Customer Ratings & Reviews

TLDR: This Chromebook is a Plus series model. That defines computers that use the Chrome OS Operating System with higher specifications as defined by Google. A Chromebook Plus must have at least a 12th-gen Intel i3 or 7000-series Ryzen 3 processor or identical processor power, 8 GB RAM, a minimum of 128 GB of storage, an LED illuminated full HD 1920 X 1080 IPS screen, and a full HD webcam with noise reduction. Some Plus models also have touchscreens, illuminated keyboards, 256GB of SSD storage, and USB-C ports that contain both High Speed and Display Port protocols for video output to large monitors. In addition, many Plus models also are “2 in 1” in that their display screens will rotate completely backward to form a large tablet configuration for convenience. This ACER Spin 514 model Chromebook has all of the above higher specs, with 12 GB of RAM, and the 256GB of internal UFS storage. It has standard Google AI Artificial Intelligence features. This model uses a fast and efficient Media-Tek Kompanio Ultra 910 processor and a 14” 1920 x 1200 (known as WUXGA) High Definition) IPS Gorilla Glass touchscreen LED display. The CPU is an 8 core and runs at 3.62 Ghz speed with 12 Megabytes of Level 3 cache. Onboard RAM is 12GB and is LPDDR5X. It supports 2 external 4K monitors from the USB-C with Display Port output. Being a 14” model, it does not have a dedicated number keypad; the keyboard is illuminated. The weight is 3 pounds; dimensions are 12.3 inches left to right, 9.1 inches front to back and about .6 inch high when closed. Battery life is touted at 17 hours.. It is supplied with 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB-A ports, volume controls, a headphone/microphone jack and a 65 watt AC power adapter/charger. There is a gray, padded, protective sleeve/carry case supplied in the box with a separate compartment for the AC charger and a mouse. The WiFi is 7 protocol for fast speeds. Bluetooth is 6.0 I used a USB-C multi-port docking station and the USB-C ports wonderfully put out video allowing me to use 2 large 23” monitors and also charge the Chromebook when I plugged the included Acer AC adapter into the PD Power Delivery port of the docking station. Google provides 15 Gigaytes of free online storage room for all apps combined per Gmail account. (Create more Gmail accounts to get more storage for free). Sign into a Chromebook with your gmail account and you are ready to utilize everything Chromebooks offer. All Chromebooks power up fast, are virus protected because everything goes through Google servers where viruses and hacks are screened out, and run cool and last long on a battery charge. All also have free access to Google Docs word processing, Google Sheets for spreadsheets, Google Photos to store and edit images, a free Google Voice telephone number for making calls from Android devices, Windows devices, and Chromebooks, YouTube, and other applications available free of charge. All documents created save automatically into your Google Drive offline “cloud” storage and are accessible from any computer once signed into a user's Gmail account. Google AI is built in and it is called Gemini. There is a Gemini icon on the Chromebook shelf to activate Gemini and use it verbally or by typing commands to enable services such as summarizing articles, searching anything, collect data from internet searches, generate images based on descriptions, and other functions that are yet to be created. With Gemini, a “Magic Editor” is available in Google Photos to change, edit, or manipulate photos. This is started by circling a photo section and performing changes, movements, deletions or copying to that section. Gemini is also a writing machine in that the user may type in a writing task and Gemini searches, summarizes and writes what is requested. Gemini is also a chat engine in that it will reply to questions and rebuttals to what it produces. It is able to summarize web pages quickly. Gemini Live Translate, enables Google AI translated captions for audio and video. Chromebooks also have the ability to use Microsoft apps such as Word, Excel and others with Chrome OS versions. I use the Google Docs, Sheets, Voice, Drive and YouTube on all my computers be they Chrome OS or Windows. Sign in with a Gmail account and all the files are there. Start creating on one computer, pick up on another to add or edit, sign in to another to print or continue working on documents. I also open Microsoft files into Google Docs or Sheets and then revise and update them. Anyone who has a Microsoft OneDrive for file storage can easily use the Chromebook Settings menu, download the OneDrive app, go to the Files section and integrate Microsoft OneDrive files into a Chromebook by signing into the Microsoft account. Re the Acer Spin 514: I experienced long battery life, fast WiFi response using my WiFi 6 router in my home, decent sound via BlueTooth to some JVC, Sony, and Philips headphones and quite respectable sound using the built-in speakers which fire up on both sides of the keyboard. It is very slim and lightweight; it is fast; it runs silently and cool. Battery life is very long. This Acer CB+ Spin 514 is very fast indeed, it runs cool, and allows using web browsing, word processing and playing music simultaneously with no hiccups. The video camera is 5 MegaPixels with a privacy shutter with good images when I tested it with another user using Google Meet. The single slight negative is that the keyboard keys are a light silvery white color and the white LED illumination is not very contrasty with that key color. But an illuminated keyboard is always a plus. It runs cool but has cooling slots on the bottom panel so be careful and don't place it onto sheets, blankets or a sofa while in use since a fabric surface will block the upward flow of cooling air into the bottom which is exited from the back edge below the display screen. Dust is the nemesis of good performance on any computer. Highly recommended.

