Acer unveils the latest latest in its portable range, with three Notebooks on the menu, including a convertible and an “eco-responsible” laptop.
Even for the brands that have chosen to ignore this 2022 edition of the CES placed under the sign of the pandemic, it is still the turmoil of the fight on the side of the manufacturers. As at the beginning of the year, the latter jostle at the gate to show us all their novelties; It’s the turn of Acer, who arrives with three brand new Chromebooks and an eco-responsible computer.
Acer Chromebook 314 & C15: helpful and economical notebooks
Acer is one of the brands extremely well established in the Chromebook segment, and it is defending its position with new copies. It starts with the Chromebook 314, a budget machine designed especially for students. With ten hours of autonomy, it should also withstand any day of classes or intense revisions without flinching.
It has a 14-inch FHD IPS panel with an anti-reflective coating which is always very practical. But above all, this screen is touch-sensitive with optional multi-touch support, which is always a significant advantage in the context of a course with note taking. However, we note the absence of a USB Type-A port; if you are used to working with a mouse, you will therefore need to use an adapter that is not necessarily practical on a small desk or in an amphitheater. Not ideal, or even potentially prohibitive for some users.
On the other hand, it is less embarrassing at home. And since we are still and still stuck in the Coronavirus pandemic, the device is also equipped for teleworking. It has a webcam of unknown resolution, but which is known to have TNR (Temporal Noise Reduction) technology.
Acer does not specify which CPU will power this device, but it is not necessarily the most important information for this line of devices. Regardless of the chip, this Chromebook 314 should be a completely correct companion for taking notes in a school or professional context. On the other hand, we should not expect more anyway. Far from being infamous for a modest, but competent utility machine that will sell for less than many smartphones, at 369 €. It will be available in April 2022.
Those who need a little more screen space may prefer his big brother, the Chromebook 315. This is a machine that should be extremely similar, but unfortunately Acer has only disclosed very little technical information; We are therefore still empty-handed when it comes to the model of CPU, RAM, or even storage volume. On the other hand, we find the same 10 hours of battery life, Wi-Fi 6 support, two USB Gen 2 Type-C ports, and an optional touchscreen.
The biggest difference is in the screen, which changes to 15.6 inch. Unlike the model above, this one also has a still very useful MicroSD card reader. This model finally almost identical, although a little larger, will be marketed 369 € “in the first quarter of 2022”.
Acer Chromebook Spin 513: an all-purpose convertible
We are now moving upmarket by turning to the Acer Chromebook Spin 513, which returns in a 2022 edition updated. It is still a convertible whose 13.5-inch 3: 2 screen (256 × 1504) can therefore fold up to turn into a tablet. A potentially very useful feature for a student or professional who is on the go.
On the other hand, compared to its two friends above, this device should also be a bit more powerful. Unlike the 314 and 315, this time we know the SoC model; it is a MediaTek Kompanio 1380, a brand new chip that will replace the Snapdragon 7c that had the previous edition.
On the other hand, the documentation at our disposal only mentionsa single USB Type-C port, which not only seems quite boring, but also quite simply overwhelming for a number of uses. Difficult to defend on a device that remains a Chromebook, and which will still be sold 649 € from next April.
Acer Vero National Geographic Edition
Finally, Acer also continues to work on its Earthion initiative, a program created to “help meet environmental challenges and encourage all actors in the production chain to adopt an environmentally friendly approach”. A very fashionable approach at the moment, and which has already given rise to some rather exasperating greenwashing exercises among some manufacturers.
It will therefore be interesting to see if this special edition of the Vero, stamped “National Geographic”, will succeed. 30% of the chassis and 50% of the keys are produced from recycled plastic. The packaging has also been reworked to include 85% recycled paper. Two initiatives that are certainly interesting, but which will continue to be the subject of anecdotal communication as long as they are not applied to the entire range.
What looks more interesting, however, is that Acer has apparently made an effort on the internal layout of the machine to facilitate repairs. But there is something to be a little disappointed with when you learn that apparently a standard Philips screwdriver is enough to replace … RAM and SSD, which is already the case on many devices and does not constitute not really a significant advance.
In addition, Acer has not really communicated specific technical specifications on the device. For example, we do not know the screen size or the type of panel. We just know that it will ship an Intel Iris Xe card, up to 16 Gb of DDR4 and an Intel Core processor of… 11th generation. Rather paradoxical for a device that aims to focus on sustainable development, and therefore the future.
At the end of the day, there isn’t much of interest to take away from this device. Of course, it is always good to hear brands talk about sustainable development, and encouraging a change in mores is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. Let’s just hope that this generalized greenwashing movement that many manufacturers have joined will end up having global and concrete consequences.
