Flip open a Chromebook, log in with your Google credentials and you can start working within seconds.
For those whose need to create and edit documents online, this terminal or kiosk-like experience is good enough.
Here is what else you can do on a Chromebook: Watch YouTube videos,
listen to music on Spotify and play casual games, which are often the
same as those found on smartphones and tablets.
Best of all, these laptops, which run on Google's snappy Chrome
operating system, require little maintenance. Updates are pushed
automatically to the Chromebook. Simply restart the device to apply
them. Malware finds little joy here because of the locked-down nature
of these devices as they do not run on Windows.
However, you can hardly find Chromebooks in Singapore.
Take the new Acer Chromebook 13. The Taiwanese PC vendor said it
plans to introduce them first to enterprise users to gauge market
demand. In short, this laptop may not even make it to retail stores.
Not that you are likely to notice it even if it is on display.
Except for the small Chrome logo at the corner of its lid, the Acer
Chromebook 13 looks like any other laptop.
Acer has gone for a minimalist design to match the laptop's matte
white finish. However, it lacks the playfulness of the HP Chromebook
11, which also comes in white.
This Acer Chromebook looks good and feels sturdy and well-made, despite the relatively inexpensive price tag.
Sadly, the same cannot be said of the 13-inch screen, which looks
cheap. It has poor viewing angles and looks washed out. It is what you
would expect of a budget laptop. Some Chromebooks come with
touchscreens, but not this Acer.
Reinforcing the impression that this laptop is more for work than
play, its keyboard is excellent, with plenty of key travel. Too bad it
lacks backlighting. The touchpad is responsive and works well with
Chrome OS' two-finger gestures.
This laptop comes with 32GB of onboard storage, although Google
includes 100GB of free Google Drive cloud storage for two years with
each purchase of a Chromebook.
At the heart of this laptop is Nvidia's Tegra K1 chip. Tech-savvy
readers may recognise this as the same mobile processor found in the
Xiaomi Mi Pad tablet.
Unsurprisingly, given its lineage, the battery life is rated at 13
hours. In our battery life test, which involves looping a video at
maximum screen brightness and volume, the Acer Chromebook lasted 9hr 15
min. This is on a par with the best tablets on the market.
- Acer’s new Chromebook has excellent battery life, but a
mediocre screen. It is perfect for students and users looking for a
basic computer.
TECH SPECS
Price: $699
Processor: Nvidia Tegra K1
Graphics: Nvidia Tegra K1
RAM: 4GB
Screen size: 13.3 inches, 1,366 x 768 pixels
Connectivity: 2 x USB 3.0, HDMI, SD card slot, headphone and microphone combo jack
Battery: 48 watt-hour
RATING
Features: 3/5
Design: 4/5
Performance: 3/5
Value for money: 3/5
Battery life: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
