Acer C720P-2666 Chromebook (11.6-Inch Touchscreen, 2GB)

My wife pre-ordered the C720P as my Christmas gift, but we couldn't wait to exchange our "big" gift - after 27 years, we understand each other well. :-D So when the box arrived last night (delayed 3 excruciating days by the recent ice storm), I became a brand new Chromebook owner.Opening the box revealed the Chromebook, power supply brick, standard PC power cable, and a "getting started" sheet. Getting started is trivial - plug it in (though it was 79% charged on arrival), pick a language, login to Google, and (optionally) follow a brief but informative tour. I've used the Chrome browser on Windows and Ubuntu desktops and my Nexus 4, so I'm already somewhat invested in the Chrome ecosystem. As a result, I felt right at home - all of my Google services and apps I had installed via the Chrome browser were ready to use, and a familiar Chromecast icon pre-connected my Chromebook to our TV.ChromeOS feels quite natural if you've used Windows 7 - a "grid" icon in the lower left yields a start menu with your Chrome apps, with quick-launch icons and underlined active programs shown to its right. My grid has several pages, since I had already selected apps via my Chrome browsers on other machines - I instinctively swiped through the pages exactly as I would on a tablet. The lower right of the screen shows the time, volume, wifi strength, battery status, and the current user's picture (I snapped a new one with the webcam on my first login, but all that grey hair caused me to switch back to my younger self instead).Touch interaction is so natural that my daughter, watching setup over my shoulder, asked, "So, does the touchscreen work?" I pointed out that I hadn't used the trackpad yet - all of my interaction had been touching the screen or typing. Tablets have changed the way we interact with computers of all types, so it's a huge win to have responsive and natural touch on such an inexpensive laptop. And it's really cool to go back a page in the browser just by swiping from left to right - I'll be trying this on my non-touch desktops with increasing frustration, I just just know it.The keyboard works extremely well. I'm an 82 wpm touch typist, and have had no trouble at all whipping out this review. The layout is similar enough to a standard PC that I adapted without effort. The standard function key row uses iconography for browser, screen, and volume control and a power switch, and there's no Windows key (of course) or Delete (I use Alt-Backspace). But typing is quick and easy, and far faster for me than on my iPad, even with its optional tabletop physical keyboard.I'm strongly biased toward over-buying RAM, so the 2 GB on this device worried me a little. However, I've had a dozen tabs open with no performance hit at all, and I loaded the Amiga 500 emulator in a Chrome browser window with very similar performance to my 16 GB quad-core Ubuntu workstation. As with most light laptops, the RAM is not expandable, so I'm relieved.ChromeOS on this laptop is *very* fast, with a light and breezy feeling that I quite enjoy. The app store is gratifyingly large - not Android large, but enough that I haven't failed to find anything that I have needed yet. If you have an old specialty Windows program on which you depend, you'll want a more expensive Windows laptop, but otherwise, I don't think you'll have a problem finding what you want, and will be able to window shop (Chrome shop?) for many happy hours. Over a billion apps served, and the newer apps work off-line (though I have not yet tested this).Although I've only used it for one evening, I'm exceptionally pleased with this product. My son (a senior in Computer Science) used the non-touch C720 model for his classwork last semester, running Ubuntu and ChromeOS simultaneously, and he recommended the C720P to me when I began considering a new laptop. I'm happy to recommend it to you.UPDATE: After 4 days, I've learned a bit more. The battery lasts for about 2 days of fairly heavy and somewhat intermittent use, around 9 hours total. Wifi is rock solid, and interaction with our Chromecast is reliable and seamless. I have 18 tabs open right now, including 3 Drive documents, Gmail, Angry Birds, and the App Store, and it's just as responsive as when I first turned it on. Pinch-to-zoom works fine in apps such as Maps, but it does NOT zoom on a normal web page - I use Ctrl-+ for that [now it does - see UPDATE 2 below]. The new off-line apps worked fine when I intentionally took it out of wifi range.The Chromebook has a large number of keyboard shortcuts, by the way - you can press Ctrl-Alt-? to bring up an on-screen "cheat sheet" keyboard overlay, then press various combinations of Ctrl, Alt, and Shift to see what each shortcut does. Pressing Esc closes the overlay and gets you back to work or play.Still learning, and still having a blast!UPDATE 2: ChromeOS continues to be updated, and I'm delighted that pinch-to-zoom now works just fine on web pages. It's a very natural way to simultaneously zoom and position text on a web page for reading. Thanks, Google!I did finally around to installing Ubuntu Linux to run simultaneous to ChromeOS - it's literally just a hot key away - and that works exceptionally well. I thought this would be a huge feature for me (I use Linux extensively at both home and work), but in fact I rarely switch to Ubuntu because I can do most of my laptop work with ChromeOS just fine. In fact, when my dad passed away two weeks ago (peacefully in his sleep at 95, after a full and happy life, I'm pleased to say), I prepared the funeral program on my C720P and shipped a PDF to Pro Graphics for printing with no trouble at all.In a similar vein, support for off-line apps continues to grow. I scanned the Chrome app store yesterday and saw about a thousand apps that work with no Internet connection, so while ChromeOS is still "better with wifi", it's increasingly useful when off the grid.Google also announced that Chromebooks will soon be able to run many of the leading Android apps as well. It's not clear if this is a general, load any app from the Android store type of support, or just a few key Android apps that are curated by Google. Currently, 4 Android apps are supported, but those may be part of a "beta test" for Android support. Time will tell, but certainly support for Android bodes well for touchscreen Chromebooks like the C720P.Finally, for her birthday in July, my youngest daughter asked for her own C720P. I bought her the original 2 GB RAM model in white for $279, and she has been as delighted with it as I have been. Still recommended!

