LAPTOP | £599 from Very www.snipca.com/47409
Work from Chrome
Chromebooks were originally pitched as simple, affordable and secure laptops for those who do most of their computing work in a browser. As time went by, there were still low-cost options, but manufacturers started to produce premium laptops that transformed ChromeOS into a standalone operating system in its own right.
This model from Acer sits somewhere in the middle of the pack – it’s still more affordable than similar Windows laptops, but it comes in a sophisticated and stylish design that you wouldn’t have seen in the Chromebook’s early days.
The Spin 714 only comes in one configuration, but it’s a good one. It’s powered by a latest-generation Intel Core i3-1315U processor, has 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. That would be good enough for running Windows 11 at a push, but with the less-demanding ChromeOS installed, it represents a generous specification that runs everything well.
We tested it with over 20 browser tabs open at once (three of them were video streams) and we could still move between them without experiencing a lag.
The device has a 360-degree hinge, so can be used in a variety of ways. From closed you can open it like a laptop, lay it flat, push it further into a tent-like mode, or push it all the way round to transform it into a slightly bulky tablet. It has a touchscreen and comes with a simple stylus, which work well in tablet mode.
The hinges are solid so it will stay firmly at whatever angle you choose. This high build quality applies to the whole machine – with its mainly aluminium chassis, Corning Gorilla Glass across the screen, and a robust keyboard. The latter has a relatively short travel and can feel a little stiff, but it’s accurate and comfortable to type on. The touchpad has a nice, smooth feel and decent sensitivity.
The port selection is limited, though probably all you’ll need on a Chromebook. It has two USB-C ports – one on each side so whichever one you use for charging won’t obstruct the other. There’s also one USB 3.0 port, an HDMI port and a headphone jack (all pictured below).
The 14in screen is a feast for the eyes. Not only does it look sharp with its of 1920x1200-pixe