I wanted to give a Chromebook another try. I had one a few years ago and it was my daily driver for a while, but then I picked up a Macbook, then a Windows 11 laptop, so I sold the Chromebook since these others met my needs. The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 grabbed my interest because of the integration with Android. I have an Android tablet that I use everyday, mainly to play games. Could this laptop, with its touchscreen, 360 degree hinge, and Android integration might be able to replace both laptops and my Samsung tab?? Design and Build Quality: The Spin 514 boasts a relatively sleek aluminum chassis, giving it a premium feel that is much nicer than most Chromebooks. The convertible design allows it to be used in various modes: laptop, tablet, tent, and stand, making it versatile for different tasks, from typing documents, browsing the web, watching TV & movies, and playing games. The hinges feel sturdy, and stay in place in whatever position you leave it. The premium feel continues with the backlit keyboard and a great looking screen. I am also usually able to open the lid with one hand without the bottom lifting up from the desk, a feature I love in Apple laptops. It’s not 100% but I don’t find myself using both hands and prying it open. Performance: A Chromebook finally gets a great processor! So many Chromebooks have old, power hungry processors like the older Pentium chips. Even the more recent ones with newer i3 and i7 Intel chips have terrible battery life because of the high draw these chips require. The new MediaTek Kompanio 910 is a game changer. It is fast, snappy, and I don’t think I’ve heard the fans turn on yet. It also comes with 12GB of RAM, which is nice. I would live to have 16GB in it but at the same time I haven’t had any issues. As far as my games go, and the potential of replacing my Tab for the casual games I play, I am undecided at this point. Both of the games I play work fine on here. They are not quite as snappy as they are on the Tab S10+ though. Gaming is not a primary function of this Chromebook but it is possible. It links up with Google Play Games and all my game progress loads. I think if I was traveling I could bring this laptop instead of one of my others plus my tab. Display and Audio: The 14-inch (1920 x 1200) touchscreen display is perfectly fine for most any occasion. The display's brightness is sufficient for most indoor environments, and the touch response is accurate and fluid. It’s certainly not a “retina” display but those displays are not touchscreen either, eh-hem… Apple. For audio, the upward-firing speakers deliver clear sound, although certainly not as punchy or loud as my other laptops, but it’s good. Keyboard and Touchpad: The backlit keyboard is a nice addition. I have some mixed feelings about the keyboard and trackpad though. The keyboard is fine. Just okay. The keys are a little mushy feeling, good travel but not premium. They don’t really bother me as I type this review on the 514, but it doesn’t wow me at all either. The touchpad is not my favorite. You need to press in the center to get the right feel. The top left and right does not click down at all. The entire touchpad is functional for tapping or scrolling but not clicking down. It just feels a bit cheap at times. It’s also not a deal breaker. Battery Life: The battery life on the 514 has been great so far. I am easily getting over 10 hours with mixed usage - gaming, web browsing, and video consumption. The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 has the best battery life of any Chromebook I’ve used. The ultra efficient MediaTek chip has everything to do with that. Connectivity and Ports: The Spin 514 has a good selection of ports, including two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack. I use the USB-C ports to connect to my external monitor, which is where I have an issue. I have a 49” OLED ultrawide monitor with a 5120x1440 resolution. The best resolution I could get with this Chromebook was 3440x1440. This is very disappointing to me because it leaves ⅓ of my monitor black and unused. I know this is a Chromebook and not some Windows or Apple powerhouse, but even a lot of Windows laptops that are under $500 can handle the full resolution. Conclusion: Overall I would say that I really like this laptop. Can it replace my Mac or Windows laptop, probably not, but it is a great option to grab and go. I can save space on a trip by bringing this instead of my Tab and other laptop. I’ve also been keeping it on the table where I usually sit in the evenings and it has become my go-to for simple tasks or watching a video, that sort of thing. I love the versatility. It can do things Mac and Windows can’t (or don’t do well) which is play Google Play Store games. This is a great option for casual gaming, web browsing, watching videos, movies, and tv shows. It’s a multimedia center that is a highly compatible laptop. I’d recommend it to anyone who is not a “power user” or needs a specific OS for a specific application. It is a quality laptop.

