Acer Chromebook 14 CB3-431 - (Intel Celeron N3160, 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC, 14 inch FHD Display, Google Chrome OS, Silver)

Product Information

This is a budget 14in laptop with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution screen, powered by a quad-core Intel Celeron N3160 processor, 4GB RAM and an integrated Intel HD Graphics 400 chip. To give you an idea of the Intel Celeron N1360’s speed, a 7th gen Intel Core i7 achieved a speed of 622ms. Even if you overcome the app hurdles, workflows are where you're more likely to run into a deal-breaker.

It may have a better resolution display than its predecessor, and a newer processor, but overall battery life has taken a hit, and the screen suffers from colour accuracy issues. I just discovered that the chromebook modding community has gotten the Google Pixelbook fully supported under Windows 10. Although I also have Logos (which has an online version) it doesn't have the full features that their native Windows or Mac versions have. Even if verbal ratings in this area do not sound that bad ("sufficient" or "satisfactory"), they are usually euphemisms that disguise a classification as a below-average laptop.Acer: In 1976, the company was founded in Taiwan under the name Multitech and was renamed Acer or Acer Group in 1987. Before beginning, make sure that your laptop is completely turned off, and disconnected from any external power sources. If you’re just using the Chromebook 14 for internet browsing and word processing, you should just about be able to squeeze out a full day’s work on a single charge. That's another area where I don't have first hand experience with, but I suspect that it won't be easy. If your Acer Chromebook 14 CB3-431-C3WS does not turn on when the power button is pushed, doesn’t remain charged or usable unless connected to an external power source you may need to replace the battery.

Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell): Integrated graphics card in the Intel Braswell series (2016 Celeron) processors. While it’s not quite as nice as the one on the 2015 MacBook Pro I use for work, it’s still a perfectly smooth experience; it points the mouse where I tell it to, and shortcut commands are easy to execute. Since I already had flashed the custom firmware to allow other OSes to be installed, I simply needed to create a bootable USB thumbdrive to install Windows 10. It ran flawlessly after installing without the usual need to tweak WINE settings to get things looking correctly. Despite these Chrome OS problems, Acer’s latest Chromebook 14 is a competent enough device for on-the-go web browsing and basic office work – just don’t expect it to do much more.

Luxurious Chrome OS machines like the Google Pixelbook and HP Chromebook 13 have started doing the rounds, with fancy high-resolution screens and surprisingly decent internal specifications. If you can live without Windows or macOS, and you want to save a bit of money in the process, it just might be the ideal device. Despite the word ‘stunning’ being used frequently in the product description, Acer’s Chromebook 14 is an ugly-looking thing, just like its predecessor. There is a catch though; to view it in native resolution you have to reduce your display size to 80% in settings. We also boast an active community focused on purchasing decisions and technical aspects of the iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Mac platforms.

It has 32GB flash memory (not expandable), an HDR webcam, and runs – as do all Chromebooks – on Google’s Chrome OS operating system. Since their inception, these devices have developed a reputation as being cheaply made laptops aimed at consumers balancing on a tightrope budget. Acer computers are designed for a variety of purposes, including ultrabooks for mobile use, gaming laptops for gamers, affordable options for everyday tasks, and 2-in-1 convertible laptops for versatility. I ran the install (the instructions said that I'd need a USB keyboard for the initial install, and I used one, but I found that the built-in keyboard worked fine). There's a lot to like about the Acer, including it's smart design, larger screen size, and impressively long battery life.Google’s own Pixelbook laptop, for instance, could download apps originally designed for smartphones and tablets. The smaller display also has the advantage of requiring less power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. That combo will provide greater flexibility at a lower cost than a dedicated notebook running a desktop OS.