Big Chromebook Plus models, small $299 prices

The new Chromebook Plus lineup has a little bit of everything. Apart from a proper tablet option, there’s a Chromebook Plus model that likely fits what you are looking for. From large to small, convertibles to clamshells, there’s a bit of something for everyone with Chromebook Plus.

Now, that doesn’t mean all these devices are perfect. Far from it, actually, but as I’ve alluded to in each of our 6 Chromebook Plus reviews to date, there’s something solid about these Chromebooks and the hardware requirements Google put in place largely seem to have worked.While it is true that I have nits to pick with each Chromebook Plus model, I also can confidently say that if you buy one, you’ll probably like it.

And much of that is due to the requirements in place by Google for Chromebook Plus. The 12th-gen Core i3 or better, 8GB of RAM or better, 128GB of storage or better, 1080p screen and camera or better all combine to really boost the overall usability of these devices. And I’ll be the first to tell you that random specs don’t always make for a great Chromebook; but with Chromebook Plus so far, it somewhat has.

The big two are on sale

The deals we’re talking about today are for those looking to super-size their Chromebook Plus experience, and for the first time in a long time, both of the 15.6-inch Plus models are both on sale. Again, I’ll return to the refrain that these devices are not perfect and there are things I’d fix about them both. But I also know that in my time reviewing them (you can see the Acer 515 review here and the HP 15.6-inch review will come next week), those issues I had largely melted away during the day as I actually used them both.

Both devices are pretty similar, and right now they are both just $299. Both meet the Chromebook Plus spec with the Acer edging out the HP in performance thanks to the faster Core i3-1215U (the HP has the small-core i3-N305) and basically everything else being the same. Both are 1080p non-touch IPS screens at 250 nits. Both have the same 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and both have pretty solid keyboard/trackpad combos.

Where Acer takes the win in performance and speakers (that upward-firing setup sounds pretty good), the HP’s keyboard is a bit tighter and it comes with an included numeric keypad. But apart from those things, there are no glaring differences between the two. They both give you plenty of performance, plenty of screen size, and a spacious keyboard/trackpad. And again, they are both just $299 right now.

With either of these Chromebooks, you are going to get a solid experience, and these prices – to me, at least – match up well with the feature set and build quality on offer. At $299, you’ll feel really good about the purchase as you use either of these devices on a daily basis, and that savings means it becomes a bit easier to overlook the lack of a touchscreen or backlit keyboard. But these deals likely won’t make it through the weekend, so if you are so inclined, I’d make a move now.