I am very impressed with the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin Touch laptop for its build quality, performance, battery life, and flexibility. Unpacking, setup, and configuration went smoothly since I already had a Google account and had used a Chromebook before. The only drawback is that some of the applications I used before were old. I uninstalled many apps and installed newer versions from the Play Store. My primary intent for this laptop is for portable software development and the use of AI for development. The fact that this laptop comes with Google Gemini and the CPU directly supports neural processing is a big plus. And the included soft cover case is a nice touch for portability. Wi-Fi 7 also offers a significant advantage in throughput. The aluminum top and bottom chassis have a solid build and feel. The hinges for the flip-over display are smooth and tight enough to hold the display in place. There is venting along the bottom and the back. The left- and right-top-facing speakers alongside the keyboard are sufficient. However, I do recommend headphones for better sound quality. The keyboard is well-spaced for long-duration programming sessions, and the giant trackpad is well-positioned. While the keyboard backlighting was inconsistent, it made the keyboard hard to see unless in a totally dark environment. An actual test of any performance laptop is graphics-intensive gaming. I ran Eve Echoes, a multiplayer space-sandbox game, at maximum graphics settings without any issues. I also watched several streaming shows without any problems. In summary, I am happy with the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin as a portable software development computer. It is durable, has crazy-fast performance, weighs only 3 pounds, and has a comfortable keyboard. I'm not thrilled with the keyboard backlighting or the tinny speakers, but for all the other pluses at a reasonable price, this gets five stars from me. Features • CPU: MediaTek Kompanio Ultra Series, 8-core, 3.62 Ghz • Neural Processing Unit, 50 trillion ops per second • GPU: MediaTek Integrated Graphics • RAM: 12GB LPDDR5X • Storage: 256GB Universal Flash Storage • Display: 14” LCD, 1920x1200, 120Hz, Corning Gorilla Glass Touch Screen, 300 nits brightness • Titan C2 security chip • OS: Chrome OS with Google AI • 2 USB-C Charging ports • 2 USB-A ports • Headphone jack • Microphone input • Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth • Lithium-ion Battery Life: up to 17 hours • Front-Facing 5 megapixel camera w/mic • Backlit Keyboard • Energy Star Certified • Military-grade MIL-STD-810H aluminum top and bottom covers durability Benchmarks System Information - CPU: ARM ARMv8 - Model: Google rauru - Motherboard: hylia - OS: Android 13 - Topology: 1 processor, 8 cores - Id: ARM implementer 65 architecture 8 variant 0 part 3461 rev 1 - Base Frequency: 2.4 GHz Geekbench AI - CPU ○ Single Precision Score: 2494 ○ Half Precision Score: 2475 ○ Quantized Score: 3686 - GPU ○ Single Precision Score: 1315 ○ Half Precision Score: 1083 ○ Quantized Score: 1049 3DMart Wild Life Extreme - Score: 5175 - Avg FPS: 30.99 - Better than 93% of results from all other devices. Speedtest.net Wi-Fi - Ping: 18ms - Download: 106.34 Mbps - Upload: 131.03 Mbps

Great performer for most things What do you do with a computer? That is a good question? What I do is Google Docs, Google Sheets, YouTube, Gaming, and a ton of web browsing. For those tasks a Chromebook is pretty awesome with the exception of gaming. And this laptop is quite perfect for those things. I’m gonna break this review down into 4 parts; What I love, what I like, opportunities for improvement and what I don’t like! What I love: First and foremost, I love the battery life! It is so amazing to be able to use this without worrying about battery life compared to my Windows based machines. It’s honestly nice to be able to use this system throughout the week and not have to worry about the battery. Not only that, it charges super fast too. It seems to get to 80% super quick then slows down from 80% to 100% but 80% is quite a lot of usage. I also am a fan of the keyboard. It’s super tactile and makes typing up stuff a breeze. From emails, to work, and even this review. I really enjoyed using the keyboard. For Cloud Gaming, the new WiFi 7 network card is a nice addition. Though I still had some occasional stutters. Not sure if it’s an issue with my home network or the streaming service itself. But I experienced it on GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud. What I like: The screen is great for not being OLED. It looks pretty good. I wish it was OLED though. The colors and stuff look great for what it is though. It’s an IPS display and it’s off angle but the brightness drops considerably off angle. It’s hard to explain, but you can see the backlight shift if you move off angle. Though the bezels are gnarly! They need to minimize those for sure!! The build quality overall is good, there is some screen flex and keyboard deck flex, but you have to go looking for it to notice it. The trackpad is super responsive too, but I wish it was not a diving board style trackpad. I did enjoy the side profile and the chamfered edges. Opportunities for Improvement: The sound is quite bad. Super tinny, no base, and it’s not good. I think a lot of manufacturers neglect the audio thinking users will be okay with it. I wish these had better speakers because I love watching YouTube, PrimeVideos, etc. Even when gaming the sound could use a bit of a boost. The sound is definitely a weakness. The screen bezels are a little out of control though. I hope they tone those down in a future iteration. What I don’t like: The keyboard backlight is atrocious in both good lighting and dim lighting situations. In good lighting the light ends up hiding the keys making them hard to see. In dim lighting you really see the low quality of the keyboard lights. Really bad uniformity, some keys are significantly brighter than others, and makes the keyboard look really bad. In tent mode, there’s no rubber stoppers on the top of the display so I imagine it’ll scratch up and look bad if that’s your thing. I used tent mode during a gaming session and I honestly felt super uncomfortable with it and moving it around felt like it was scratching the paint off of it. Lastly, the mic is not good. I took a video call off this laptop and the users on the other end said I sounded rather poorly compared to my other computer. I ultimately ended up using a headset for the remainder of the call. When I reviewed the recording it was indeed not good. It’s passable, but you can tell it’s low quality. So really the audio on this laptop is quite poor. In conclusion, I’m gonna give this laptop a 5 star review for literally everything it represents, and dock a single star due to the poor audio choices. It’s a good performer, does everything I need it to do minus gaming. If it had a better mic and better speakers, it would be awesome, and if it had an OLED screen…. perfect!!!! Still, I recommend it if you're looking for a good Chromebook!

