Acer C720 Chromebook best laptop for architecture students

Acer C720 Chromebook (11.6-Inch, Haswell micro-architecture, 2GB)
Acer C720 Chromebook (11.6-Inch, Haswell micro-architecture, 2GB)
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Best Price: $220
Acer C720 Chromebook (11.6-Inch, Haswell micro-architecture, 2GB)
Price: $247.99 + $6.74 shipping
  • Intel Celeron 2955U 1.4 GHz (Haswell micro-architecture)
  • 2 GB DDR3L SDRAM
  • 16 GB Solid-State Drive
  • 11.6-Inch Anti-Glare Screen, Intel HD Graphics
  • HDMI port, 8.5-hour battery life
  • Intel® Celeron® Processor 2955U (1.4GHz, 2MB L3 cache)

535 customer reviews | 803 answered questions


Product Information Acer C720 Chromebook (11.6-Inch, Haswell micro-architecture, 2GB)



The Chrome operating system will not load and run traditional PC software like Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop.

Acer introduces its new Chromebook, the C720 - the best performance 11.6" Chromebook with speed, simplicity and security all built in. Continually updated, always new, the Acer C7 Chromebook keeps getting better and better.

The Acer C720 Chromebook, boots in less than 7 seconds, and automatically stays up-to-date (and virus free) without interrupting you.

Intel Celeron Processor 2995U, Google Chrome Operating System, 11.6" HD Widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit Display, Intel HD Graphics with 128MB of dedicated system memory, 2048MB DDR3L SDRAM Memory, 16GB SSD Drive, Secure Digital (SD) Card, 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN, Bluetooth 4.0, Built-In HD Webcam, 1 - USB 3.0 Port, 1 - USB 2.0 Port, 1 - HDMI Port, 3-Cell Li-Polymer Battery (3950 mAh), Up to 8.5-hours Battery Life, 2.76 lbs. | 1.25 kg (system unit only).

Technical Details Acer C720 Chromebook best laptop for architecture students



Screen Size11.6 inches
Screen Resolution1366x768
Max Screen Resolution720 pixels
Processor1.4 GHz Intel Celeron
RAM2 GB DDR3L SDRAM
Memory Speed 1333.00
Hard Drive16 GB SSD
Graphics CoprocessorIntel HD Graphics
Chipset BrandIntel
Graphics Card Ram Size128 MB
Wireless Type802.11abg
Number of USB 2.0 Ports 1
Number of USB 3.0 Ports 1
Average Battery Life (in hours) 8.5 hours


Other Technical Details
 
Brand NameAcer
SeriesAcer C720-2848 11.6-Inch Chromebook (Granite Gray)
Item model numberC720-2848
Hardware PlatformPC
Operating SystemChrome
Item Weight2.8 pounds
Item Dimensions L x W x H11.34 x 8.03 x 0.75 inches
Color Granite Gray
Processor BrandIntel
Processor Count2
Computer Memory TypeDDR3 SDRAM, SODIMM
Flash Memory Size16
Hard Drive InterfaceSerial ATA
Audio-out Ports (#)1
Batteries:1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included)


Customer Reviews Acer C720 Chromebook (11.6-Inch, Haswell micro-architecture, 2GB)


 A GREAT PORTABLE COMPUTER DEVICE AT A GREAT PRICE!, December 13, 2013
By 
drkcope (albany, ny) 
 
Battery Life Amazing! almost 8hrs of use!
Touchscreen good but not like an Ipad (can't use your fingers to zoom in with pinch)
Touchpad very good!

 
I have an Acer C720 ($199) and an Acer C720P ($299) and both are amazing machines. If you dont mind plunking down the extra $100 for the touchscreen then go for it but really you will do fine without it and save yourself $100 especially if you are buying these as gifts like I did for others in my family.

Here is a list of the APPS I use on both and it runs them fast and flawlessly:


Facebook, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, Chrome Remote Desktop (flawlessly connects to my Windows 7 laptop and I can run any windows program remotely with ease), LogMeIn (flawlessly connects to my Office Desktop and I can access all my office records which is key since i am a family doc), Google Cloud Print (easily prints documents to all the printers i have set up), MyBible, Kindle, Twitter, Hootsuite, Weatherbug, Netflix, Pandora, YouTube, Google+ photos (automatically puts all my photos taken on my Iphone over to my chromebook), RUNS ALL WEBSITES INCLUDING BANKING WEBSITES and my mobile hospital app FLAWLESSLY WITH CHROME (including adobe flash player sites which my Ipad and Iphone still wont run)

