Acer Chromebook Spin 11 Review: The Kid-Proof Chromebook

Acer has created a Chromebook that not simply gets the job done but tin also take some bumps and bruises.

Acer was one of the first PC makers to really move abroad from only making Windows-based machines, and really embraced Chrome OS. In fact, Acer offers more than Chromebook models than any other PC manufacturer right now. And at that place'south a good reason for that. That's because they sell well, and schools are buying plenty of them for classrooms. Acer'south Chromebook Spin eleven is a rugged Chromebook that volition work well in the classroom, but information technology is also available to consumers to pick upward, starting at $349. It's one of Acer's smaller Chromebooks in its lineup, and still performs rather well.

Specs

The Chromebook Spin 11 is available in three models with minor changes between the 3. The model that we accept here is the CP511-1HN-C7Q1. It sports an 11.half-dozen-inch 1366×768 resolution display, powered by Intel'due south Celeron N3350 processor, which is a dual-core chipset clocked at 1.1GHz. There is 4GB of RAM within for multi-tasking, with 32GB of eMMC storage. It does as well support WiFi 802.11 a/b/1000/n/ac, as well as Bluetooth 4.2 for connectivity. There are two webcams on this model, one is above the display and it'due south an HD photographic camera that can shoot in up to 720p. There is some other one above the keyboard that is used in tablet mode, this is a five-megapixel webcam and can shoot in 1080p. It likewise has a wider viewing angle of 88-degrees.

For immovability, the Chromebook Spin 11 carries the MIL-STD-810G certification, and so it can be dropped without existence catastrophic, although it is even so not recommended. For sensors, information technology has east-compass, accelerometer, and a gyroscope. In that location is also a 4870mAh battery within, which Acer quotes equally lasting around 10 hours on a charge. When it comes to ports, in that location are 2 USB-C ports which support USB 3.1 Gen i and DisplayPort. At that place is too 2 USB three.0 ports, an SD card reader, and a headphone/speaker jack.

Hardware

The Chromebook Spin xi won't be mistaken for an Ultrabook. It's not thin, nor that light. It is light, but not as light as most 11-inch laptops these days. The Chromebook Spin 11 is made of plastic, and that is likely for a few reasons. One, it makes it more than durable than metallic. Information technology also makes it lighter, and a chip cheaper to make. The Spin eleven definitely looks and feels like a tank, similar something you could drop on the ground a few times and non worry well-nigh it getting damaged or no longer working. It won't win any awards for being the best looking Chromebook on the market, just that's likewise not where information technology is aiming. It's aiming to be rugged, and be made for kids to drop it, and spill stuff on it.

There are two colors for the Chromebook Spin eleven, the other two models come in blackness, while this one is white with a silvery trim effectually the keyboard. There is actually a lip around the keyboard, which again is to go along the Spin 11 as a rugged machine since you tin flip the brandish around and use it equally a tablet. The keyboard is a chiclet-style keyboard, and it's actually somewhat small. That is because there is a bit less space hither for Acer to work with, compared to a thirteen-inch laptop, even though the bezels effectually the display are actually really thick – which we'll talk more than about later. The keys accept a decent amount of travel and works quite well. The simply real issue nosotros accept is that information technology'south a bit cramped, just after a few hours of using this Chromebook, you get used to the size of the keyboard, so that's not even that big of a deal.

This Chromebook is a bit on the heavy side, weighing in at 3.09lbs. But that is also the toll you pay for having a rugged machine here. Acer has also built in a rather interesting characteristic. It'southward a drainage system, which will allow for upward to eleven ounces of liquid to be spilled on the Chromebook Spin 11 and information technology even so work. It does explain why the Chromebook Spin 11 is not apartment, and besides is another reason why this is meant for kids and/or students.

Display

Acer has an 11.six-inch 1366×768 touchscreen display on the Chromebook Spin xi here, which in 2017 doesn't await that great. With a good number of other laptops – running both Windows and macOS – sporting Quad Hd or 4K displays, something that is barely HD is pretty tough to employ. But then over again, nosotros have to remember the primary use-case here, which is in classrooms. And this screen volition work perfectly fine in classrooms. Viewing angles really work pretty well here.