Let me first start by complementing Amazon on their stellar Customer Service. I had an issue with the shipping of this product, and I had a response and solution to my problem within 20 minutes of emailing them.If you want an abridged version, scroll to the bottom. I tend to ramble.Much research led me to expect an average quality experience due to many professional reviewers (not Amazon customer reviews) giving the idea that this product somehow suffered from "issues" such as poor screen angle visibility, average keyboard response etc. In hindsight, these reviewers are displaying snobbery and entitlement issues.Keeping in mind that this product is a $300 bare bones laptop, I can truthfully say that I am thoroughly impressed by both the quality of the hardware, and the extreme fluidity and ease of use of the Chrome OS. At this price, one cannot expect much, but at any price, it is rare that a product exceeds expectation.Acer has proven that they can cut costs without impinging too much on the usability of a product. Make no mistake though, this is not a bells and whistles computer. If you want glass touchpads, aluminum framing and a computer of such high pedigree that it runs off of caviar, look elsewhere. The C720P is a utility device in every way, but it provides everything a student such as myself needs without any extra fluff that serves little other than to perpetuate the consumer dogma.The Keyboard is responsive and sturdy with good tactile feedback and travel. It is functionally equivalent to the highest end laptop keyboards except that it does not have a back light and the texture is less smooth to the touch. Neither of these affect how the keyboard actually performs however. It is full sized and sacrifices no usability.The chassis is made of a durable plastic that does not flex. While it may seem less impressive than aluminum bodies, there is little functional difference between the two. The visual appearance is generic aptly reflecting the overall utilitarian theme of the C720P.Where many computers make sacrifices to cover cost is within the screen technology. Screens are the single most costly component of any laptop, and it goes without saying that you can't produce a $300 laptop without concessions in this area. As such, the screen is quite basic, but it meets all requirements. The resolution is fine enough to do anything you'd do with any other computer. Spoiled eyes will notice a large difference that may take time to get used to, but it is perfectly acceptable for movies, reading, and typing. The brightness is also quite fine. There are reviews reflecting negatively on it's lower brightness compared to other laptops, but in practice, it is quite sufficient. Sometimes having a brighter screen can actually be harder on the eyes anyways. Viewing angles are a bit small and in general, the screen is where the cost-cutting shows through. It's not an amazing screen, but for $300 you get a good display. As a final note about the screen, the touch ability is just right. It works very well. Anyone familiar with touch devices will find themselves right at home.Where the C720P stands above even high end laptops is in battery life. The best word to describe the