When Acer finally announced the long-awaited refresh to my beloved Chromebook 14, it was everything I had wished for down to the letter. Alas, what appeared to be a near-perfect device had one, glaring flaw.
The price.
Sure, Robby found some other nits to pick on this Chromebook but most of them were based on the fact that the mid-range model runs $400. This was supposed to be the heir apparent to the iconic Acer Chromebook 14. Capable and beautiful be still the best device in its price range.
The problem is, lately it has been commonplace to find flagship, Kaby Lake Chromebooks dipping dangerously near the $400 price point. That makes it very tough to recommend any Chromebook priced between $350 and $400 when it’s powered by a low-end Pentium or even Apollo Lake chips.
Still, the Acer Chromebook 514 is attractive and in its defense, Acer delivered everything on my wish list. Thankfully, the mid-tier model has just picked up a nice discount that might make it worth a second look.
Amazon has the N3450, 4GB model reduced by $60 which puts the 514 at $339 and that’s a respectable price for what the Chromebook offers.
Here’s a quick look at what you’ll get for $339:
- Chrome OS
- Intel N3450 quad-core processor
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB eMMC storage
- 14″ FullHD Touch Display
- Backlit keyboard
- 2 x USB-C, 2 x USB-A, MicroSD card slot
You can pick up the Acer Chromebook 514 from Amazon.
Acer Chromebook 514 from Amazon