The only CONS i can find so far are no SKYPE app.....If you want to do video calls then need to use GOOGLE HANGOUTS which is much less intuitive than skype....and you CANNOT hook a printer directly to a chromebook but you can use google cloud print to print easily...needs wifi connection to do most things (this is really not a problem for me as i am always connected and they have developed a number of apps that work when not connected including document writer and email offline)




 Amazing combination of price and experience., December 26, 2013
 
By 
Val

I got my first Chromebook about six months ago, it was Samsung series 3 with the ARM processor. Initially it meant to serve me as a second laptop for occasional light work online, but very soon I realized that I was using it most of the time. My powerful Windows laptop and Mac mini were just sitting there collecting dust, getting my attention only once a week at best. I replaced my Samsung with Acer C720 2 GB RAM version two weeks ago.

Here's a quick breakdown.

- C720 got a slightly better screen than Samsung. Same washed out colors, but contrast and viewing angles are better, and so is brightness level. If you are spoiled by the screens of modern tablets, you might think that 1366x768 resolution would look unattractive. That's not quite right. I should remind you that MacBook's Air 11 screen has the same resolution and the same size. It's just enough to do what it's designed to do.
- The keyboard layout of C720 may not be as good as Samsung's, but I like Acer's feel and key movement better. Unless you have very large hands, it might provide one of the best typing experiences in the price range below $300, and it's definitely better than most Windows laptops for that price. I write quite a lot and C720's keyboard didn't cause any significant discomfort so far. Touchpad is reasonably good, but nothing to be overexcited about. I only wish it was a bit larger.

- C720 is WAY faster than Samsung. Don't be deceived by the name of the processor - this Celeron unit from the Haswell family has more processing power than Chrome OS requires. And 2 GB of RAM should be absolutely enough for anyone, who normally doesn't keep over a dozen tabs running heavy websites simultaneously. The fan would kick in from time to time, but it's very quiet and is never annoying. Boot time is typically impressive for Chrome OS devices and takes around 7 seconds.
- Battery life is one of the sweetest spots of this laptop. To get promised 8.5 hours you don't have to keep the screen brightness at 50% all the time (as you would do with the Samsung to get 6.5 hours). I don't carry the charger with me and never managed to make it run out of juice. In fact, sometimes I would even give some boost to my phone's battery from C720 without worrying that it may die unexpectedly. Also, the battery charges pretty quickly.

- Speakers of C720 are louder than Samsung's, but they don't sound much better - they shoot down at the table (or your lap) and don't really promise anything. But plug in headphones or external speakers and you'll get some decent sound quality for a low budget device. It's best laptop for architecture students.

- The Web Camera on C720 is also superior to the one in Samsung. Promised difference in resolution might not be that visible, but it keeps higher framerate, works better in low light and seems like it captures a wider viewing angle. It is definitely an upgrade. Microphone gets the job done, but it's not very useful in somewhat noisy conditions.

- C720 is a little bit heavier than Samsung, but by no means it is heavy or bulky. It is still a portable laptop that could be easily moved or carried with one hand. Its build quality is better than most Windows laptops below $350. Obviously, there's nothing special about the quality of materials, but everything feels solid, the lid mechanism is sturdy enough, and overall it's not bad at all. It certainly lacks some style, but it looks and feels more expensive than it costs.

I love Chromebooks for the ease of use. The first set up takes about five minutes. They are perfect for kids, for elderly people unfamiliar with computers, for students, for writers, bloggers or even programmers. It's amazing how much stuff can be done in a browser. Online shopping, social networking, managing emails, listening to music, watching movies, reading books, video chatting - everything that most casual users actually do on their computers and even more. Offline capabilities are not forgotten - you can watch movies from the local or external storage, listen to music, work with Google Docs and many other Chrome apps or even games that can run offline. One the greatest things about Chrome OS - there is virtually no maintenance. You have to try really hard to make it work wrong. Updates are seamless and a complete reset of the system with the Powerwash, in case you want to give it away or sell it, takes just few minutes.

I was skeptical when the idea of a Chromebook was introduced to the public. But when I tried one myself and gave it a proper open-minded shot, I wasn't able to go back. Today Acer C720 is my daily driver and I would change it only to a better Chromebook. For $199 it's almost impossible to beat its value. Don't forget, that with the purchase you also get 100 GB of Google Drive space for 2 years. And if you like touchscreens, C720p for $299 is also a very good deal.

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