This might be your last chance to snag the 1st Acer Chromebook 516 GE for $200 off

This week, the time has come for me to send back the awesome Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE. I’ve loved having it in my bag for a few months now, and it has been a trusty, reliable partner anytime I need a big screen with me on the go to get stuff done.

But Acer’s been quite gracious in letting me keep the 1st-gen version around, and the really fun part of that is the fact that I won’t notice the swap much at all. And that’s taking nothing away from the small, thoughtful tweaks available in the new Plus-branded version: it’s more of a testament to how good the original was and still is.

Though it basically disappeared for a bit of time after the launch of the new version, I’m excited to share with you that – for a limited time, anyway – it seems the original 516 GE is back at Best Buy and as part of a clearance offer, it is also $200 off.

Sure, it’s not the first time it’s been on sale for that little, but we’ve not see this sort of savings available on either iteration for a bit simply because we won’t see that kind of deal on the new model until late in the fall if at all. So, the return of the 1st-gen is good news for anyone who’s been interested in either of these Chromebooks, but not interested in paying full price.

As a reminder, the new and old 516 GE share a lot in common, so you aren’t really missing out on much other than the Chromebook Plus logo on the lid and the really great looking all-black paint job on the new model. Yes, the newer version has a newer processor, but there’s not a significant difference in performance, so it’s not like some massive step back.

I will say that you need to act fast if you’ve been considering either one of these Chromebooks. I highly doubt there are very many left in inventory, and there’s a good chance that when these sell out, the gen 1 version won’t return. While the gen 2 version is a fantastic replacement, it’s not $200 off. So don’t miss out on this deal while it lasts!