battery life is "Beastly". You'll easily get 6 hours out of this thing no matter what you do. I've been using mine for 6 hours already watching videos, remote controlling my desktop computer, doing homework, typing this review, installing apps.. you name it. I am currently showing as having over 5 hours still remaining. No doubt there are people out there who could drain it into the ground, but as an excited first day owner, I've used it extensively and the battery is just waking up.Much of the battery performance is due to very low energy hardware. The specs on this machine are very low. Many people may fear that this means it will chug along like a drunkard at a beer fest, but I can tell you without doubt that the power is more than adequate. I've had no slow down or performance issues with anything. Much of this is due to the efficiency of Chrome OS, but Acer has also opted to put the value where it matters by maximizing meaningful performance.Finally, the purpose for any Chromebook and the star behind the screen would be the Chrome OS. Make no mistake, haters discounting it as nothing but a browser are sorely mistaken. I use Linux, iOS, OSX, and Windows 7 and 8. Now, Chrome is hands down my favorite due to its simplicity and effectiveness. Gone are the days of searching for windows in the background or juggling screen swapping features. When all of your computing is organized in tabs, immediately and constantly updated, and your hardware doesn't have to hold a cumbersome OS over its head every waking moment, things come together so fluidly that I am amazed no one has done this sooner. Even on my desktop, chrome browser is where I spend most of my time. It's not because of choice but because it is just so darn efficient to do things with google where I can as opposed to a stagnant, cumbersome OS.Are other OS obsolete then? Not yet. As senior Engineering student, I still require the use of dedicated installation type of software for heavy work, but for anything else, this is an effective replacement. However, the ease with which I can do graphs, make calculations, compose spreadsheets, write word documents, form and organize to do lists, make complete display projects from scratch, and even use installed software through remote desktop functionality (simple as a few button clicks no lie), it becomes obvious just how insightful Google has been. Apple and Microsoft have reason to fear.Acer too deserves praise. They recognized an opportunity by being the first ones to develop hardware specifically for Google's OS. It's a decision that will most certainly reward them going forward. It helps that their product is a superb piece of hardware at its price point. The C720P is snappy and durable. While the specs may not seem like much, remember that Chrome OS requires but a fraction of the hardware support to run. Pound for Pound, Chrome OS is hands down the most efficient OS and the stats on this product are more than sufficient to run it at full capacity.****Abridged Version Below****I firmly recommend the Acer C720P as an outstanding product at $300 dollars

