Customer Ratings & Reviews

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 with the Kompanio processor has been faster than I ever anticipated. I like to keep numerous tabs open and I don't experience any response delays when changing tabs or entering a new web address. The main disappointment is with the backlit keyboard; very unsatisfactory!

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

Still getting used to Chrome OS but so far, I’m pretty happy with this laptop.

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.

Screen is excellent. Battery life outstanding. Thumbs up for speed.

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.

I've used several different Chromebooks in the past and all have left me wanting a bit more, until now. Using this, it checks all of the boxes for me... Portable, yes. Lightweight, yes. Powerful yes. Comfortable to use, yes. Easy to use??? Yes! I find myself reaching for this over my laptop or older Chromebook nowadays, because this can do everything my other ones can do but better, faster, and easier. Its super lightweight, and came with an included sleeve/case to protect it when I carry it around in my backpack. I find that this is an essential accessory nowadays to keep your device looking nice and professional and keep the scratches away, so it was a nice touch that it is included for free. The picture and screen are clear and smooth, even while gaming. I had no hiccups or pixelation issues. The sound from the speakers is a letdown, but on par with what you would expect, so I wont deduct a star for this as who uses their laptop/Chromebook without headphones/earbuds nowadays anyway? Not me. Any time I have a meeting, or am gaming, watching YouTube, etc. I always use my headphone so speakers aren't as important to me nowadays. Go get one!

I played with the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 for a while, and I’m still of two minds on what to say about this laptop. First of all, out of the box you get the laptop, an AC Adapter with USB-C charging cable, and surprisingly a zippered cloth laptop sleeve. On the laptop proper you get a simple setup of two USB-A and two USB-C ports plus an audio port and a locking point with speakers on the sides of the keyboard and a fully hinged touchscreen so the laptop can be a tablet, a laptop, or the inbetween where it sits on the keyboard (key input disabled on the keyboard obviously). The laptop is super lightweight and compact without feeling too small for my large hands which is great for a laptop you're going to be traveling with. And this is a laptop you will be using on the move, not for your main home computer because of, in my opinion, the shortcomings of the ChromeOS it runs from. This is probably personal bias but I can’t get used to the navigational differences of ChromeOS over Windows, where I have no start bar or even a search to find the app or program I want. I’m sure it can be overcome with time and experience but after a week its still a roadblock I keep bumping into. The Spin has Gemini AI build into the software so you’re never far from getting help with your spreadsheet, recipe advice, or request for an AI created joke image to insert into an email or presentation. I know a lot of people are opposed to AI but I think its fun! I mentioned this being a travel laptop and that’s the biggest selling point I believe! This laptop has an amazing battery life and combine that with the small and lightweight footprint and its perfect for a backpack or shoulder bag! Measuring about 12.75 wide by 8.5 long by less than 0.75 thick while being right around 3lbs. Makes this the easiest laptop I have ever encountered to use for school or business travel. The sticker claims you get 17 hours of web browsing which I think may be high but I could see you getting 8 or more hours easily without a charge depending on your brightness and usage. On Windows there’s a tool to see how long the battery has been discharging but I wasn’t able to find this information with ChromeOS but I charged it out of the box, used off and on for a full week and I still have 13% battery left and it’s discharging about 0.1 per minute, according to the discharge test. That’s plenty to fly across the country with a fair layover, which bumps the rating on this computer up quite a bit for me. F In terms of other features I found the speaker placement beneficial, I hate speakers that point downward because it always mutes the real sound you get out. With the Spin the sound was plenty loud enough to hear my music and videos over the noise of all the kids running around. The screen is bright and clear, touchscreen works, and touchpads are far from ideal but they work well enough. I had some trouble locating scroll bars on the menus that I was trying to use, they hide to the side to give you maximum view of what you’re looking at and usually they pop out when you get close to them but for some reason I kept failing to get the scroll bar popped out…could be user error or could be something with the system. The webcamera is serviceable but I don’t typically use it, especially since there doesn’t seem to be an option to unlock with facial recognition. Overall this is a solid option for if you have a lot of word processing, spreadsheeting, and emailing to do or if you have wifi you’ll get plenty of web browsing out of this laptop. With Chromebooks you won’t be playing games for the most part or doing any power programs like Photoshop or 3D Animation. My wife is an administrator for a school so this is PERFECT for her due to the long battery life, light weight, small footprint that will fit in her purse, and basic “It Just works” productivity suite that integrates Google Drive up front. I’d recommend this as long as you’re aware its not a flashy option and just there to get the job done.