Tech Review of Acer Chromebook Spin 11 - R751tn-c5p3

Verdict

Pros

• Versatile design
• Decent battery life
• Impressive connectivity
• Comfortable keyboard

Cons

• Limited performance
• Chrome Bone
• Poor-performing speakers

Central Specifications

• Review Price: £330
• Review price: £330
• Intel Celeron N3350
• 1.1GHz Intel Hard disk drive Graphics 500
• 4GB RAM, LPDDR4
• 64GB, eMMC
• 11.6-inch IPS LCD screen
• 296 x 206 x twenty.90mm
• 1.4kg

What is the Acer Chromebook Spin 11?

We've seen quite a few Chromebooks striking Great britain stores this past year, from a diversity of manufacturers including Asus and HP. However, the most prolific producer of these online-but laptops is Acer, with more half a dozen devices to its name.

The Acer Chromebook Spin eleven (or 'R751TN-C0CG') is a typical entry. For just nether £400 yous become a machine with basic specs and Google'southward Chrome OS, which is designed for anyone who's happy working with apps or in their web browser.

The Spin 11's USP is its flexible design. That screen tin can bend right back until the Chromebook effectively turns into a tablet, which suits the touchscreen-friendly Bone. And then is that plenty to recommend the Spin over rivals, and how does information technology compare in other areas?

Related: Best laptops for students

Acer Chromebook Spin 11 – Design and build

Like most Chromebooks, such as Acer'south own Chromebook fourteen, the Spin 11 is compact. While it's pretty chunky (20mm thick when closed), I had no problem at all slipping information technology into my smallest backpack. At i.4kg, it isn't too hefty either, although you'll find lighter models if you store around.

Chromebooks rarely print when information technology comes to pattern, offer fiddling in the way of flair or frills. Acer certainly doesn't buck that trend here. The Spin 11 gives off a upkeep vibe from the instant y'all clap optics on its plastic lid with elementary linear pattern. It'south an erstwhile-school look, not helped by that chunky finish.

Pull open the lid and the interior isn't whatever more than exciting; a plain matte stop is what awaits. I have no complaints virtually the durability of this device, however. The Spin 11 can soak upwardly all kinds of knocks, bumps and scrapes, which makes it well suited to life on the road. It'south very much a grab-and-go type of device.

Those hinges are well designed, keeping the display firmly in position even when you're jabbing it non-stop. And the Spin 11 transitions seamlessly between laptop and tablet mode, simply by swinging the screen all the way effectually until the lid touches the rear end. This automatically deactivates the keyboard, which is a approving for certain— pushing those keys is unavoidable to get a good grip on the thing.

You go a pair of cameras with the Spin 11: 1 positioned above the screen, and another housed only to a higher place the keyboard (which faces outward in tablet class). These cameras are fine for Skype sessions, although yous won't see much more than a grainy mess in poor lighting conditions.

Connectivity is normally quite limited with Chromebooks, although Acer has served up sufficient ports here to satisfy. Two Blazon-A USB ports are joined by a pair of Type-C ports, dissever between the two edges.

Y'all likewise get a microSD memory menu slot, for expanding the 64GB of built-in storage, although this should prove plenty for apps and other bits – unless you download a load of games (note that only 45GB was really available for employ).

Acer has even added a volume rocker to the side, in addition to the defended media controls in a higher place the keyboard. Handy for when the Spin is in tablet mode.

Related: Best laptops you can purchase correct now

Acer Chromebook Spin 11 – Keyboard and touchpad

If y'all're later a machine for smashing out lengthy essays or dozens of daily emails, the Chromebook Spin 11 will certainly satisfy.

The chiclet-mode keyboard stretches almost entirely from border-to-edge, making the virtually of the infinite on offer. Each fundamental is well sized and spaced from its neighbours, and I was thankful not to take Page Down/Up keys crammed in alongside the cursor keys – which I always end up hitting past blow. The Return key is a wee bit squished over on the right edge, although at least it stretches over two rows so I had no trouble hitting it without glancing downwards.

The keyboard is firm throughout, with no hint of sponginess as you move towards the heart. And while there isn't much travel on offer, especially given the thickness of this device, I institute the Spin 11 perfectly comfortable to blazon on for hours at a time.

A row of defended Chrome Bone controls sit above the main section, which is pretty standard. These allow you to chop-chop navigate through webpages and apps, change the screen effulgence and so on. However, while you lot get dedicated book controls here, there's no push button for pausing or skipping songs. Because you already get a book rocker on the side of the Spin, I'd much rather have those media options in place of the book upwards/down controls.

Sadly, there's no backlighting. If you want to type in the dark, you'll either demand to rely on affect or turn on a lamp.

