Without any pomp and circumstance, Acer quietly released a gold version of their Chromebook 14 this week. While there appear to be no updates, aside from aesthetics, we believe this is another shift in the Chromebook paradigm as we know it.
As originally reported by Dinsan Francis over at Chrome Story, a Reddit post this week noted the Gold version of the Chromebook 14 on Acer’s website. Upon inspection, the details of the device are identical to its silver, brushed, all-aluminum counterpart.
Both machines offer better than average specs. Featuring the Intel Celeron N3160, 4GB of ram, HD or Full HD 14″ 1080p IPS display and of course a sleek, all-aluminum body. All that for $299 makes this a very viable device for those wanting an eye-catching Chromebook at a cost-effective price point.
So, why does it matter that Acer has decided to add Gold to the mix?
Well, I will tell you. The production of an already existing device in a “designer” skin means the consumer market is real. Chromebooks are becoming more and more desirable by larger segments of users.
Up until now, to get a Chromebook with the sleek and streamlined design of say, a MacBook pro, you’re pretty much limited to the Pixel or the new HP 13. Even on the low end you’re dropping $500.
Acer (or any OEM, for that matter) wouldn’t waste time on multi-faceted design if there wasn’t a real market for it. The fact that Chromebooks have continued to see exponential growth and have expanded outside the confines of just being a “web-browsing device” has created a whole new customer base. And many of these consumers want something shiny, something new and apparently, something Gold.
We believe this will be the first of many new devices that will be designed with the consumers wants in minds tangent to their needs. Chromebooks have proven themselves capable and cost-effective. The next logical step is to make them attractive. Kudos to Acer for leading the way.
