For nearly a decade now I've been a Chromebook convert. I don't try to use a Chromebook as a complete desktop replacement, but for laptops I've used Chromebooks exclusively since about 2014. Recently I began looking for an upgrade - my trusty six-year-old Samsung Chromebook Pro had started showing signs of age, running a little slower, and Google started sending me notices that we were rapidly approaching the date when no further updates for that model would be made.
I'd looked at the Acer Spin 714 for a pretty good while, holding off most due to price and a few reported issues that I just couldn't properly put into context from reading. But when I got an opportunity to buy a "new - open box" unit at a drastically reduced price, I jumped - and after my first week or so, I'm glad I did.
The Acer Spin 714 sports a 14-inch screen with a top resolution of 1920x1200 and in a 16:10 aspect ratio. Some users of the previous 713 have criticized the screen on the 714 because they don't like the 16:10 aspect ratio; for me it's perfect. The resolution is also not an issue, as I actually have to run at a lower resolution in order for fonts and widgets not to be too tiny for my aging eyes. If I had any complaint about the screen it would simply be that it doesn't get very bright. I am using it at about 80% brightness all the time. I don't intend to use this outdoors but it's a good thing as I doubt the brightness could overcome the glare of the sun.
The processor is a 12th-generation i5, and it is a scorcher. I expect to be able to throw nothing at this for the next 6 or 7 years that it won't handle. RAM is a respectable 8 gigs, although I'd have liked 16. At this time 8 is more than plenty so maybe that will hold up. The 256 gigs of SSD storage is fantastic, and based on my usage patterns won't get anywhere near used. Some have complained about the lack of a card reader; for me this is a non-issue.
The keyboard is spacious, the keys have nice response, they are backlit (yay), and comfortable to use. The trackpad is ... a trackpad. I have heard some people say it's nice and some say they don't like it. I've never been a trackpad sort - I use a mouse all the time except in unusual circumstances. The trackpad works, and I've got no beef with it.
The Spin 714 has a nice set of ports - two USB4 Thunderbolt ports (think USB-C), a USB-A port, a full size HDMI port, and an audio port. It's a decent setup.
This brings me to the final hardware item, the speakers. So - these are not great. They produce very little volume, pretty much no bass. I could tell you this is unusually bad, but honestly the speakers in *most* Chromebooks are crap. It's for this reason that I nearly always keep a headset attached for times when I want to watch a video or listen to music. But the speakers on the Spin 714 have come under fire from users who hear strange crackling or popping sound emanating from the speakers even when they have the volume turned down. I have heard ONE pop - when I had my headset unplugged and was running a Chromebook stress test. For me the short of it is that I haven't heard enough to be bothered, and if I keep my headset plugged in, I might never get there.
My overall impression is that the Acer Spin 714 is a well-made (serious) Chromebook, with a lot of power that should handle anything I might throw at it. I'll miss my Samsung but this new Acer will take the sting out of saying goodbye.
==========
Update for August 2023: I've been using the Acer Spin 714 Chromebook for almost 4 months, including on a three-week trip to Mexico and Belize. In short, it has been fantastic. Screen size is perfect, brightness hasn't been an issue. The keyboard is comfortable and responsive. The Spin 714 is blazing fast, hasn't slowed down under any kind of load. It has a nice selection of ports for peripherals. Battery life has been good enough - not amazing, but adequate. The USI pen has worked well, and I like the dock/charger. I continue to use headphones with this Chromebook, not because of the reported speaker issues but simply because I have always done so with laptops. As a result I have not experienced the widely reported "speaker pop".
No comments:
Post a Comment