The Acer Spin 713 was delivered 48 hours after being announced and it should always be this way

I haven’t fully reviewed the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 in the customary way we normally do because it has only been official as a publicly-announced Chromebook for a little over 3 days at this point. Our hands-on video gets across much of what I’m still feeling about this device and my time with it has already been so impressive that I went ahead and ordered one for myself the moment I became aware that it is available and shipping from Best Buy already.

Between that video/post and our latest podcast, there’s no hiding my slight infatuation with this Chromebook at this point. I’m not here to throw out the entire review and I’m still open to finding a creeping issue here and there with the device, but I can tell you that this is easily one of my favorite Chromebooks in a while. From the quality of the outer parts in the keyboard, trackpad and screen to the sheer speed of the internals, this thing hits all the notes I’m looking for. Nevermind the fact that it is durable without looking like a brick (MIL-STD 810G compliant) and very reasonably-priced for all you get in the box.

Instead of going on about my impressions of this device, however, I want to take a second and appreciate and applaud Acer for the way this thing has been announced and made available. With tech, it is no surprise when a device gets shown off on stage and then shows up months later. It’s unfortunate, but it is somewhat expected in various sectors of the tech world. Sure, big name stuff gets out quickly, and devices like the Pixelbook Go show up within weeks of an event and Apple or Samsung generally launch their products quickly after a debut. Most others are on the other end of the spectrum, though, and there can be months between a product launch and its actual arrival.

The last-gen Spin 13 from Acer actually fell victim to this. We saw it at an event in New York in May and didn’t see the device actually start shipping to consumers until very late in the year. As much as I hate to see that happen, it is sort of par for the course at this point with Chromebooks from most manufacturers. We get a product announcement and then the wait is on for what could be months before anyone can actually buy it.

Acer’s course of action was very, very different this time around. With the newly-announced Chromebook Spin 713, they talked about a new Chromebook and had it up for purchase at Best Buy within 24 hours. Having spent about a week with it so far, I was ready to get one for myself (spoiler alert: the review will be glowing) and was able to purchase it and have it delivered 48 hours after it graced the virtual stage at Acer’s event.

That is simply unheard of in the Chromebook world. Seriously. If we manage to get a Chromebook within two weeks of an official announcement, we’re pretty ecstatic. But two days? That just doesn’t happen. And I 100%, absolutely love it. I can’t tell you how satisfying it was to be able to hop on the internet and purchase the thing I just watched get unveiled. As I type this post on the Spin 713, I’m still a bit baffled that this Chromebook was just shown to the world 3 days ago and I have my own, purchased model in my bag.

I don’t know how feasible it is, but this is how all tech reveals should be handled. In a world where nearly everything leaks before it is officially official, why not have supply chain set up to be able to ship products right after they are shown off to the world, even if that means delaying the big reveal a bit longer. Companies spend crazy amounts of money to get their devices in front of the media and consumers only to watch the buzz from those events fizzle over the time people wait around for the product to become a reality.

While this may not change any time soon, I want to cast my vote as one who completely affirms this sort of availability and quick turn-around on product launches. I don’t know if this will be the new norm with Acer or if this was a one-time shot, but I know that it was effective at getting me to cash-in on the hype around this device. I’d imagine it was effective for some of you out there as well, and if it was, I’d snag one of these Chromebooks before they sell out. I imagine supplies are good on this one, but in the current pandemic state, you just never know. This is for sure a Chromebook you don’t want to miss out on.

Shop Acer Chromebook Spin 713 on Chrome Shop