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This is indeed a good to very good price for the specifications. However, the pricing is well above a directly comparable ASUS which sold at $179 around December. Considering how much worse the market has gotten for PC sales even since that early crash of prices in the chromebook space, the most hardcore bargain hunters may be justified in passing on this deal. However, if you've been shopping a chromebook there's good reason to give this option a look should you need something today.
8GB of RAM
Particularly on x86 models this improves usability with more advanced use-cases, such as the Linux sandbox.
1080p touchscreen
The touchscreen improves the interoperability with Android apps. 1080p resolution makes this a solid media-consumption device.
2-in-1 design
When considered alongside the Android functionality (and relatively long software support life with ChromeOS) this becomes a killer Android tablet replacement.
There's probably not a better chromebook you could buy right now for $250. At the same time, there have been comparable chromebooks for less just within the past few months.
Regarding returns, I normally don't call people out for asking questions (this is a discussion forum after all,) but you asked the same question 4 times a month ago the last time this deal was posted.
In that month you could have spent < 1 minute searching and found this:
For an immediate refund, including shipping and handling fees, return your purchase to any Costco warehouse.
Items returned by mail through Costco.com will be refunded - including shipping and handling fees - and will be credited to the credit card used to place your order. You won't be charged for the return shipping.
Does that mean this Chromebook is old? Isn't that a 1st gen Intel processor?
Your comparison at a raw CPU horsepower level is close.
However, first consider that ChromeOS is extremely lightweight, so is typically paired with minimal CPUs while still providing reasonable performance. Whereas Atom-based CPUs are often miserably unusable for Windows, for example, ChromeOS excels on such platforms.
Second, in defense of the more modern AMD CPU it probably has about 5-10% more horsepower than the first generation i3 you cited and does so within a 15W power limit vs the 70W range demanded by that first generation i3. So the more modern CPU is predictably much more efficient. That does highlight that we're definitely not talking about a high-performance system (which was noted in my earlier post). But assuming the first point (that little CPU horsepower is required by ChromeOS) the efficiency of this CPU would recommend it as a mobile platform for ChromeOS.
So although neither an ancient i3 nor this Ryzen mobile CPU should be a great option for running, say, Windows 10, running ChromeOS is completely reasonable on said Ryzen 3350C for a vast majority of ChromeOS use cases (basic web browsing and Android apps).
I had this and returned it, it was incredibly slow, not sure why, maybe the drivers for it wasn't optimized, but it was painfully slow and the fan kept turning on.
I have the Acer 713. Great Chromebook, significantly more money , but awful speakers. Think I remeber chromeunboxed reviewing this and said the speakers were just as bad.
This is indeed a good to very good price for the specifications. However, the pricing is well above a directly comparable ASUS which sold at $179 around December. Considering how much worse the market has gotten for PC sales even since that early crash of prices in the chromebook space, the most hardcore bargain hunters may be justified in passing on this deal. However, if you've been shopping a chromebook there's good reason to give this option a look should you need something today.
8GB of RAM
Particularly on x86 models this improves usability with more advanced use-cases, such as the Linux sandbox.
1080p touchscreen
The touchscreen improves the interoperability with Android apps. 1080p resolution makes this a solid media-consumption device.
2-in-1 design
When considered alongside the Android functionality (and relatively long software support life with ChromeOS) this becomes a killer Android tablet replacement.
There's probably not a better chromebook you could buy right now for $250. At the same time, there have been comparable chromebooks for less just within the past few months.
Good luck!
Jon
This was the type of response i was looking for. Yes i know about that asus chromebook from a while back. They even had a cheaper one with same specs but non touchscreen. But you are saying the speed is nearly identical. Thought this was faster because ryzen or not?
Also that one has half the storage but then again, that amount of storage is already decent. issue is that asus chromebook hasn't been on sale for months. Most likely not again since it would only have few year of updates left?
Yea this seems to best the best value chromebook you can buy now but there is also that shipping fee. But the issue is comparable chreombooks with lower prices, those aren't on sale anymore. So you recommend to buy this now if you want one soon? You think best buy have a sale again on those asus chromebook again? Thing is this asus has updates for a lot longer so that is another pro But the next time there are big discount like this on a chromebook with eight gb ram probably won't be till later this year right? So you recommend buy this or wait?
I had this and returned it, it was incredibly slow, not sure why, maybe the drivers for it wasn't optimized, but it was painfully slow and the fan kept turning on.
I thought you bought the Acer Spin 513 with a Qualcomm chip and 4GB memory
But you are saying the speed is nearly identical. Thought this was faster because ryzen or not?
NOT. (But yes, AMD hopes you make exactly the assumption that Ryzen = better)
Consider that this CPU is effectively based upon a second generation revision of the earliest Zen core design (circa 2017/2018) which only changed/updated the graphics core. That dates this technology around the exact same release year as the M3-8100Y if not older. Of course, AMD makes none of that clearly indicated in the model revision.
