Acer’s C720 Chromebook was already among the most affordable Google-powered clamshells on the market. Now, the company is announcing a new model that drops its price down from $249.99 to $199.99. The timing for Acer couldn't be better, as HP pulled its own Chromebook 11 from shelves this week due to reports of overheating power supplies.
The new Chromebook, dubbed the C720-2848, comes with the same Intel Haswell-based Celeron processor, 16GB SSD and 11.6-inch 1136 x 768 resolution display as its $249.99 sibling. Acer claims that this model is also capable of lasting 8.5 hours on a single charge.
The only difference between the two models is that the $249 edition comes with 4GB of RAM while the cheaper version comes with 2GB. Acer says that the new Chromebook will be available from Best Buy and Amazon starting today, and will hit the Acer store in December.
In our review, we praised the C720 for its slick performance, affordable price, reduced glare display and lengthy battery life. The only strikes against this Chromebook was a relatively dim display and somewhat bland design. Still, the value is tough to match.
This also makes the Acer C720 about $50 cheaper than the competing Samsung Chromebook Series 3, which comes with nearly the same specifications as the $199 Acer C720 but doesn’t boast Haswell technology.
