Acer Chromebook 14
This Chromebook has its limitations, but it feels far more upmarket than the price would suggest
But for the Chrome logo on the lid, you could mistake the Chromebook 14 for a much more expensive ZenBook-type affair. It certainly looks the part, and once you start tapping on the firm and responsive keyboard, it feels it too.
But don’t be lulled into thinking of this as a direct alternative to a prestige Windows system: performance-wise, it’s a mile behind. Acer has equipped the Chromebook 14 with a Celeron N3060, which is basically the same chip as found in the Chromebook R11, but with greater headroom for dynamic overclocking. That pushed the Chromebook 14’s performance towards the top of the Chrome OS table, but it’s still nowhere near any full-spec Windows laptop. The model we tested also comes with only 2GB of RAM and 16GB of eMMC storage, which we’d call a bare minimum for this platform.
One area where the Chromebook 14 doesn’t skimp is battery provision. In our looping video test, it ran for an amazing 12hrs 13mins on a single charge, equalling the Asus Transformer Mini for stamina. That’s especially impressive when you remember it’s driving nearly double the screen area. It’s also good to see twin USB 3 sockets, although sadly there’s no card reader.
Performance aside, there are a few other key limitations to note. Unlike the Chromebook R11 and R13 models, the 14 doesn’t have a 360-degree hinge – it’s laptop mode or nothing. Nor does it come with a touchscreen. That might not matter for everyday office tasks, but if you’re planning on downloading apps from Google Play, you might prefer a system that gets closer to the tablet experience.
On the subject of the screen, we also can’t let the dismal 1,366 x 768 resolution pass without comment. As with the Dell Vostro 5468, such a low resolution is a waste of a 14in panel: rather than offering a nice spacious desktop, it just makes everything look oversized and pixellated, at an effective 111ppi. Our test unit had a cold blue tint to it too, with poor brightness and contrast.
There is a Full HD version of the Chromebook 14 available for £280 inc VAT: if you’re tempted by the design, we’d strongly recommend you move up to that model. Frankly, though, we’re much more taken with the Chromebook R13, which has similar strengths to the Chromebook 14, and lets you enjoy the full potential of the Google Play store.