This is a touchscreen, so you can fold the display back and use it in tent mode, brandish or as a tablet. It is a 10-point touchscreen, so you can employ multiple fingers at the same time. Pregnant that things like compression to zoom works perfectly fine. In fact, the majority of the time that I was using this Chromebook, I used it as a tablet, along with the Wacom pen that was included with the Chromebook Spin 11. The brandish does accept some massive bezels around it, and that comes dorsum to the major theme with this Chromebook, ruggedness. With the bezels existence a bit wider, information technology means that when the Chromebook is dropped, even in tablet way, if the corner of the screen hits the footing, the actual display will stay intact.

Wacom Stylus Pen

Having a stylus included with the Chromebook Spin eleven is really a actually good idea. Information technology's a fairly inexpensive accompaniment for Acer to include, and it really changes the experience. However, there's no defended place to keep the stylus on the Chromebook Spin 11. For instance, with the Samsung Chromebook Pro and Plus, there is a silo that the Due south Pen slides into. The Microsoft Surface uses magnets to go along the Surface Pen attached to the side of the tablet. None of that is available on the Chromebook Spin 11. And to exist honest, I lost the Wacom Pen quite a few times, which is not good, especially when talking about using this particular machine in classrooms.

Really using the stylus on the Chromebook Spin eleven was a dream, however. With Android apps being a office of the experience now, existence able to use this pen actually changed the feel here. I used information technology quite a bit in tent and tablet way, since I didn't have admission to the trackpad in those modes. Information technology was great for swiping across the virtual keyboard, also scrolling through webpages and my Twitter feed. It's besides very useful in note-taking apps, as well as drawing apps. In the settings, you lot are able to choose which app is your default annotation-taking app, and using the stylus tools in the lower right-hand corner, yous can first a handwritten note. However, yous cannot only open up a new note in say Google Keep or Evernote and start writing with the Wacom Pen, nor does it interpret handwriting to actual text. Then it appears that this feature is half-baked right now. Hopefully, it's something that Google can work on in the futurity.

Software

The Chromebook Spin eleven is running on Chrome OS, which, different Android, is the aforementioned on almost every Chromebook. With the but real differences being the stylus – which in the Chromebook Spin 11'south case, is the Wacom Pen – and the hardware. With better hardware, Chrome OS runs even ameliorate, as expected. The Chromebook Spin 11 does not have the fastest hardware, with an Intel Celeron N3350 clocked at 1.1GHz, but it does its job. Chrome OS works well on the Chromebook Spin xi, and those that are new to Chromebooks are going to be worried that the 32GB of internal storage isn't enough, just it is. Y'all see, with Chrome Bone, all of the data is stored in your Google Drive business relationship (which Google gives y'all 15GB for free, plus 100GB for two years when you buy a new Chromebook, on top of that Google Docs do not count towards your space) then that the only things existence stored on your Chromebook are offline documents and the cache to speed things upwardly. And in that case, 32GB is more than sufficient.

Many people may wonder how Chrome OS is able to run on such slow hardware, and well that is because Chrome Os is just a spider web browser. That's really all this operating arrangement is, and that'southward not necessarily a bad affair. For nearly people today, a web browser is all they use, and then the residuum of the operating system is basically wasted resources. This allows the Chromebook to get better bombardment life, to be sold cheaper, and offer up slower hardware which does let it to exist cheaper. Now, Chrome OS does have Android apps, and the Chromebook Spin xi does support them. The Google Play Store is obviously however very much in beta, which we needed to keep that in mind during the review process, as there were quite a few force closes and such.