This is a really good Chromebook with impressive specs, but I had a couple of reservations about it. Performance overall is excellent -- MediaTek has really upped their game and is no longer just a budget chip manufacturer. The MedaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 is very powerful, and along with the 12 GB of RAM, makes for quick opening of my huge Google Docs/Sheets (within a second, compared to 4-5 seconds on other Chromebooks). Gemini AI features are also quick -- it was able to generate a requested image in about a second. Media streaming was smooth and flawless, with 2K60 videos on YouTube looking dazzling on the touchscreen WUXGA (1900x1200) display. Android gaming is also impressive, which is somewhat unusual on Chromebooks in my experience. Asphalt Legends Unite (which is still a good benchmark for performance) works very smoothly, and the accelerometer is flawless for steering. It’s actually smoother than on my Pixel Tablet or Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+. Build quality is fantastic. The body is all aluminum, with two linear feet (that I hope won’t start to peel off with age, as I’ve experienced with other devices). The hinge that allows for the screen to fold all the way back to become a tablet is very smooth, but a little too tight to allow for one-finger opening. There are 2 USB-C ports on the left and 2 USB-A ports on the right (all USB 3.2), which is an interesting placement choice -- I would’ve preferred one of each on each side. There’s also a standard headphone jack, but no microSD card reader. Stereo speakers are present on either side of the keyboard, which is much better than down-firing speakers; however, despite the DTS sound, sound quality is still what you would expect from laptop speakers. It’s all midrange, and although it can get pretty loud, it also gets fairly muddy at peak volume. The webcam works fine, and there’s a manual privacy shutter switch. The keyboard is a mixed bag, and one of my main reservations. The full-sized backlit layout and spacing is good, and key travel and tactile feel is decent. However, I’ve found that the Shift keys are not that responsive -- the main typing error I’ve noticed is missed capitalizations, which can be very frustrating when typing something formal. The touchpad is huge and works very well, but since it’s so big, I found that my palms occasionally brushed against it and caused the cursor to move. A feature that’s missing from a device of this caliber is a fingerprint sensor. I have a couple of Chromebooks with a sensor, and I’ve really come to appreciate the convenience and security, especially when logging into accounts or apps that can use a passkey. Another concern is that after only one week of testing, I’ve had an episode where the screen is black and the device seemingly unresponsive upon opening the lid (usually while charging). I can tell the Chromebook is on because of the keyboard backlight, but I had to force a shutdown by pressing and holding the Power key for 10 seconds, then reboot. I’m not sure if this is a hardware issue, or possibly a ChromeOS bug (I’ve seen this happen on one of my other Chromebooks as well, which is also a Chromebook Plus). My unit came with a basic but nice fabric carrying case, with a zippered exterior pocket. Overall, this is an impressive Chromebook, but if possible, you may want to test the keyboard yourself at a physical Best Buy store to see if you run into the same problem that I encountered.

This chromebook is fast and relaible. This chromebook is pricey but you may find it on sale at BestBuy eventualy. I love the 2 in 1 design and just to find a good stylus for it.

Very nice Chromebook! At only 3 pounds this is a super portable lightweight frame, but don’t let the lightweight trick you. This thing is the most powerful Chromebook I’ve ever used. Plenty powerful to do everything you could want out of a Chromebook, plus the routine things. For me, this has been a wonderful addition to my computing arsenal, and it functions flawlessly for work, play, games, media, everything. Definitely on the higher end of anything I’ve seen on the chrome OS side of things. The MediaTek Kompanio Ultra has incredible processing performance and muscles through any and all tasks, gets the job done with ease. This Chromebook far exceeds the performance of its windows-based counterparts in the similar price range. That processor linked up with 12GB of equally fast LPDDR5X memory are a recipe for speed and productivity. 12GB of ram helps this Chromebook dominate multitasking, or if you’re like my wife you can leave every single app and internet tab open for weeks at a time without having any issues. As if that wasn’t enough to make this machine cook, it utilizes universal flash onboard storage! 256 GB is plenty of space for me and on-board storage means quicker access times, faster reads, faster writes. Just speed, plain and simple. Performance is very impressive for the size, weight and cost. Design and Build This Chromebook was designed with speed and functionality in mind. A very well-built and functional machine that has been great for work, school, and all the regular daily laptop activities going on around my house. Beautiful appearance, thin and lightweight with minimal screen bezel. Also supports the 180-degree screen flip to function like a tablet rather than keyboarded laptop. Take your pick, it works great in either form. Display This Chromebook has an absolutely beautiful 120 Hz 14-inch WUXGA 1920x1200 touch screen display. At this 14” screen size I believe 1920x1200 is the sweet spot. Higher res displays exist but they are overkill at this size and get to the point where you can’t see things any more clearly and it just wastes computing power. This screen is really nice looking and great for any and all computing, but I think it works great for media viewing and editing with its crisp image, full color gamut and 120hz refresh rate. Connectivity This laptop has two USB-C 3.2 ports which support charging, two additional USB-A 3.2 ports, and a headphone jack. Additional externals can be connected with these multiple USBs with plenty of options for connecting additional drives, displays, or any other external devices you may want to attach. Also, with top-of-the-line newest age Wi-Fi 7, as well as Bluetooth, this offers the fastest wireless connection currently available, and they all work phenomenally. Keyboard, Touchpad, Camera The backlit keyboard and touchpad are very nice and ergonomic. I really like the large touchpad’s integrated smart features. The 5-megapixel front-Facing Camera with built in mic works well for smooth and clear conference calls, meetings, and gaming. Battery Life The efficiency of the MediaTek Kompanio Ultra allows for insane battery life. This Chromebook truly has “all day” capabilities and never fails to outlast my attention span. This is a great feature when I’m on the run (or on the couch) and I don’t want the hassle of a cord to plug in. Charge time is excellent as well and doesn’t take long to recharge the battery on the go with the mentioned USB-c charging capability. Conclusion This Acer Chromebook is a great performer. It far exceeds any other Chromebook I’ve ever used. The size and specs are amazing. Functions flawless for work, school and the entire daily computing needs.

