I have been using the Acer C7 Chromebook now on and off for a little over two weeks now. All I can say is that I totally underestimated this computer. It is much much better than I ever thought possible.
I would highly recommend this for anyone that only needs basic functions such as:
- Surfing the web
- Listen to Music
- Printing
- Editing typical MS documents, spreadsheets and powerpoint.
- Basic photo editing with online tools
- Most of the time you have an internet connection is available.
Things you cannot do are:
- Install applications that are not from google play or the chrome store.
- Offline photo editing.
- Offline printing.
The Acer C7 Chromebook comes with 350GB hard drive plus you can get another 100GB online from Google. This more than enough space for most people. You can always purchase more and add to your online Google Drive.
The system has a vga port for an external monitor, built in webcam, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 USB 3.0 port, an HDMI port, headphone jack, kensington lock port, ethernet and built in wireless. The 11.6-inch, 1,366 x 768 pixel screen is glossy and bright plus very clear. If you flip the unit over and you are the type that likes to customize and upgrade your notebooks this is the perfect unit for that. The memory and HD are very easy to get to. If not the Acer C7 chromebook is just fine the way it is.
Cloud computing is something you have to get used to. It takes about two weeks to really see what it is about. The Chromebook is designed very well for what most people do. That is surf the web and email. You don’t have to worry about managing your apps, virus protection. crashes, blue screens of death or any of the Microsoft Windows problems we have all learned to live with and accept.
What about Apps?
The chrome web store has thousands of games and apps for just about anything. Listed below are the ones I used and all worked just fine. I was really impressed with Pixlr picture editor and CodeAnywhere to edit html and work on websites.
- Google Docs.
- Pixlr picture editor
- Evernote for Web
- Amazon Kindle Reader
- CodeAnywhere
- CSS Grady
- CSS Button Creator
- Google Play works great with Itunes
What about Printing?
The Google Cloud Print worked just fine with all my old printers and the new ones. No problems to report. I was amazed at the simplicity of it all.
What about when I am Offline?
When you are offline you are limited. I had no problem working with my email offline, and working on documents offline. Once you get back online everything syncs up automatically. The Chrome Web Store has a growing collection of apps you can get that will work offline. When I first purchased the Acer C7 I thought this would be a big deal. But as it turns out it not a problem.
Let’s wrap this up:
If you are on a budget or just interested in cloud based computing and maybe a bit curious the Acer C7 at $199 is one of the true bargains out there. You have to remember it is a $200 computer there is no fancy aluminum case or fancy backlit keyboard. What you get is a computer that works well is very light (about 3 lbs) and easy to carry around.
I do not know why there is so much negative press about the chromebooks. I think people don’t realize it is a $200 cloud based computer. You have to rate it as that and nothing more. Google has done a good job with the Chrome OS and rolling out inexpensive Chromebooks. My hats off to them.
Feel free to comment and let us know your experiences with the chromebook.