The style that Google has integrated Android apps onto Chrome Bone makes it super easy to find apps, install them and apply them. In that location is a shortcut to the Google Play Store in the dock at the bottom of the screen, and from there you tin observe and install apps like you would on an Android smartphone or tablet. Now it is a bit weird to be using an actual keyboard in the Google Play Store, but it works quite well. And don't forget that there is a touchscreen on the Chromebook Spin 11, so you can hands use games like Asphalt 8 on the Chromebook Spin 11 like information technology were an Android tablet. Now something that is pretty resource intensive like Asphalt 8 from Gameloft, doesn't give users the best feel on the Chromebook Spin 11, especially with that 1366×768 resolution brandish. Just it is playable. With Android apps in general, however, at that place are notwithstanding some kinks that need to be worked out. For case, with the main Twitter app, we plant that it sometimes wouldn't refresh (on an Android smartphone you tin can pull to refresh, that didn't e'er work here). And a few other minor things. Even so, the Wacom Pen worked really well with Android apps, and with more apps getting optimized for Chrome Os, it's only going to get meliorate.

Battery Life & Performance

The Acer Chromebook Spin 11 is quoted as lasting around 10 hours on a single accuse. At present, as is the example with any electronic device, that number is subjective to how you lot use the Chromebook Spin 11. We used it quite a bit, only in a normal twenty-four hours, using it to get reviews written hither at Android Headlines and doing other work, nosotros found that it did last around 10-12 hours. Of class, that's actually light web browsing, so information technology should be able to final that long, if not longer. When information technology comes to doing some streaming via Netflix, YouTube, etc, those numbers get downwardly, every bit expected. Simply the Chromebook Spin 11 was still able to final a good 7-8 hours of continuous video playback. Which is still impressive, and it still beats out well-nigh every Windows laptop which ever underperforms what the manufacturer says it tin practice.

A big selling point for a Chromebook is the fact that it has good bombardment life, and the Acer Chromebook Spin eleven delivers there. For most people, the Chromebook Spin 11 will last them a full work twenty-four hour period and however accept a flake of juice left. Just for those that are a scrap heavier in their usage, there is a USB-C port on the side to charge the Chromebook Spin 11. This means you tin can employ the same cable from your smartphone to charge your Chromebook Spin 11, however not the same charger. You'll need either the one that comes in the box, or a Power Delivery charger, which are becoming quite common these days. You lot can technically charge the Chromebook Spin xi with the charger for your smartphone, simply information technology will exist much slower, and don't even think about using the Chromebook Spin 11 while it's charging with that charger.

Now operation-wise, the Chromebook Spin 11 is acceptable, and that'due south virtually it. It does seem to exist pretty slow, compared to other operating systems and laptops. Now a good part of this is due to the slower processor, which is clocked at one.1GHz, but can turbo heave upward to 2.4GHz. And then information technology's not going to win any awards on speed, and it shows when using the Chromebook Spin 11. Simply as nosotros have mentioned numerous times throughout this review, this Chromebook is destined for classrooms, and students aren't going to really care that information technology'southward not the fastest Chromebook on the marketplace. Only that it does what they need it to practise, and information technology does. The 4GB of RAM may seem inadequate compared to Chrome on a Windows or Mac machine, only information technology actually works actually well. We never ran into issues with tabs reloading because it ran out of RAM, which was good to encounter. Of course, more than RAM is always improve.

The Good

Build quality – while it feels cheap, it's really non, information technology's rugged and tin take a beating.

Battery Life

USB-C for power and file transfer

Micro SD Carte du jour slot is still hither

3.5mm headphone jack is also still here

The Bad

Brandish resolution

Slowish processor

Wrap-Upwards

The Acer Chromebook Spin eleven is a good choice for classrooms. If you are a teacher or ambassador looking to switch from Windows or macOS to a Chrome Os system, the Chromebook Spin xi is a practiced pick, especially for younger kids, as information technology tin have a beating or a spill or two. Simply for those that spend all twenty-four hours on a computer and need to exist able to get things done quickly, you may desire to look elsewhere. This isn't a bad Chromebook, there are just ameliorate options out there if you demand or want something that'due south more than powerful. In fact, there are ameliorate options out at that place from Acer themselves.

Buy the Acer Chromebook Spin 11