There are frankly a ridiculous number of Chromebooks on sale to choose from, but Google’s Chromebook Plus initiative launched last fall ChromeOS has come a long way toward standardizing some key features for devices. This, in turn, made it a little easier to choose the ones that will provide a consistent quality experience without breaking the bank. Acer’s latest Chromebook Plus 514, which the company announced today, is a good example – at first glance, it checks most of the boxes I’m looking for. A basic Chromebook is recommended this will work for most people.
To confuse matters, Acer is already selling several Chromebook Plus 514 models; it’s the CB514-4HT and costs $399. If you want to make sure you’re getting the latest, look for that SKU. This laptop is powered by Intel’s 13th generation Core i3-N305 processor, which it pairs with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage—the latter spec is a bit of a surprise, and more storage than I expected for $400. Chromebook. To meet the demanding Chromebook Plus specifications, this laptop includes a 1080p webcam with a privacy cover. While the resolution is pretty solid, not all webcams are created equal, so we’ll have to see how it performs in real life.
The screen is a 14-inch, 1080p touchscreen, so it’s not as tall as the 1920 x 1200 screens I’ve seen on a number of other Chromebook Plus laptops. But again, I won’t complain too much for the price. It also has a decent selection of ports: two USB-C and USB-A slots, along with a microSD card reader. I wouldn’t have minded seeing HDMI here because the USB-C ports could have been quickly taken over by power and a monitor, but I remind myself that this computer is only $400.
Acer says this laptop will hit stores in early May, though the specific SKU we’re talking about here should also be at Costco early next week. The company also doesn’t say what will change, but says some other configurations will be coming in the near future. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a model with less storage or perhaps no touchscreen, which could lower the price even further. If so, this could be a great budget option. But as it is, you should be getting a pretty good laptop here for the price.
