If you’re OK with this idea cloud computing which some have named the “next generation of computing”, then I encourage you to buy a Chromebook. They’re optimized for the web and only the web. You won’t have to deal with viruses and updates are automatic. It’s simple, it’s fast, and it’s efficient. But only if you can handle the limitations.The Acer C720With the C720, Acer has fixed the most glaring issues of its previous generation of Chromebooks – most noticeably replacing the HDD with a SSD, decreasing the boot time to a mere 7 seconds, and upgrading the processor to a 4th generation power efficient Haswell processor, improving the battery life to an impressive 8 hours. With a $249 price tag, these specifications alone makes this a tempting buy, but let’s look at some of the other factors first.The ExternalsTo keep a long story short, it’s not great. Compared to the catchy design of the HP 11, Acer’s Chromebook looks kind of ugly, It’s all gray color scheme is pretty boring, and the bottom of the Chromebook is filled with vents (see picture above). That being said, it’s not a bad design either. It’s thin with a slightly tapered finish, and it’s light and easy to hold. Looks aside, this Chromebook is perfectly functional and definitely an upgrade if you’re coming from the previous generation. It’s actually pretty sturdy – it doesn’t bend easily and it seems like it can take a light beating. I’ve been traveling around with it and I don’t feel it at all in my backpack.The screen has a 1366×768 resolution with a matte finish. It has poor viewing angles, but it’s perfectly fine if you’re using the Chromebook alone. I’m also not sure if it’s really anti-glare: you’ll still have to crank up the brightness if you want to use it outside. The keyboard works pretty well – if you’re used to previous Chromebook keyboards or Apple keyboards, you’ll be used to this one. Keep in mind that the caps lock key has been replaced by a `search’ button, though you can always remap it in the settings if you miss it. The clickable touchpad also works well – it’s surprisingly responsive and the 2 finger scrolling works well. Note that when I first got the Chromebook, there was some kind of coating that made it kind of hard to use, but after ~2 hours of using the touchpad, it became much more responsive. You use a 2 finger click for right clicking, and you can also do a 3 finger swipe to switch tabs. The smoothness of the multi-touch capabilities really surprised me here. Also, regarding the webcam, it’s exactly what you’d expect from a $250 laptop. It’s listed as an “HD Webcam”, whatever that means. It’ll work well enough for Google Hangouts, but don’t expect to look like a supermodel. However, it’s definitely a bit better than the HP 11’s webcam – it’s not as grainy and it works a little bit better under low light situations. Speakers are also pretty loud for such a small notebook, but the sound quality is average.This Chromebook also comes with a variety of input/output ports (1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, 1 HDMI, 1 SD, 1 Kensington lock, 1 Mic/Headphone), much more than the HP 11, and I’ve found the abundance of ports to be quite useful. Finally, note that there is a fan in this Chromebook, but it’s barely noticeable: you have to lean in close and be in a quiet room before you can hear it.The InternalsThis is where this Chromebook really shines. For $249, we’re used to getting a sluggish computer, but that is not the case with this Chromebook. The Intel processor and a generous 4GB of RAM really shines here, and it shows in the performance. It can handle multiple tabs with no problem and runs 1080p videos and graphically heavy websites smoothly. Unlike the ARM based Chromebooks, there are no stutters or pauses which might distract you from your work and research. Once I used this Chromebook, it was really hard to go back to the HP 11. The battery life lasted around 8 hours for me, but the best part is that it only takes around 2 hours to fully charge, which is pretty fast in my opinion.All in all, I love Chromebooks because of their simplicity and speed. It works so well for those who just need to surf the web and…