Love this Chromebook! I would like to have purchased this along with the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 to compare apples to apples, but I'm very happy with my purchase. It's fast, touch screen is great and using a stylus is immediately recognized no matter how fast you write. I would bump this up to five stars or even above if it had a fingerprint scanner and a built-in stylus like my former Acer spin had. Also, only having the USB C ports on the left side is very odd choice but not a deal breaker for everything else you get for this Chromebook.

This is a solid Chromebook for every day use that feels a lot better than most Chromebook. I’ve been using the 514 for almost 2 weeks now and I am very impressed. Compared to other Chromebooks that feel cheap and extremely slow, this one is solid, fast and enjoyable to use. With a 14 inch touchscreen and a solid 256gb of storage, its newer and faster than most laptops at its price range. It’s a computer that doesn't feel like a large compromise between quality and price range. The first thing I personally noticed when I got the computer was how nice it feels. Very solidly build and not a flimsy feel to it. The keyboard and deck feel nice and gives it a sleek look. It's not the lightest Chromebook I've used, but still is just fine for carrying around. It's a sturdy build that doesn't wobble. The keyboard feels great to type with and doesn't feel mushy in the keys. The trackpad is extremely smooth and accurate which was a huge bonus, as most Chromebooks are somewhat annoying in this category. The 14 inch touchscreen is probably one of the best parts for me. It’s a bit taller than a normal 1080p screen would be. That extra height actually helps when doing some work or typing because you can see more of the page at once. The screen is really sharp and colorful as well, making it good for watching movies. The touchscreen works very smooth, making scrolling, zooming and drawing responsive and easy. A small complaint would be the screen doesn't get extremely dark. Great brightness on the high end, but dim at best on the low. Not a problem for most people. The feature that probably shocked me the most was its speed. Chrome runs very smooth no matter how many tabs I've got open at once. Even with multiple apps at the same time, it can run everything easyily. Battery life on this Chromebook is also really good. I’ve been getting around 15 to 20 hours depending on what I’m doing with it. For work, it easily lasts the whole day without having to charge which is really convenient for me. When you do need to plug it in, it charges pretty quickly. It also has a headphone jack. That’s honestly nice to have because a lot of laptops don’t come with this anymore. One thing I really like is how quiet it is. There’s no fan noise at all. Even when I’m using it for hours, it doesn’t get loud or hot. It just stays cool and silent which makes it easy to focus on the task at hand. Overall, I’m very impressed with this Chromebook. I can definitely and confidently recommend it.

Overview: Fast processor, nice screen, comfortable keyboard. Pros: Screen has a nice size, a bit taller than my other Chromebook and is very clear and easy on the eyes. Processor is nice and fast, seems to keep up with everything - even Goat Simulator for my grandsons! It was very smooth and runs everything I need. Speakers are very loud for a small, thin machine and put out a nice range of frequencies. bass isn't too strong, but does well in both music and movies. Keyboard is responsive and easy to type on with a decent amount of travel for a thin computer. Spin function is nice, I have had a few Chromebooks over the years that have this feature and it is nice to be able to turn it into a tablet for certain apps and games. Cons: Really only one! While the keyboard is great for typing, the backlight is terrible with the white keys! They look great and the backlight is nice and bright but the combination can be frustrating. I have never had a backlit keyboard that I turned the backlight OFF when typing until this one!!! I don't know if it is just me, but I can't see the labels on the keys when it is lit while under normal lighting. The room has to be very dark to be able to see when the keys are backlit. I realize by my age, I should be able to type without looking at the keys, but I still need to cheat a bit! This isn't really a big deal since there is a key right at the top to turn the backlight on and off. Overall, the Chromebook is an excellent choice if you are looking for a light, fast and feature-packed machine. I wasn't too sure about the MediaTek Kompanio processor, but it is a great step up from the typical Pentium CPUs found in most Chromebooks. It compares well and may even be a bit quicker than the i3 Chromebook Plus I have been using. Overall, I would have no problem recommending this if someone needed a small, light machine for almost everything they may need to do with a computer.

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 arrived nicely packaged in a beautiful platinum silver color. It is very eye-catching and made me immediately want to fire it up to see what it could do! This new Chromebook from Acer is powered by Google's AI Media Tek Kompanio Ultra processor and provides quick start up and response. Once charged and started up, the Acer Chromebook requests access to your Wi-Fi network and once connected, begins to set itself up! Your Google login is your Chromebook sign-in. The initial startup routine triggers an automatic system update and setup that takes artound 30 minutes to complete. The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 contains built-in antivirus protection and application updates are done automatically in the background. Applications for the Chromebook are available on Google Play store and are used instead of software programs. TheAcer Chromebook also has a 14" screen, stereo speakers, a comfortable keyboard with large trackpad, is slim and in a beautiful platinum silver metal case. It is equipped with 12GB Ram, 256GB UFS data storage and Wi-Fi 7 for fast connections. This Chromebook is a 2-in-1 convertible laptop, weighs only 3 pounds and has a 1920 x 1200 touchscreen. The battery life on the Acer Chromebook is long lasting for all-day computing and has fast recharging. It runs Google Chrome OS and has Google AI included. This is a great laptop alternative!

