Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsa beautiful keyboard (wonderful to type on) and decent trackpad
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2016
Chromebook Chameleon or "Karma Chameleon"? Culture Club's 80's mega hit should be the theme song for this lovely Acer Chromebook.
Chromebooks have risen in popularity, and they've earned a respected place in schools along with budget minded folk who still need a serious and reliable computer. Despite their limitations, Chrome OS powered machines can fulfill the needs of most of us who aren't looking for high powered graphic machines for video games or film editing. Now, with this low priced Acer workhorse, they've not only matured, but are keeping pace with the latest tech advancements.
Acer's Convertible Chromebook R11 packs enough power for most of us - including busy students or even small business owners. Attractively and solidly constructed, a beautiful keyboard (wonderful to type on) and decent trackpad, make this a fantastic value at the low price. The screen - an 11.6 inch IPS multi-touch - could be a bit larger, but is more than adequately bright and sharp. What puts this in a class by itself when compared to standard Chromebooks or notebooks, is the chameleon like ability to perform in four distinct modes: Laptop, Display, Tent or Pad. Laptop is your standard notebook configuration, the Display mode allows one to fold the keyboard into a stand - bringing the screen closer to the eyes or allowing easier sharing with others, Tent is the same as Display, however, it uses the border of the device to allow a narrow and major space saving format, and finally, Pad mode turns the R11 into an over sized tablet or iPad clone.
The Pad mode is its sexiest feature. It does work admirably, however, the R11's thickness and its hefty weight - compared to iPads and Android tablets - preclude it from holding for very long and using like most tablet devices. Employing a supportive stand, this feature would be more enjoyable to use more often. I've found myself loving the Display or Tent modes, as using a stylus device is like going back to old school pen and paper. Snap on an external keyboard (there's a USB 2 and a USB3 port) and throw the R11's display to an external monitor via the full sized HDMI port, and your Acer Convertible Chromebook becomes something akin to a full fledged desktop. I chose the 2gb model - Amazon wasn't selling the hard to get 4gb - and I've discovered the R11 has rarely let me down by slowing down or bugging me with broken (Aww Snap) links due to low memory. I restrict my workload to about 8 open tabs, so anything over that may burden the more hyper kinetic power users. Still, I've bumped mine up to over 10 for awhile, and there was no appreciable difference in performance nor browser tab ill health.
The Acer Convertible Chromebook R11 is a modestly priced, good looking and ruggedly constructed computer. It feels much more expensive - even lavish to the touch - and its IPS touchscreen, keyboard and trackpad are all of high performing quality. Some have complained over the trackpad's cheap feel, but my MacBook Pro's trackpad was nearly of the same bounciness. If you don't need a Flash like speed demon or an ultra HD screen, the R11's price, performance and morphing features should satisfy and even delight most Chromebook fans.
