Acer C710-2055 11.6-Inch Chromebook (Iron Gray)

I have never written a review before, due to the fact i have never felt the need to. This is a great supplemental computer. I not sure I would have it for my only computer for now but i can see it becoming one in the near future after some needed upgrades (Skype for one). If it had Skype it would be the perfect computer for deployed military members. I have been deployed multiply times so when i say that i want you to know where i am coming from. It is quick and exceptional for travel. People complained about the weight but that complaint carries no weight. 4 1/2 stars is what it deserves but that's not a choice. I would recommend to other computer users who like to explore new IT solutions. Acer is the way to go with this....not the other choices.

Your instinct is to compare it to a Windows PC but this is a new internet device which is 100% cloud based. Its also a Google product machine yet it runs thousands of apps one of which is MS Office 365 which is cloud based if you must have complete compatibility with MS Office files. Security is a strong point since no Win malware can infect this new OS and you don't need anti virus at all.

The display on the Acer is better than the slicker looking Samsung but it also has a VGA port not just a HDMI which means you can create a desktop by porting your current vga monitor, usb mouse and keyboard; it also has a ethernet port not just WiFi. The 2GB memory version is very fast so this 4GB will allow even more tabs to be open and responsive. The 6 cell battery makes it competitive with Samsung version and runs Netflix with no flicker at all. It has 3 usbs which work well with flash, SD, usb HD and optical too but for mostly read only with some exceptions. Unlike Win it does not slow down with use and is being improved ever few months with new functions for free. The remote control Chrome app is great for networking with a Win PC if you must gain access to programs or data remote. Printing requires either a Google cloud based printer (I got an Epson wf-3520; does Apple airprint too and dual side scanning...all for $110..awesome) or a Win PC acting as a print server with legacy printers or you can print as a PDF and then port them with a flash drive to a Win based printer. If you get the $200 version you can buy a $50 6 cell battery from acer to get the extra endurance. If you want a full size screen than look at the HP version.

Update.....Acer recently replaced the HD with a 16G SSD for the 2MB versions which means it boots as fast as the

Samsung now but its unclear if they will do the same for the 4G HD version here; if boot speed is your thing then take a look at that model too.

Overall this is a great choice for any public use PC and for students of all flavors due to price and function........the more people get used to this OS the more they will like it since its the PC we should have had day one not the kludge MS created for us all...............

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The changes from the $200 Acer C710-2847 to this $280 Acer C710-2055 are just 2GB extra memory (for a total of 4GB) and a 6-hour battery (instead of a 4-hour battery).

$80 is not a bad price for 2GB memory and a longer-life battery. One of the best things about the Acer C7 is that it's upgradeable, so you could buy the $200 machine and upgrade the memory and battery yourself. (At present, March 2013, Acer C7 users mostly seem to get an after-market longer-life battery from a third-party supplier named CDW.) It would probably end up around $80 for an after-market upgrade too, so if you're sure you want the extra memory and battery life, this $280 one would be a fine choice.

I'd still advise most people to get the $200 Acer C7. I've found the 2GB memory and 4 hours of battery life to be good enough; and I can always upgrade later if I change my mind. Even though $80 is reasonable for what you get, I feel a visceral difference in the price. $280 is a remarkably affordable machine; but $200 is almost shockingly inexpensive for a quite good computer.

I'm a big fan of the $200 Acer C7; see my review here: New Acer C7 C710-2847 Chromebook 11.6" Intel Dual Core B847 1.1 GHz 2GB DDR3 320GB 5400RPM HDD Wifi HDMI USB3.0 VGA Card Reader. Now, at present (June 2013) you can't get it for $200 on Amazon. Best Buy is selling a $199 Acer C7 with a 16GB SSD; that's the Chromebook I wish I had.

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I love the idea of a laptop-type device that boots as quickly as this one does.

I can leave it on my desk for days, yet when I open the lid, it's ready to log in within 3 seconds! It starts up from a dead stop in 11 seconds!

I have yet to use all of the features, nor test the compatibly with MS Office products, but so far it does about everything that I need.

If all you need is a web-surfing solution, this is the system for you. Light and portable, it offers everything "google". Though you could easily get other webmail based emails on this system, it comes with a gmail shortcut, along with google docs, sheets, etc., as well as google drive (cloud-based storage).

The only issue I've found so far, was when I connected it to an external monitor. After disconnecting it and using it later, I found it still had the reference to the external monitor, so I had to reboot it...10 seconds later and everything was ready to go.

Very glad I made this purchase.

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I bought this as an experiment, to some extent, although having downloaded ChromeOS to fiddle with over a year ago, I knew about what to expect. But I'd never used it exclusively on a dedicated machine. I'm very pleasantly surprised.

*The OS: Am learning more all the time, but have found it to be very useful once I resigned myself to using mainly Google Docs, which I had resisted up to now. It was a good thing to learn, because my misconceptions about its limits proved to be pretty much unfounded. Part of this machine's role will be as a travel laptop that will need to access company documents sometimes, and I now know that while I might not be doing heavy editing or writing a new SMS manual in Google Docs it will work for what I do need it to do. I also like the speed of the OS, both starting up and on the web.

The more I learn about ChromeOS, the better I'm liking it. There is a learning curve, but it's pretty easy. There is also a fun factor. I look forward to continuing updates and improvements, which will come to the machine in free, effortless updates nothing to keep track of. Freedom from malware is huge, too. Given what I intend to use it for, thumbs-up on the OS.

*The Hardware: I had tempered my expectations for the Acer, based on its low price I told myself not to expect too much refinement. But it's quite nice, really, if a little plain-vanilla looking; I've ordered a skin to jazz it up a bit. Quality seems good, fit & finish are fine, it's solid, I even like the keyboard. The screen is good, and bright enough for outdoor use I sit and work on the porch at home a lot. Battery life is as advertised about 6 hours. So no complaints about the hardware.

One reason I wanted the Acer instead of the Samsung is that I thought I might put ChrUbuntu on it, for the full OS and apps and the Acer, with its 320GB HDD, has ample room for the extra OS. It also uses an X86 processor, so it will run standard apps like LibreOffice unlike the ARM-based Chromebooks. I still might install ChrUbuntu, though I want to sound the depths of ChromeOS first. But even if I don't put the full OS on, I think the extra HDD room will come handy, as I'd like to keep large DrobBox and Google Drive folders on the laptop for off-line access.

Another thing I like about the Acer's construction is that HDD, memory and battery are replaceable or upgradeable. I like the idea that when SSDs get cheaper, for example, I could swap one in for a performance increase.

This is a good little laptop with surprising quality and speed at a very low price. I'm happy with my purchase and would recommend it.