Acer's touchpad is surprisingly spacious and works well, which is quite rare for a Chromebook. That smooth surface responds well to swipes, taps and multi-fingered gestures, without proving as well sensitive. You can as well poke the screen directly, since it'southward touch-sensitive.

The Spin xi comes bundled with a stylus pen, which is a comfy and effective tool for sketching and making notes.

Acer Chromebook Spin xi – Screen

When information technology comes to Chromebook displays, my hopes always fall flat. These devices commonly sport quite basic screen tech, to fit the low request price.

Typically, the Spin 11'southward 11.half dozen-inch IPS console is functional if not particularly inspiring. The basic Hd resolution means visuals aren't exactly super-sharp, although yous tin can even so happily scout your favourite shows without tutting over blocky image quality. Colours appear more than impressive than on rival devices, although creative professionals will certainly want to boost their budget for realistic visuals.

On maximum brightness, I found I could generally encounter what I was doing, unless I was trying to watch a moody picture such as John Wick on a sunny day. Darker scenes await murky and grainy, non helped past the poor contrast levels – so Marvel Telly fans will struggle direct away. That backlighting isn't quite compatible either, with images appearing brighter around the very edges.

Acer Chromebook Spin xi – Audio

Not surprisingly, the Spin 11's audio output isn't all that great either. For one, the dual speakers are positioned on the bottom, then any sound is immediately muffled by your desk or crotch in standard laptop way. And even in tent mode for watching movies, the sound is aimed away from your face.

On meridian volume you can just near hear what'due south going on in a noisy surroundings, merely the tinny output is comparable to a upkeep tablet, and so music sounds poor.

I'd recommend sticking with headphones, even though the port is rather 'sticky'. I plant that I had to force the jack all the fashion within, before the Chromebook actually detected my headphones.

Acer Chromebook Spin 11 – Functioning

An Intel Celeron N3350 processor powers this Chromebook, backed by 4GB of memory. The effect is basic performance, although zilch too painful.

Working in the Chrome browser is perfectly fine, withal simple tasks such as dragging apps around the desktop occasionally results in some serious stammers. I'd certainly recommend not having too many apps open at once, unless your patience is significantly greater than mine.

All the aforementioned, the latest Android games tend to be playable on the Spin 11. You lot'll run across the occasional frame rate driblet, merely nil too shocking. And while I couldn't perform the standard Trusted Reviews benchmarking, this Chromebook did spit out a score of 3736 in Kraken, which simply ways it's okay for spider web browsing. That's improve than many other Chromebooks around this price point.

Acer Chromebook Spin xi – Battery life

One of the biggest advantages of rocking a Chromebook is the frequently ridiculously expert bombardment life. This is a result of the low-powered components and slimline operating system. Thankfully, Acer'southward machine doesn't disappoint in this area, although information technology certainly isn't the strongest device nosotros've tested.

If you lot want a car to last a full working twenty-four hours with mixed use, you'll have no problems hither. The Spin 11 typically lasts effectually 8 to nine hours when using browser-based apps, so y'all tin can leave the charger behind whenever you hit the function. That's lower than the x hours Acer claims you lot get with this, simply still not to be sniffed at.

Even when streaming Netflix non-stop, the Chromebook still manages close to eight hours of playback before giving up the ghost– good news if you're off sick and you want to binge through a stack of boxsets.

That said, while the Spin xi about matches Acer's Chromebook 14 for battery life, some rivals such every bit Google's own Pixelbook do offer an extra hour or two on height.

Why buy the Acer Chromebook Spin 11?

The best Chromebook right now remains the Google Pixelbook, even so the Spin 11 has its own advantages for something that's roughly a third of the cost. Mainly, that flexible design which allows you to transform the device into a tablet, with zero fuss. It's a far from perfect setup, but information technology does the required job when you need a touchscreen device.

As with well-nigh Chromebooks, you take to deal with some limitations. Beyond that basic OS, performance on occasion is juddery, and then you'll desire to limit yourself to quite simple tasks. However, the Spin 11 does offer a pretty good screen for the price, as well equally stiff usability. And as ever, the battery life is solid.

Verdict

A 2-in-ane Chrome Os laptop and tablet that comes with the standard strengths and weaknesses a Chromebook offers.

How we test laptops

Unlike other sites, we exam every laptop we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We employ manufacture standard tests to compare features properly. We'll always tell y'all what nosotros observe. We never, ever, have money to review a product.

Notice out more about how we exam in our ideals policy.

Used as our primary laptop for the review period

Tested for at to the lowest degree a calendar week

Used consequent benchmarks for fair comparisons with other laptops

Reviewed using respected industry benchmarks and real earth employ

Trusted Score

munguiathattery2001.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/acer-chromebook-spin-11

Share this post