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is a portable 14 inch 2 in 1 convertible laptop that serves the purpose of a laptop and tablet in one. The Chromebook features a 14 inch WUXGA touch display. The display has a special coating on it that which is anti fingerprint and it features a Corning gorilla glass display that makes it durable and scratch resistant. This is the first device that I own which uses a Mediatek Kompanio Ultra processor with a Mediatek integrated graphics card. The laptop has 256 gb of SSD storage with 12 Gb of ram. It also has 2 USB c ports and 2 USB A ports and a Kensington lock slot. One of the USB C ports has DisplayPort capabilities so it can easily be used to display to an external monitor. It is also Wifi 7 capable so if you have the latest wifi routers your connection should be blazing fast. The Chromebook also features 17 hours of battery life which seems fairly accurate in my limited time with the Chromebook. I love traveling with this since it allows me to travel without both my laptop and tablet as it can be a good substitute for both. I definitely cannot replace my MacBook due to some limitations but I feel as if I can accomplish 90 % of my work with this Chromebook. The built in Gemini features are also great as you an easily optimize and insert images. The build quality is great as I feel like it will stand up to daily use and it is built tough is it comes with a MIL STD10 810H build quality which simply means that it can handle some abuse but function perfectly. Overall I feel Acer delivered on of the best Chromebooks I have used to date and it allowed me to get all my work done while traveling without missing a beat

Looking at the overall picture from the packaging to the design and performance. This is by far the best Chromebook I have had the pleasure of using! With unboxing I found very good protection of the book. The proportion of keyboard to touchpad and speaker location are a perfect harmony. Like most Chromebooks, the unit powers on when lid is opened. Boot up time is minimal. There are alot of pluses being that this is a Chrimebook Plus Model. Includes a backlit keyboard. The key board, however, there are only two slections, On or off as opposed to other makes giving up to 2 lightling levels. 360 Flexability! Includes WiFi 7 for a super fast connection along with a MediaTek Kompanio Ultra processor that flawlessly accomplishes Speed, Multi-Tasking, Battery life, Ai Etc... Plenty of Ram memory 12Gb. UFS 256GB quick access storage. The Graphics are also MediaTek. Screen Res 1920X1200 with 300 nits brightness. 120Hz refresh. The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 Is the perfect companion offering a light weight and size for everyday cloud computing. I would definitely recommend this!!