Quote
from paulyshore
:
Yea this seems to best the best value chromebook you can buy now but there is also that shipping fee. But the issue is comparable chreombooks with lower prices, those aren't on sale anymore. So you recommend to buy this now if you want one soon? You think best buy have a sale again on those asus chromebook again? Thing is this asus has updates for a lot longer so that is another pro But the next time there are big discount like this on a chromebook with eight gb ram probably won't be till later this year right? So you recommend buy this or wait?
Someone who needed something today shouldn't be embarrassed by this purchase. At the same time, the market has been so rough for sellers there's every reason to keep holding out a bit longer if you can for sales akin to what we saw at the end of last year. The benefit to holding out is also that 8GB models are becoming ever more common.
The Lenovo model you listed is a ruggedized Windows model targeted for education. As such, the build is much chunkier and drops a 1080p screen in favor of a lower-resolution 1366x768 model that it packs safely within a bunch of plastic.
In contrast this Acer is intended as a premium-ish retail chromebook option.
Despite the Lenovo having an Atom-based CPU the effective horsepower is likely very comparable, so any of these models would feel comparable snappy/slow for a given application (and generally they're all fine for typical ChromeOS usage). The challenge for the Lenovo is that Atom-based CPUs are capable of booting Windows, but often struggle to do much beyond that.
Realistically the 11e exists to survive in a 2nd grade classroom whereas the Acer is for a personal/professional use.
NOT. (But yes, AMD hopes you make exactly the assumption that Ryzen = better)
Consider that this CPU is effectively based upon a second generation revision of the earliest Zen core design (circa 2017/2018) which only changed/updated the graphics core. That dates this technology around the exact same release year as the M3-8100Y if not older. Of course, AMD makes none of that clearly indicated in the model revision.
Someone who needed something today shouldn't be embarrassed by this purchase. At the same time, the market has been so rough for sellers there's every reason to keep holding out a bit longer if you can for sales akin to what we saw at the end of last year. The benefit to holding out is also that 8GB models are becoming ever more common.
Good luck!
Jon
Okay so similar specs like the asus one on sale a while back. Yes i want a new chromebook soon. So would you say good buy now? The eight gb ram seem to be very important here as many other chromebooks that go on sale now doesn't have that.
You think best buy would ever do sale again for those asus ones again? They probably low in stock so no more probably?
So earliest time you can expect price drop like this on chromebook with eight gb ram is the holidays?
I did last year, can't remember if I sold it or returned it. I usually keep a laptop maybe a year if I like it than move on to something else, just like phones.
I was looking to buy a Lenovo Chromebook for some time now. But, it seems this Chromebook has everything I was looking for. Just placed an online order for home delivery. I like the fact that I got 90 days to return it. The reviews are very good at Costco.com and can't beat the price.
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8GB of RAM
Particularly on x86 models this improves usability with more advanced use-cases, such as the Linux sandbox.
1080p touchscreen
The touchscreen improves the interoperability with Android apps. 1080p resolution makes this a solid media-consumption device.
2-in-1 design
When considered alongside the Android functionality (and relatively long software support life with ChromeOS) this becomes a killer Android tablet replacement.
Where this doesn't necessarily excel is the CPU, which is absolutely solid for the lightweight ChromeOS but like many Ryzen models sounds better than it is (since the internals are based on an older Zen iteration [notebookcheck.net]). This AMD CPU is going to provide almost exactly the same performance as the M3-8100Y [userbenchmark.com] in the ASUS deal I referenced earlier. However, buyers of the Intel-equipped ASUS might understand that the Y labeling indicated ultra-low power usage and M3 indicated a cut down number of cores (2) vs. the mainstream i3 series of the 8th generation (which had introduced 4 cores as almost universal). In contrast, the AMD Ryzen 3 3250C hopes to invoke association with the highly efficient Zen2 Ryzen CPUs [hothardware.com] but in actuality, as is the case with much of the mobile lineup for AMD, the internals are based upon an older revision.
There's probably not a better chromebook you could buy right now for $250. At the same time, there have been comparable chromebooks for less just within the past few months.
Good luck!
Jon
Regarding returns, I normally don't call people out for asking questions (this is a discussion forum after all,) but you asked the same question 4 times a month ago the last time this deal was posted.
In that month you could have spent < 1 minute searching and found this:
For an immediate refund, including shipping and handling fees, return your purchase to any Costco warehouse.
Items returned by mail through Costco.com will be refunded - including shipping and handling fees - and will be credited to the credit card used to place your order. You won't be charged for the return shipping.
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Does that mean this Chromebook is old? Isn't that a 1st gen Intel processor?
