Additionally, you'll have to create new accounts for most of these games, rather than just integrating them with your Google account, which seems like an unnecessary extra step. This limited compatibility with a printer is especially annoying for students who need to print out their work. Acer recently updated its original C720 Chromebook with an Intel Core i3 processor, adding power and speed to the original model. Despite great strides made to reach this point in its development, the operating system is still purely in its infancy, and certain aspects of it are incredibly bare in comparison to Windows and Mac OS counterparts. The touchpad is also just as responsive and sensitive as the original C720's touchpad, but scrolling on this model did seem a little slow.

Acer C720 Chromebook Review - Haswell Chromebook - LAPTOP

The distance that the cursor moved on the screen often did not match my swipes and strokes on the touchpad; it was a little sluggish. While these apps are capable of running offline, many of them require Web connectivity to log in or upload files to the cloud beforehand.Loading and working on spreadsheets in Google Docs feels just as fast as it does on Intel Core i3- and -i5-equipped Windows and Mac laptops. Brian, an Ask Jack reader, said he used MrChromebox’s Firmware Utility Script to convert his unsupported Acer C710 Chromebook to UEFI. You could repurpose it to run Neverware’s CloudReady, a Linux such as GalliumOS, or possibly even Microsoft Windows. When opening the clamshell, you'll be greeted with a glossy, plastic, black bezel that frames the display. Upon logging in with your Google account credentials, you'll be greeted with a minimalistic desktop that offers a few basic options for navigation.

Acer C740 Chromebook review | Android Central Acer C740 Chromebook review | Android Central

There are a pair of speakers underneath the palmrests of the C740, near the edges and nestled inside of little vents that drive downward.The HP Chromebook 11 far outshines the C70P, with a reading of 267 lux, but the C720P's display is still brighter than the nontouch C720 Acer Chromebook (123 lux). Trackpads are a seemingly simple thing, but time and again they are a pain point on many laptops, so it’s refreshing to see Acer get this right. The hardware is nearly identical, and you'll only see a modest performance increase — the only real gain from moving to the new model is one or two extra hours of battery life.