Chromebooks have always presented an interesting alternative to Windows and Mac, and boy, have they come a long way. I first experienced Chrome OS on a bargain basement Chromebook almost a decade ago when I needed a smaller, lighter computer for graduate school at the lowest possible cost. It was basic and slow, but that computer got me through many hours of studying and note-taking and went on to serve a family member for years after I was done with it. It's been a few years since I used Chrome OS and I was excited to give it another try. Manufacturers have gone to lengths to produce faster, more powerful and more feature-filled Chromebooks especially under Google's Chromebook Plus program, promising to put those memories of slow, basic machines out of mind. Acer's latest entry into this field, the Chromebook Plus Spin 514, comes with a long list of features that stand out against the many lower-cost, basic Chromebooks available. It promises to compete favorably with value-oriented Windows machines while showcasing all that Chrome OS has come to offer. So how does it stack up? The Spin 514 came well-packed in fully-recyclable cardboard packaging, a plus for me right off the bat. There was a minimum of plastic sheeting and part of the box even folded into a convenient triangle-shaped laptop stand, allowing for reuse in addition to recycling. I was also pleased to see Acer included a laptop sleeve to protect the Spin 514, a nice bonus and one less thing to purchase. The Spin 514's quality becomes apparent as soon as you take it out of the package. It has a nice solid feel to it, with the metal enclosure going a long way to impart a sense of durability. It's not the thinnest or lightest machine ever, but it's still a very portable size. The design is simple and straightforward. Acer keeps it clean, with minimal, sleek branding and a lovely matte silver finish. Opening up the 514 reveals a large, one-piece glass screen, large glass trackpad and well-sized, backlit keyboard. As the name suggests, the Spin 514 is a 2-in-1 configuration, with two sturdy hinges allowing the screen to rotate all the way around to rest against the back of the device. It makes for a large, unwieldy tablet, but I really appreciate the ability to perch the screen at any angle for viewing, including in "tent" mode for watching or reading content. One of the tenets of Chrome OS is simplicity, and the startup/setup process makes that clear from the get-go. I think it took me less than 5 minutes from first power button press to being able to use the machine. Being a Google operating system means logging in with a Google Account, but that quickly and immediately syncs your settings, browsing history and whatnot. If you're an Android phone user you can enable pretty deep linking between Chrome OS and your phone; as an iPhone user I wasn't able to test this, but I'm a longtime Gmail/Google Account holder and had no issue logging in and setting up my various Google apps and products right away. Chrome OS itself is pretty impressive, especially if you haven't used it in a few years. It's sleek, smooth and has all the basic features you'd expect in an operating system. It feels similar to the Windows interface nearly everyone is familiar with, with broad strokes of Android layered in, if that makes any sense. It's immediately intuitive to use and very nice to look at, with plenty of stylish themes that customize backgrounds and colors. Navigating Chrome OS, launching apps and browsing the web is, quite honestly, wicked fast. Apps and windows launch immediately, web links are loaded almost as soon as they're clicked, and none of my day-to-day usage seemed to tax the Acer's MediaTek Kompanio Ultra one bit. The whole system just feels fast, no matter what I ask it to do. No, I'm not editing 4K footage or rendering 3D models, but browsing, emailing, messaging and the like feels nearly instantaneous. I'm seriously impressed. The beauty of Chrome OS has always been its simplicity; combine that with the speed of this machine and it really makes a great impression. Even better, the Acer's speed doesn't come at the expense of battery life. Once again, color me impressed. The Spin 514 can go for days of light to moderate use before needing a charge. Writing this review I am at 68 percent battery with an estimated 12.5 HOURS of use remaining. Again, Chrome OS' light weight and Acer's well-designed system really offer a great package for those who often find themselves away from an outlet for extended periods of time. My only power-related complaint is the bulky, basic power adapter; I wish Acer had bundled a sleeker adapter, considering it's a USB-C interface, but I understand cost savings have to come from somewhere. All this speed and battery would be for naught if using the machine was a letdown, but Acer has done well here too. The keyboard is responsive and clicky, with a solid amount of key travel and adjustable backlighting; the trackpad is large, smooth and very accurate; there are USB-A and USB-C ports, and a touchscreen to top it all off. I'm a stickler for good displays, and I was a little worried about the quality at this price point. Thankfully, the Spin 514 measures up well. The colors are vibrant, the backlight is even and bright, and the pixel density is very good, especially at this price point. After hours of working and browsing I haven't noticed any undue eyestrain, and for the first time on a laptop I'm actually using the "nightlight" feature that makes the display tint warmer as it gets darker because it works well, rather than making everything overly sepia-toned. Touch control works well, too, as do the multi-touch gestures we're all used to by this point. The screen also instantly and smoothly rotates orientation as you turn the machine on its side or fold it back into tablet mode, seamlessly transitioning to Chrome OS' "tablet" mode as needed and disabling the keyboard/touchpad when fully folded into tablet mode. If it sounds like I really, really like the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514, that's because I do. I'm genuinely impressed by the speed, smoothness and battery life, and blown away by how mature and well-designed Chrome OS has become. I could easily accomplish the majority of my work and all of my personal computer use with this machine. Moreover, it's not a penalty to type or scroll on, and the screen doesn't require squinting or cause headaches. Did I mention browsing is fast, like faster than it is on my high-end Windows laptop or my MacBook Pro? Hitting this moderate price point requires a bit of sacrifice, though. The power adapter is large and clunky, the webcam and speakers are fine, but not cutting-edge, and the display, while very good, is not a 4K OLED powerhouse by any means. That said, the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is a well-designed, well-executed package at a great price point, and performs far better than I thought possible. I highly recommend it, especially if you haven't used Chrome OS or a Chromebook Plus model -- I think you'll be shocked how far this platform has come.

I have been using this Acer Chromebook laptop computer for about a week now, and I am enjoying it for what it is. Out of the box, setup was simple and fast, and, after logging into my Google account, I was up and running. This computer is very light and comfortable to carry. Included is a cloth sleeve carrying case. The keyboard is typical of laptops. It is soft in feel, I do like the relatively short key travel, and it is overall comfortable to use. The touchpad works well, also. The display is bright and crisp. The screen can be folded to any position, including all the way ‘backwards” to form a tablet. I generally use a computer like this as a computer, not as a tablet, but this feature certainly could be useful to some. Connectivity includes two USB-C ports, two USB-3 ports (the rectangular ones with the blue tab), and a headphone jack. There is, of course, a built in camera and microphone. Special features of this computer include the MediaTek Kompanio Ultra processor designed for use in Chromebooks and a “Quick Insert” key. The latter is a key with a “G” on it a couple of keys over from the spacebar. Tap this key wherever in a document or anything, and it immediately brings up access to your photos or emojis, so you can insert them quickly into whatever document, presentation, etc. you’re working on. I’ve never felt that inserting a photo into a document the old-fashioned way was all that difficult or time consuming, but I can see how this feature can speed things up for someone working on presentations, brochures, magazines, and so forth who needs to frequently insert a graphic. Remember that Chromebooks operate in the Google universe. It’s like a computer version of an Android phone. Apps are available from the Google Play Store. There is no Windows operating system here, and standard productivity apps like word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations are handled with Google apps. Microsoft 365 is available, but it has to be purchased. Overall, this computer works very well. Once you get used to using the various apps to get your work done, it is as useful as a Windows computer on top of its additional features.