WinXPのサポート終了に伴いWin使用率を下げる事も考えて購入。到着してまもなくChromeOSにダメージ与えたからリカバリメディアで復元してねのメッセージ。。。リカバリメディア作ってねぇ。。。と途方に暮れつつAcer日本のサポートや販売店に連絡してみるも並行輸入だし、販売店やサポートがあてになったためしは無いわな。。。という事もあり自力で調べる。リカバリメディア作成ツールはGoogleからWinPC、MAC、Linuxの3種類があるのがわかるもののツールがSDカードを認識せずここでも途方に暮れる。。。USBメモリもしくはSDカードのどちらかがあれば作れるとのはずなのに。。。結局、USBメモリしか使えないらしくリカバリメディアの作成を開始。。。作成完了後、C720PにUSBメモリを刺すと復帰。。。アカウント情報等は記録済みだったがよもや拡張機能を入れてる中にフリーズするってのは想定してなかった自分が甘いと言えば甘いんだけど。。。このPCに関して言うなら。。。アカウント作成とOSのVerUP後にリカバリメディアを最初に作る事がおすすめですかね。Win,MAC、Linux等のマシンがあればGoogleのChromebookのヘルプからツールをゲットして作成する。出来ればSDカードとUSBメモリの両方を用意するのが妥当というところでしょうか。。。キーボードの打感が薄っぺらく感じるのは個人の好みだしなWinPCと同等とまではいかないもののOSの軽快感や拡張機能、アプリの充実っぷりは今後も楽しみだなぁ〜と感じてます。タッチパネル、タッチパッド、マウス等々やりたい作業に合わせて操作に必要なデバイスを使えるのは大変便利です。個人的には細かい作業をやるにはやはりマウスはあったほうがとは思います。小さいとこでおぉ〜と思ったのがWi-MAXルーターと接続する時にセキュリティをPC側で判断してくれてサクッと接続出来たのは良かったです。WinXPだからなのか、購入した無線LAN子機が悪かったのかセキュリティで引っかかりサクッと使えずに面倒だったのも個人的な思いから。。。概ね大満足！！と言いたいけど、届いてすぐにフリーズからのセットアップや販売店さんのやりっぱなし感はやはりがっかりという事で-1です。3/13　追記リカバリメディアの作成方法について。。。Acer USAのサイトを調べていくとリカバリメディアはUSBメモリにしか対応していない事が判明。4GBあれば問題無し、後はインターネット環境が必要。GoogleとしてはChromebookを復帰させる手法としてSDカードもしくはUSBメモリが使えるよって事で実際にはメーカーのヘルプを確認する必要あり（よくよく考えれば当然。。。）機種によってはSDカードが使えるって事でしょうね。バッテリーについて。。。駆動時間として7.5時間との事ながら実質は５〜６時間程度に思えます。実用に困る事は無いが、バッテリー切れからの充電しながら使うと駆動時間が一定になってない感がある。充電中は一切使わず充電だけ済ませてから使用すると残り10時間と表示されたり電源投入直後は4.5時間と表示されたりとこのPCのに限らずあやふやな時間表示される点は今も昔も変わらずと思える範囲。3/25　追記使ってみての感想何事も慣れで解決するところは多くUSキーボードもサクッと慣れ日本語入力等の切り替えはほとんど問題無し。トラックパッドは個体差もしくはメーカーによりけりかもしれないがこのモデルについては反応の悪さは感じない。使いたいアプリ、拡張機能はストアで直接探すよりもググってからの方が楽かもしれません。致し方ないところではあるが海外ものが多く翻訳があやふや過ぎて使いたいけど怖い。。。という思いが個人的には強くあれもこれもという事は出来ないのが辛い。タッチパネルの使い勝手は普通で指もしくはタッチパネル用のペンのどちらであっても大きな問題は無い。。。ただ、個人的な感覚としてはトラックパッドの精度が悪くないのもありタッチパネル無しモデルでも良かったかなぁ。。。という感想はある。A4と比較してちょっと小さいくらいなのと重量も1.2kg程度なのもあって持ち歩くにはこれといった問題は無い。Googleドライブ100GB2年間使用についてはアカウント作成後にそのアカウントでログインした状態で100GB分の付与をするという流れに見えてるので、購入後一番最初にやっておかないと忘れてしまう。。。なんて事もやりかねないと考えていた方が良いかも。USBポートが2.0と3.0が一つずつしかないのもありHUBを追加してのキーボード及びマウス使用ななんて場合は多いでしょうが、Appleのワイヤレスキーボード及びワイヤレストラックパッドは使えるので予算との兼ね合いでそういった使い方を考慮するのもありかと。5/2追記Bluetoothデバイスについてですが、C720P側だけの問題とは言い切れないがAppleのワイヤレスキーボードとの接続が切れる事は皆無ながらBluetoothマウスとの接続がかなりの頻度で切れる。いかんせん2000円程度のBluetoothVer3.0マウスだしなぁ。。。という思いはあるもののやはり作業内容によってはマウスの存在は大きい為、悩ましい時は多い。電池での駆動なので電池切れ等もあるかとは思うが2,3日という短いスパンなのでそんなに？と懐疑的な自分がいるのも確かな話し。デバイスとして認識されていてながらマウスカーソルが動かなくなったりとか接続そのものが切れて使えないとか現象がその時々であやふやなのでC720P、マウス両方に問題が存在してる気がするが、決定打が無いのもありマウスを新たに購入してみるという選択肢しか無いのはうぅーむな気がしてます。6/20　追記つい最近、OSのバージョンアップが行われた事で初のリセットを経験する。突然のブラックアウトからの電源投入で復元はしてくれるけど。。。Google頑張ってよね。。。という思いは当然ながらある。色々なところに目が向きつつあるがスピーカーについては別途あった方が個人的には良いかなぁと思うレベル。画面の明るさ調整はボタンでちょいちょいと変更出来るのは良いが電源offからの再投入で元に戻るのは個人的には残念。。。出来れば設定した明るさを保持してもらいたい。MSOfficeWeb版やテキストエディタなど拡張機能やワープロソフトは少しずつ拡充されてきてるのはありがたい。YouTube等で動画を見るとモリモリとバッテリーは消費されていくのは致し方ないと思いつつ。。。改善されたらいいなぁーとは感じる。

For the first time user I am having trouble getting around the new way of doing things.I like the ability to take it where I am sitting or bed. With time I will get there. One problem is getting photos to the pad.

Very good Chromebook. Touch works very well. Battery life is very good, and light and compact. Did not disappoint. Thanks

テスト用に購入しました。常時オンラインで、ブラウザーだけで仕事が事足りるのならば使えると思います。タイプも使い勝手が違うので、むしろタブレットにした方が良いかもしれません。また、印刷サーバーとしてパソコンが必要です。重くて、使いづらい、ネット専用のサブデバイスと言えます。Windows RTからプリインストールのOfficeとアブリをすべて削除し、重量を2倍にして、対応周辺機器をほとんど無くせば、Chromebookになります。同レベルの価格でパソコンを探した方が無難だと思います。