I have had the opportunity to use the Acer Chromebook for over a week now, and I am very satisfied with its construction, performance, and functionality (online and offline).
For a $199 laptop, the Acer is very well constructed. It does not feel breakable, “plasticy”, or cheap. It is very lightweight, yet sturdy. Acer combines the best of Mac and PC controls and keyboard shortcuts. For example, the mouse pad operation is the same as that of a Macbook, and the keyboard shortcuts match those of a PC, without the annoying ‘command’ key found on Macs. The screen is brilliant, vivid, and clear. The screen size is very comfortable for viewing.
On-line functionality is quick and seamless, with no lag time, error messages, or other glitches. The ChromeOS does a great job of further blurring the lines between offline/online. Most applications that a person would need are available offline. However, offline functionality for entertainment/gaming purposes is lacking, but it will probably be just a matter of time before more gamine apps are made to fully function offline. The one thing that I miss is a dvd/cd player, but music/movies can be purchased for offline viewing.
If you are contemplating a new computer purchase, if your not an Apple fan, or your fed up with Windows error messages, the Chromebook is the way to go. The low price of, $199 is unbeatable. The price to product performance makes this machine and operating system a great value!