I’ve been really impressed with this Chromebook so far. For the last few years, I used a cheaper Acer Chromebook, and the difference between the two is night and day. The display quality on this new unit is crisp, the sound is surprisingly good, and typing feels smooth and responsive. It charges very quickly, even while in use, which is super convenient. The battery life is also surprisingly good and a clear upgrade from my older Chromebook for sure. I mainly use it for college assignments, occasional work tasks, and relaxing activities in my free time. Streaming videos and movies run flawlessly, and some ported games like Doom play smoothly. The touchscreen and foldable design add versatility, even though I don’t use tablet mode often. The build quality also feels sturdy without being heavy or bulky and the overall outward appearance of the Chromebook is nice and professional. Overall, this Chromebook feels like the perfect college or work laptop because it’s lightweight, portable, fast enough for light gaming, and practical for everyday use.

My title is that this is the best Chromebook I've ever had and that is saying a lot. I've had many Chromebooks over the years and this Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is the best. First, setup was easy as all Chromebooks are. I signed in with my Gmail account, it did and udate and everything loaded to match my previous Chromebook. In that regard, you don't see much difference between Chromebooks. So the differences come in the usage and there are many things that I find with this Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 that makes it better. First, so fast. New computers tend to be fast when you first turn them on and slowly get slower and slower. This thing is fast and hasn't slowed. I'm still surprised when I click and things load immediately. Next, the screen is awesome. Not only is it clear, but it's instantly responsive to touch. There is also no lag on anything that I've done or any fuzziness. Just a great screen, clear and easy on the eyes. After that, the the keyboard and mouse. I like the feel of the keyboard and I believe that a backlit keyboard should be standard, and this one has it. The mouse is also by far the best and most responsive that I've had. I think that it's importnt to point out that in the case of this Chromebook Plus Spin 514, the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. The fact that I have no negatives and everything is done well makes this by far the best Chromebook that I ever had. I would highly recommend this to anyone.

The Acer Chromebook Plus is lightweight and a silver color. This Chromebook has an excellent picture. My hearing is not great and I only need the volume turned up on this Acer Chromebook Plus to 50% to hear the volume which is great. Turning the volume all the way up is actually too loud for me. On a lot of devices the volume isn't very loud so I very much appreciate the range of volume on this Chromebook. For me, the most important factor for a laptop/Chromebook is the touch/feel of the keyboard. The Acer Chromebook Plus has a backlit keyboard with a great keyboard touch. The keys have a nice bounce to them, meaning they go down easily and bounce right back up. Might sound silly but when you spend a lot of time on a device with a keyboard each day, you want a keyboard with a good bounce. Speed is important too, and this Acer does not disappoint. This Acer Chromebook Plus folds flat and has a touch screen so it can be used like a tablet if you prefer. When I'm curled up in the recliner the tablet functionality is great. The Acer Chromebook Plus comes with Gemini, Google's AI product. Gemini, like other AI products is easy to use. I asked it to write a story about a polar bear, which it did. The story was seven paragraphs long, about three sentences per paragraph and included an AI generated picture of a polar bear appropriate for the story. Setup was incredibly easy. Answered two questions. It said it would take 11 minutes to update but it only took three or four. Did I mention that it came with a carrying case! Nice bonus.

It's been a while since I got a new Chromebook, so when I got the opportunity to review the Acer - Chromebook Plus Spin 514 -14" WUXGA Touch Laptop with Google AI- MediaTek Kompanio Ultra-12GB RAM- UFS 256GB - Wi-Fi 7 - Platinum Silver I figured I'd give it a try. When I first pulled it out of the box I was surprised by how thin and light it is, especially for being a flip over convertible. I actually put it on a scale, and without the power brick the laptop weighs in at a slight 3 lbs. The ergonomics are great, the fit and finish is amazing. The back-lit keyboard is beautiful, and the touch screen and touch-pad are accurate and responsive. I was super impressed by the sound quality coming from such thin tiny speakers. in my lap in tablet mode it was able to perform some slick surround sound emulation with a very well rounded out sound for not having a sub woofer. What I don't like about the Chromebook is the keyboard bounce and chasis flex... and this Chromebook doesn't allow Steam OS for gaming. I also had a lot of issues getting it set up and running, and I've also had some issues with it not wanting to power on after sleeping unless I do a hard reboot.

I have never used a chromebook before so this is my first one. This one feels pretty much like a normal laptop except that the operating system is Google Chrome. Google Chrome has pretty much all the apps you could need. It isn’t exactly a replacement for a laptop, but you can do a lot with it. I just use it for home use. It is great for surfing the internet, checking my gmail. Doing research, etc… I really like that I can sign in with my Google account and have access to my mail etc… If you are looking for any apps, you can download apps like Facebook, Instagram, etc.. from the Google Play store. I have been using it for YouTube and Netflix and it works great for streaming videos. The keyboard feels pretty much like my keyboad on my work laptop which is about the same size. The keys feel nice and make a slight clicking noise when using them, but not bothersome. They react like they should. The touchpad/mousepad works well. And the touchscreen works well too. Having the open apps along the bottom is nice. You can quickly go from one app to another. The Google chrome seems pretty much the same on the Chromebook as it does on a windows computer. The bottom right shows the date, time, wifi signal and battery state of charge. The Chromebook has a number of ports. There is the charging port which is USB C along with a second USB C port and 2 USB A ports. It also has a headphone jack. If you are looking for a less expensive laptop and don’t need windows apps, google has word and excel versions that work quite well. I’ved used Acer products in the past and I think it is a solid brand.