We review the Acer C720 Chromebook!

While today’s world is dominated by tablets and mobile phones, there’s still a segment of the population that needs notebooks. But even though prices have been going done for traditional Windows based notebooks, some still find them pricey, and are constantly looking for cheaper alternatives. That’s probably the reason why Google created their Chrome OS and Chromebooks in general – these notebooks are comparatively cheap compared to their Windows-powered brethren, while delivering the same kind of functionality that traditional notebooks deliver. Sort of.

Acer Chromebook C720 specs

• 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Celeron Processor
• 2GB of RAM
• 11.6-inch HD display, 1366 x 768 resolution
• 16GB of SSD storage
• HD webcam
• WiFi, Bluetooth
• Chrome OS

Looks like any other low-cost notebook

Externally the C720 looks like any other notebook out in the market today. The C720 has a 11.6-inch display and is swathed in grey. The only clue that you get that the C720 isn’t your typical notebook is the Google Chrome branding on the upper left portion of the lid, right above Acer’s badge. Like most notebooks, it has multiple USB ports as well as an HDMI port, 3.5mm jack and an SD card reader.

You’ll soon notice that the C720 isn’t quite your standard notebook when you take a look at the keyboard. Several thing keys that you normally take for granted – like the function keys and Windows key – are missing from the C720’s keyboard. Instead, you’ll find keys for volume control, brightness, page refresh, etc. The keys themselves have plenty of travel and are easy to type on. There’s also a smallish trackpad on the bottom of the keyboard that works the same as the ones in full fledged PCs.

The display isn’t amazing, but for what you’re paying for it, it’s enough. The matte display allows you to work outdoors without fear of glare, though the viewing angles are less than ideal.

Fast boot times, though without the internet you’re out of luck

Once you turn on the C720 however, you’ll find that this isn’t your typical notebook. For one, its boot times are crazy fast – the Chrome OS boot times are around 5 to 7 seconds, thanks to its 16GB SSD drive. It also wakes from sleep almost immediately. As far as hardware is concerned, the C720 isn’t sporting the speediest silicon around, in fact the dual-core Intel Celeron processor is near the bottom of Intel’s processor offerings. That doesn’t matter though – the Chrome OS is so efficient that it’s able to run on almost the barest of hardware.

There are a few things you’ll need to wrap your head around though. The Chrome OS is incapable of running any native Windows apps on its own, though VMWare has made a Chrome extension that allows Windows apps to run. Chromebooks are made specifically for productivity – students and workers can use Google Docs to make documents and spreadsheets. Additional apps can be downloaded via the Chrome Web Store.

There’s also one thing you’ll need to understand when using Chromebooks – it’s entirely dependent on the web. There’s very little you can do without an active internet connection, aside from view photos and play media. Almost all the apps you download via the Chrome Web Store require you to have an internet connection to use them – even the simple photo resizer that we needed had to be connected to the internet before we could use it. It’s a big drawback, one that’s partially mitigated by the fact that you can only get the C720 via Smart with a bundled internet dongle.

The 16GB of storage that’s included is also a big limitation for people looking to use the C720, though the blow is softened a bit since Google is providing C720 users free 100GB of data for two years.

Battery that just doesn’t quit

Because of the low-power nature of the hardware and software, the C720 managed to deliver an impressive battery life of around 6 hours and 25 minutes during our streaming video test. We’ve been taking it along during our events coverage and we’re happy to say that it managed to keep up with us during back-to-back event coverage with plenty of juice left in the tank.

Verdict: A great notebook alternative for students and mobile workers, but isn’t for everyone

The Acer C720 is a great choice for people looking for a productivity tool that closely resembles the notebook experience but are unwilling to part shell out big money for a proper notebook. While it’s relatively useless without an internet connection, that part is covered by the only company that’s selling it here in the PH – Smart – since it’s bundled with an internet dongle when you get it via the Smart Bro Gadget Plan 999. People who need specialized apps that only runs on Windows may want to stay away, but for everyone else it’s a great way to stay productive wherever you are.