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I have no idea when and even less idea why but in the midst of announcing an armada of new Chrome devices, Acer has gone and refreshed the Chromebook 14.
Sort of.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been begging for a new version of what is still one of my favorite devices ever. Unfortunately, the only thing new about the latest iteration of the all-aluminium Chromebook is the color.
“Stellar Blue” as it is labeled in the Costco listing is the latest color to join the original Sparkly Silver and Luxury Gold models that were mass-marketed at the brick and mortar retailer as well as online from Acer, Amazon, Best Buy and countless others.
Oddly enough, the Costco listing seems to be the only place the Stellar Blue model is even mentioned here in the U.S. Not even the Acer store gives the new, blue model as an option. Over the pond, the UK Acer store has the Stellar Blue model available for £299.99.
It’s possible that Costco may have this version as an exclusive product as they have sold the Silver and Gold models bundled with an Acer mouse for over a year now with many stores having massive stacks of the Chromebook 14 on display.
The Stellar Blue Acer comes with some extras as well. For $299.99 you get the colorful 14″ HD Chromebook as well as a wireless mouse and pretty nice looking sleeve to tote it around if you like.
On the inside, the specs are no different than the previous models. Powered by an Intel N3160 quad-core processor, 4GB RAM and a 32GB hard drive, the Acer Chromebook 14 still makes for a decent device for light tasks and casual computing. Honestly, though, I thought we’d seen the last of the Braswell devices months ago.
I suppose, due to its popularity and somewhat unique aesthetics, Acer is milking the Chromebook 14 for all it’s worth as I am sure there are no shortage of surplus 5th Gen Intel chips to be had on the cheap.
It’s a bit difficult to recommend a $300 Chromebook that has a chipset that’s practically three generations behind but at the same time, the Acer Chromebook 14 has always been a compelling device among many a ho-hum Chromebook from its time.
Anyway, if you’ve been considering the Acer Chromebook 14, you now have another option to consider. Check out the link from Costco below and don’t forget, they offer their exclusive Concierge service and extended warranty on most computing devices.
Stellar Blue Acer 14 at Costco
Special thanks to Deanna G. for bringing the new Acer to our attention