However, first consider that ChromeOS is extremely lightweight, so is typically paired with minimal CPUs while still providing reasonable performance. Whereas Atom-based CPUs are often miserably unusable for Windows, for example, ChromeOS excels on such platforms.
Second, in defense of the more modern AMD CPU it probably has about 5-10% more horsepower than the first generation i3 you cited and does so within a 15W power limit vs the 70W range demanded by that first generation i3. So the more modern CPU is predictably much more efficient. That does highlight that we're definitely not talking about a high-performance system (which was noted in my earlier post). But assuming the first point (that little CPU horsepower is required by ChromeOS) the efficiency of this CPU would recommend it as a mobile platform for ChromeOS.
So although neither an ancient i3 nor this Ryzen mobile CPU should be a great option for running, say, Windows 10, running ChromeOS is completely reasonable on said Ryzen 3350C for a vast majority of ChromeOS use cases (basic web browsing and Android apps).
Good luck!
Jon
- 8GB of RAM
- 1080p touchscreen
- 2-in-1 design
Where this doesn't necessarily excel is the CPU, which is absolutely solid for the lightweight ChromeOS but like many Ryzen models sounds better than it is (since the internals are based on an older Zen iteration [notebookcheck.net]). This AMD CPU is going to provide almost exactly the same performance as the M3-8100Y [userbenchmark.com] in the ASUS deal I referenced earlier. However, buyers of the Intel-equipped ASUS might understand that the Y labeling indicated ultra-low power usage and M3 indicated a cut down number of cores (2) vs. the mainstream i3 series of the 8th generation (which had introduced 4 cores as almost universal). In contrast, the AMD Ryzen 3 3250C hopes to invoke association with the highly efficient Zen2 Ryzen CPUs [hothardware.com] but in actuality, as is the case with much of the mobile lineup for AMD, the internals are based upon an older revision.Particularly on x86 models this improves usability with more advanced use-cases, such as the Linux sandbox.
The touchscreen improves the interoperability with Android apps. 1080p resolution makes this a solid media-consumption device.
When considered alongside the Android functionality (and relatively long software support life with ChromeOS) this becomes a killer Android tablet replacement.
There's probably not a better chromebook you could buy right now for $250. At the same time, there have been comparable chromebooks for less just within the past few months.
Good luck!
Jon
Also that one has half the storage but then again, that amount of storage is already decent. issue is that asus chromebook hasn't been on sale for months. Most likely not again since it would only have few year of updates left?
Yea this seems to best the best value chromebook you can buy now but there is also that shipping fee. But the issue is comparable chreombooks with lower prices, those aren't on sale anymore. So you recommend to buy this now if you want one soon? You think best buy have a sale again on those asus chromebook again? Thing is this asus has updates for a lot longer so that is another pro But the next time there are big discount like this on a chromebook with eight gb ram probably won't be till later this year right? So you recommend buy this or wait?
https://slickdeals.net/f/15804436-acer-spin-513-13-3-2-in-1-chromebook-qualcomm-7c-4gb-64gb-certified-refurbished-158-or-less?p=15539198
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Consider that this CPU is effectively based upon a second generation revision of the earliest Zen core design (circa 2017/2018) which only changed/updated the graphics core. That dates this technology around the exact same release year as the M3-8100Y if not older. Of course, AMD makes none of that clearly indicated in the model revision.
Good luck!
Jon
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank The_Love_Spud
In contrast this Acer is intended as a premium-ish retail chromebook option.
Despite the Lenovo having an Atom-based CPU the effective horsepower is likely very comparable, so any of these models would feel comparable snappy/slow for a given application (and generally they're all fine for typical ChromeOS usage). The challenge for the Lenovo is that Atom-based CPUs are capable of booting Windows, but often struggle to do much beyond that.
Realistically the 11e exists to survive in a 2nd grade classroom whereas the Acer is for a personal/professional use.
Good luck!
Jon
Consider that this CPU is effectively based upon a second generation revision of the earliest Zen core design (circa 2017/2018) which only changed/updated the graphics core. That dates this technology around the exact same release year as the M3-8100Y if not older. Of course, AMD makes none of that clearly indicated in the model revision.
Someone who needed something today shouldn't be embarrassed by this purchase. At the same time, the market has been so rough for sellers there's every reason to keep holding out a bit longer if you can for sales akin to what we saw at the end of last year. The benefit to holding out is also that 8GB models are becoming ever more common.
Good luck!
Jon
You think best buy would ever do sale again for those asus ones again? They probably low in stock so no more probably?
So earliest time you can expect price drop like this on chromebook with eight gb ram is the holidays?
https://slickdeals.net/f/15804436-acer-spin-513-13-3-2-in-1-chromebook-qualcomm-7c-4gb-64gb-certified-refurbished-158-or-less?p=15539198
I was looking at used dells with windows 10
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