There are a few Amazon Prime Day deals available today that I’ll surface over the next 48 hours and the first one is a whopper of a discount.
You can snag a powerful configuration of the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 for $599.99, which is $300 less than for what Acer sells it at directly.
This is the same Acer Chromebook Spin 13 model I reviewed last year but with double the local storage, and I found it to perform even better than the similarly equipped Google Pixelbook.
Plus it comes with a digital stylus; that’s a $99 option for the Pixelbook.
Here’s a rundown of the specs:
- Intel Core i5-8250U quad-core processor with 1.60 GHz clock speed
- 8 GB of LPDDR3 memory
- 128 GB of eMMC storage
- A 13.5 inch IPS touchscreen display with 2256 x 1504 resolution and 3:2 aspect ratio
- Intel UHD Graphics 620 with that shares memory with the system
- 360-degree hinge for 2-in-1 usage in tent, display and tablet modes
- An EMR pen that is stowed inside the Chromebook
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi (2×2 MIMO) and Bluetooth 4.2
- A pair of USB Type-C (USB 3.1, Gen 1) ports, a USB Type-A (USB 3.0) port, a microSD card reader, headphone jack, microphone and stereo speakers
- Battery life expectations of up to 10 hours
I still use an Acer Chromebook Spin 13 as a device for testing alongside the Pixel Slate that I bought. When I need more power and performance though – say for heavy-duty coding – I turn to the Acer.
In addition to the power it brings, thanks to the U-series processor which is recommended for Android Studio, this Chromebook has a fantastic display, trackpad, and keyboard. Battery life too is excellent as I’ve always been able to get through a full 9 hours of usage; often with a charge to spare.
The only nit I have with this device is that the bottom-firing speakers are a bit lacking. Otherwise, this is a high-end Chromebook that gets the job done well, no matter what the job is.
This is a one-day deal, so don’t wait on it if it sounds good to you.
5 Comments
I already have one of these that I bought months ago for $200 off retail. I like it very much. After a long period of inactivity, mine sometimes won’t automatically restore its connection to a Bluetooth mouse. But it does have a port that can be used with a regular wireless USB mouse. And some typists may prefer a different keyboard touch. Other that that, it has been flawless.
I had the same problem with a Samsung Chromebook Plus and a Tecknet BT mouse. The problem became steadily worse over time. Then, with the Chrome OS 74 update, the mouse required a manual BT connect from Chrome OS settings every time. The solution? I tried a Logitech M535 BT mouse with the Chromebook and found it works very reliably. Lesson? Try a different BT mouse.
How do you code on it? Can you download VSC?
This article I wrote in January provides the highlights of how I code on my Chromebook. That article is specific to the Pixel Slate, but it also applies to the Acer or any other Chromebook that supports Linux. Most from the last year or two do and going forward, all new Chromebooks will. You can install and run VS Code, IntelliJ, Eclipse, Atom, Sublime Text, Android Studio to name a few options. Basically, if there’s an IDE that’s supported for Linux, you can run it on a Linux-supported Chromebook. Ping me with any specific questions; happy to answer!
I have an Asus Chromebox 3 (4G/32G/Celeron 3865U) and was happily surprised that is could easily handle Android Studio and Visual Studio Code. I use it for programming in Google Flutter and find it quite responsive, especially considering it’s only a celeron. Flutter’s hot reload is a big help.