Acer has introduced its new Chromebook Spin 514 (CP514-1H/ CP514-HH) which also happens to be the first from the company to come powered by the new AMD Ryzen 3000 C-Series Mobile Processors. There is AMD Radeon GPU on board too, which makes for a potent combination that offers top-grade performance. That combined with the rugged, yet stylish form factor makes the new Chromebook a truly desirable laptop for both professionals and students.
There also is the Chromebook Enterprise Spin 514 (CP514-1W/ CP514-WH) which is built around the latest AMD Ryzen 3000 C-Series Mobile CPU. As is already understandable, the Enterprise edition is designed to tap into the business features of the Chrome OS and is aimed at the enterprise segment.
Acer Chromebook Spin 514 specs
The new Chromebook Spin 514 comes with an anodized and sandblasted aluminum chassis with a diamond-cut pattern on the top cover as well as the touchpad. The display comprises of a 14-inch full HD IPS touchscreen panel. There is Corning Gorilla Glass on top as well for enhanced protection, with the display offering a 78 percent screen-to-body ratio.
Another highlight of the display, or rather the hinge is that it offers 360-degrees of movement. That way, the display can be held in tent mode or pushed all the way back to be used as a tablet. The backlit keyboard allows for typing in varying lighting conditions. The laptop does not come with much of a heft either, weighing in at just 1.55 kilos while measuring only 17.35 mm in thickness.
Battery life is quite impressive 10-hours. Complementing the AMD Ryzen 3000 C-Series mobile CPU and Radeon Graphics is up to 16 GB of DDR4 RAM and 256 GB of native storage. There is a microSD card slot too, should you need more space. For ports, there is a pair of USB 3.2 Gen 1, Type-C ports along with a DisplayPort over USB-C and USB charging. Then there are two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports too, with one having a power-off charging feature. Wireless connectivity is via dual-band Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.
Another highlight of the new Acer Chromebook is that it complies with the U.S. MIL-STD 810H standard for military-grade durability and ruggedness. The laptop can survive falls from a height of 48 inches while being able to withstand the downward force of up to 60 kilos.
For entertainment, there are dual speakers as well. The dual microphones can be used to communicate with Google Assistant while the HD webcam is handy for webchats.
All of these make the new Chromebook Spin 514 ideal for working and learning from home.
Acer Chromebook Enterprise Spin 514 specs
Aimed at the business segment, the new Chromebook Enterprise Spin 514 offers up to 16 GB of DDR4 DRAM and a max of 256 GB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage. Apart from solid specs, the other highlight of the Chromebook Enterprise Spin 514 is zero-touch enrolment. This way, the IT department has the option to drop ship the Enterprise Spin 514 and it will automatically enroll into the enterprise admin the moment it is connected to the internet.
The Chrome OS also makes it easy to deploy and manage a cloud-based workforce, all in a highly secured and protected environment. This ensures higher levels of productivity and a lower cost of ownership. The OS also makes it easy for the IT admin to control system and app updates, policy updates, and so on.
Price and availability
The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (CP514-1H) will go on sale in North America from February onwards and will start at $479.99. Thereafter, the Chromebook will launch in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa regions in March and will cost EUR 529. Colour options with the device include Pure Silver, Steel Gray, and Mist Green.
The Acer Chromebook Enterprise Spin 514 (CP514-1WH) will go on sale in North America and EMEA from March and will cost $749.99 and EUR 799 onwards, respectively.
