

You'll find no flash card slot here, but otherwise the Acer wins points for ports, especially an HDMI port on the left flank so you needn't fuss with a USB-C DisplayPort adapter to connect an external monitor. The laptop's slightly thick display bezels sit under a webcam with a sliding privacy shutter. It feels solid, though I've noticed some flex if you mash the keyboard and a lot of wobble if you tap the screen. The HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook, which has a 13.5-inch screen with a squarer 3:2 aspect ratio, is trimmer at 0.65 by 11.6 by 8.7 inches and 2.8 pounds.Īcer's Vero is one of only a handful of Chromebooks to match many premium and business Windows laptops in passing MIL-STD 810H tests against travel hazards like shock, vibration, and extreme temperatures. Measuring 0.81 by 12.3 by 8.8 inches (HWD) and weighing 3.3 pounds, the Vero 514 is a touch bigger than Acer's less eco-friendly standard Acer Chromebook 514 (0.76 by 12.7 by 8.7 inches and 3.1 pounds). Oddly, the Chromebook's feet and two nubs on the screen hinges are a contrasting yellow. Instead of chrome or flashy colors, the Acer and Chrome logos on the lid are plain etchings, and a post consumer recycled notice decorates the palm rest. It's not unpleasant to touch but definitely noticeable. The partly recycled Vero looks and feels different, with a bland Cobblestone Gray finish with white specks and a slightly grainy, sandy texture. Nearly all the laptops I review are made of non-recycled plastic or aluminum, occasionally with some magnesium or glass fiber mixed in.

That steep $200 surcharge for a touch panel is not a typo. Since few ChromeOS apps need the power of a Core i7 chip, I would say the best values are the two middle models: the plain and touch-screen Core i5/8GB/256GB versions priced at $599.99 and $799.99, respectively. Our review unit is the $949.99 deluxe model CBV514-1HT-74P8, with a Core i7-1255U CPU (two Performance cores, eight Efficient cores, 12 threads), 16GB of RAM, a 256GB PCIe SSD, and a touch screen. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security Software.
