Acer Chromebook 14 For $229: Why Costco’s Black Friday Deal Is Tough To Beat

• 14″ LCD display
• 16:9 aspect ratio
• Full HD (1920 x 1080)
• Screen type: LED backlit with IPS (Full HD)

• Intel® Celeron® Quad-Core Processor N3160 (2M Cache, 1.6 GHz)
• Intel® HD Graphics 400

• 4 GB of DDR3 RAM

• 32 GB SSD Storage¹

• 341 x 236.6 x 16.95 mm

• 3.39 lbs/1.54 kg

• Sparkly Silver

• Aluminum

• Battery life: Up to 12 hours of battery life²
• 45W AC adapter

• HD Webcam (1280 x 720) with 88 degree wide angle lens supporting High Dynamic Range (HDR)

• Two stereo speakers
• Built-in microphone

• Full-size keyboard
• Fully clickable trackpad

• Two USB 3.0 ports
• HDMI port
• Combo headphone/speaker jack
• DC-in jack for AC adapter

• 802.11ac Wi-Fi with support for a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4 and 5 GHz
• Bluetooth 4.0 Smart Ready

Now, there’s not one particular thing on that list that stands out as a “wow” feature. But, the culmination of so many “good” options on the Acer make it a Chromebook that most users can enjoy.

The Intel N3160 has proven itself as a workhorse for moderate to heavy users. A full HD, IPS display looks good and bright at any angle. 4 GB of RAM is perfect for a device in this bracket. As we have seen time and again, 4 GB seems to be the sweet spot for Chrome OS.

All-aluminum build

This is a big one, for me at least. I’ve recently spent some time using the Asus C301SA and for all intents and purposes these machines are twins. The internals are identical and I would expect performance to be the same.

But, (and this is a big but) the Asus just feels cheap. The look is great but the all plastic body is flimsy and it feels as if it should never leave my desk for fear of damage.

An all-aluminum build is a huge selling point for many consumers. Especially those looking to transition from higher end devices like a MacBook.

Play Store

The Acer Chromebook 14 is on the list of devices that will, eventually, get access to Google Play Store. The Acer R11 we have floating around the office is having no problem chewing through Android apps with the Braswell N3060. The N3160 in the Acer 14 will surely handle them equally as well.

Support

End of Life Policy has been a bit of a sore spot for users. With that being said, $229 will get you a sharp device that is guaranteed to receive updates and support until at least March of 2021. At that price, most users will have no issue replacing or upgrading 5 years down the road.

Costco Advantage

This is where the value becomes paramount. Not only can you get a great Chromebook at a crazy low price, Costco does business a little differently. The 1 year manufacturer warranty gets doubled with their exclusive concierge service.

Not only do you get an additional year of warranty coverage, Costco offers technical support 7 days a week on products purchased through their site.

All this plus they throw in an Acer mouse as part of the bundle. Also, if for any reason you need to return your device, Costco offers a liberal, 90 day return policy on computers.

All-in-all this makes the Acer Chromebook 14 a great device at $299, but a complete steal when you consider the sale price and all the perks from Costco.

Kudos.