Laptops and computers were a love of mine before smartphones came along, so I love the opportunity to talk about new releases from big players in the PC space, and today, it's Acer.
If you're a big fan of Chromebooks, you'll be glad to know that Acer's Chromebook Plus lineup has gained a new member in the form of the Chromebook Plus 514, which aims for a sensible price, sensible performance, and a compact package to hold it all together.
The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 Brings A Military-Grade Design To A 14-Inch Package
If you need great battery life, security, and an affordable price point, then a Chromebook is the way to fill that need. But there are so many Chromebooks out there that it can be hard to know which one to choose.
Well, the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is a brand-new option that's part of Google's Chromebook Plus platform, which means it is guaranteed to bring a lot of value, and the best part is that it does this at an affordable price. Let's talk about it!
The Design And Ports
The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is a 14-inch laptop, so it is relatively small. In fact, it is less than an inch thick — 0.81 inches (20.5 mm) to be exact — and it weighs just 3.15 lb (1.43 kg). But despite such a petite build, it is also MIL-STD 810H compliant, which basically means it meets the standards for military-grade durability. It'll be able to take a few knocks.
There's no scarcity of ports too. You get two USB 3.2 Type-A ports and two USB 3.2 Type-C ports with DC power input — one of each on each side of the laptop. There's also a headphone jack, a microSD card reader, and a Kensington lock. You get a decently-sized “OceanGlass” trackpad (made from recycled “ocean-bound plastic waste”) and an island-style keyboard with speakers flanking it on both sides.
The Display
This laptop has a respectable display to interact with ChromeOS through. It has a 14-inch diagonal and a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 (FHD). It is an IPS screen with 300-nit peak brightness. You really shouldn't have much of an issue working with a high-resolution screen like this, though it may be a bit small for some users' tastes.
The Processor And Other Hardware
The CPU here comes from the den of Intel, and it is an Intel Core i3-N305 clocked at 1.8 GHz but that can boost up to 3.8 GHz when extra power is needed. It is paired with Intel UHD Graphics as an integrated chip. This comes with 8GB of RAM, and you'll be able to upgrade to as high as 512GB of NVMe SSD storage.
Ever since the pandemic, video calling has blown up in popularity, so this laptop also comes with a webcam with a physical privacy shutter. It maxes out at 1080p resolution and comes with software to help cut out noise on your end. The laptop also supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. The battery is also expected to last you as long as 11 hours on a full charge.
The Pricing
Starting next month, you'll be able to get the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 if you live in North America, and it's going to start at a price of $399. If you live in Europe, it'll only be available from June and is going to cost a lot more to start with, at €479 (~$510).
