Chromebooks can be impressive laptops. We've seen some excellent options come from Samsung, ASUS, and even Acer. Some might be on the pricey side, but Acer recently introduced the Acer Chromebook 11 C740, a Chromebook for those who want a small form factor and are on a budget.
In my time with the C740, it's been an impressive machine, even at its low price point.
Design
Acer's Chromebook 11 C740 features a compact design, making it easy to carry this 11.6-inch laptop just about anywhere.
The design is thin and very compact, making it easy for travel. It's nicely designed, with an elegant metallic look.
The only real downside is that the hinges aren't weighted, so you will have to open the Chromebook with two hands. However, that's a luxury, and doesn't impact the overall elegancy or usability of the Chromebook.
The most impressive part of the design of this Chromebook is the focus on durability. Acer says the device can withstand 60kg of force and the corners won't normally get damaged up to a 45cm drop. It's a really hefty looking Chromebook without weighing too much, and with a focus on portability, that's a good feature to have.
Hardware
The C740 sports an 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 HD Acer ComfyView display with anti-glare properties built in. While it's said to be an HD display, you're just not going to get much detail out of it due to the low resolution.
It's not too bothersome, but it's disappointing when you consider even sub $300 tablets often have a much more detailed display in tow.
If you're coming down from a much larger display, whether that be 15-inch or a 30-inch, it's going to take some getting used to.
Coming from a 21-inch display, it was very uncomfortable at first, but you do adjust to it. It's still very disappointing that Acer chose to go with such a low-res display for this model, as a good media experience is what's really missing from making this the perfect portable Chromebook.
On the left side, this Chromebook features its power insert, HDMI cable, a USB 3.0 port, and an audio jack.
On the right is an SD card slot and a USB 2.0 port. It was disappointing to see Acer not opt for all USB 3.0, but it's not likely that you'll be transferring large file sizes from your Chromebook, so users may not see the file transfer speed differences.
Up top, right above the screen, is a webcam for video conferences via Hangouts and other mediums.
Performance
The Acer Chromebook 11 C740 sports a Intel Celeron 3205U dual-core 1.5GHz processor paired with 4GB of DDR3 SDRAM. To help keep things running smooth, a 16GB solid-state drive is packed in this machine as well.
Overall, it's a very nice package–everything ran like it should have, if not better. Applications opened much quicker than some of my previous machines, switching between applications was as easy as it could be, no lag or delays whatsoever, and it was generally a smooth experience.
Battery
The Acer C740 has a 3-cell LiPolymer battery, said to last up to 9hrs of straight usage. In my time with the machine, it did last around that amount of time, even in playing video and music.
However, most people aren't going to sit down for 9-hour chunks of time with the Chromebook. In normal scenarios, it could last you up to a couple days of battery life, especially if you're only using it here or there for checking up on your favorite websites, the occasional YouTube video, and so on.
Obviously everyone who uses the device will have different experiences, but for the most part, it most certainly won't let you down when you need it most.
Software
As you would assume, Acer's Chromebook 11 C740 is running the latest version of Google's ChromeOS, which works excellently. It does require Internet to use, however, there are offline options for writing and editing documents with Google Docs and so on.
What you might find surprising is just how fast ChromeOS runs, even on a smaller and low spec'd Chromebook. I came across no issues, and during my time using ChromeOS, I found that my productivity was up just because of how fast it was switching in-between applications, documents, spreadsheets, and more.
It's a shame that ChromeOS isn't more popular. It's plagued by misconception that the Chromebook has to have Internet to work, whereas it doesn't. Most of its basic functionality is all offline.
There's also the misconception that one could never replace their laptop with a Chromebook because of its limited abilities with software and offline work. But let's face it. The average user will use their laptop for browsing the web, whether that be Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and that's about it.
With a low price point, Acer's Chromebook 11 C740 just makes sense as a replacement for the traditional laptop or even desktop.
Closing
The Acer Chromebook 11 C740 comes in at $279.99, although some online retailers are selling it for as little as $199.99. You can find it through marketplaces like eBay for cheaper, albeit that might not be your best option if you're concerned with things like warranties and the unrelilablilty of eBay sellers.
Overall the C740 is an impressive and compact Chromebook from Acer, but it might not be the Chromebook you're looking for. It's by no means a bad device, but there are certainly better options out there for not much more than Acer's advertised price.
On the other hand, if you need something that's quick and extremely portable, the Chromebook 11 C740 is your best choice.
