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Topic: Laptops

Acer boosts RAM, battery life for new C7 Chromebook laptop model

Summary: Priced at $279.99, the C710-2055 is being marketed to the education market in particular.

Sean Portnoy

By for Laptops & Desktops |

acer-chromebook-c7-google-laptop-C710-2055

While Google originally touted the Chromebook as a laptop platform that wasn't based around specs, recent models have been upping the spec ante like good-ol' Windows notebooks (most notably the luxe Google Chromebook Pixel).

Though still keeping things fairly affordable, Acer has just announced a new version of its C7 Chromebook family that improves on its slightly older siblings. The C710-2055 gets 4GB of RAM (twice the amount of earlier C7s) and a 6-cell battery that the company promises will deliver six hours of battery life between charges. You still get a 320GB hard drive, while the processor remains an Intel Celeron 847.

Acer is promoting the new C7 Chromebook to the education market, emphasizing the security of Chrome OS and the ability for students to use Google Drive and Google Docs to share files with teachers and each other. Nonetheless, the company is also making the C710-2055 available for consumers through online retailers like Amazon.

You will pay more for the new C7 Chromebook than the C710-2847 that's already been available with less RAM and weaker battery: $279.99 compared to $199. Are the improved specs worth the extra coin? Let us know your thoughts in the Talkback section below.

Topics: Laptops, Google, Education

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Talkback

13 comments
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  • Of course

    Of course this happened 3 weeks after I bought the thing!

    Anyway, it is a great little machine for the money!
    slickjim
    Reply Vote

    • You can probably pick up ..

      another 2GB DDR3 and a spare battery for well under $80.
      D.T.Long
      Reply 1 Vote

  • I'm still not particularly interested

    I am tempted by samsung's latest chromebook though
    theoilman
    Reply 1 Vote

    • I think this is aimed at schools.

      A 4 hour battery life makes the Acer C7 a non-starter for schools. That's the market Acer is aiming this Chromebook.
      Mah
      Reply Vote

  • having ubuntu and chrome os simultaneously is a very interesting concept

    if that really works i think these are no-brainer for Linux users but i have to see the performance and overall experience for myself !
    G3niusOwl
    Reply Vote

    • when they get ubuntu running smooth

      on ARM chromebooks I'll jump on it. a light, fast, 6+ hour battery life laptop with ubuntu would be very nice, but it apparently won't run perfectly until the 3.9 kernel comes out with full chromebook support (which should be soon though).
      x86 are much easier to get ubuntu onto, but I'm not interested in the extra weight, lower battery life, and HDD slowing the system down.
      theoilman
      Reply 1 Vote

    • G3niusOwl: "having ubuntu and chrome os simultaneously..."

      Just be aware of the security implications for Chrome OS when installing Ubuntu on a Chromebook (or Chromebox). Chrome OS verification is disabled by toggling the Chromebook to developer mode:

      http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/12/how-to-install-ubuntu-on-acers-199-c7-chromebook/
      Rabid Howler Monkey
      Reply 1 Vote

      • P.S. What's good for the goose is good for the gander

        I'll just point out that those installing the GNU/Linux desktop on a Windows 8-based PC often have to turn off secure boot and, thus, decrease the security of Windows 8.

        Which begs the question, where's the outrage for having to decrease Chrome OS security in order to install Ubuntu on a Chromebook?
        Rabid Howler Monkey
        Reply 2 Votes

        • simple

          not enough people use chrome OS to get offended
          theoilman
          Reply 2 Votes

          • Actually

            While I would never buy a Chromebook [because the OS is useless], the first thing I would do is put on a *REAL* OS - i.e. anything but Chrome OS.
            Gisabun
            Reply Vote

  • Keyboard

    What the heck is it with all the chromebooks having such crap keyboards? How the heck is someone supposed to do any serious typing on one? I understand the race to uber-thin, but I have yet to find a Cr-book that doesn't feel like crap.
    m0o0o0o0o
    Reply 3 Votes

    • From an Anandtech review:

      "The new Chromebook retains the chicklet keyboard that its predecessors introduced. Key feel is a little mushier than I would like but overall the keyboard is pretty good."
      D.T.Long
      Reply Vote

  • Errr.....

    First, Chrome OS is Linux? Why does it need the extra RAM? Not like you are going to run anything heavy like Photoshop or Autocad on it.
    Second, not surprised with Acer. They are always shortchanging on the RAM. When Vista first came out they tried to dump their Windows XP models on victims [I know a few] with just 1GB of RAM. You can't run Vista [or later] on 1GB of RAM properly.
    Gisabun
    Reply Vote
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