Chromebooks have been around for a while and while they’ve made an impact, some would say, not as big as they could have. The additional functionality of running Android Apps on the ChromeOS platform certainly made a difference when that landed though. Now, with each iteration, Chromebooks are going from strength to strength. Acer’s new Chromebook Spin 514 is testament to that bringing the AMD Ryzen™ 3000 C-Series Mobile Processors and AMD Radeon™ Graphics to Chromebook users.
We don’t yet have specifics on when, or how much it will cost when it lands in Australia but it would be safe to assume it won’t be cheap. The business focus for G Suite users, solid build and swivel hinges mean that this isn’t just a work or education tool; like the Spin 13 we looked at in 2019, it’s an all-round connected device.
James Lin, GM for Notebooks and IT products at Acer said:
Users will be blown away by the new level of responsiveness and performance provided by the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 with AMD Ryzen Mobile Processors. Plus, the Ryzen 7 3700C Processor offers the best graphics available in an AMD-powered Chromebook[3], so our customers can take advantage of the growing range of apps and extensions to tackle even more challenging projects.
Physically the Spin 514 chassis is made from anodised, sandblasted aluminium making it durable and capable of dealing with daily use and knocks. It weighs in at — somewhat hefty — 1.55kg and measures 17.35mm thin. To ensure continued performance delivery to users, Acer has included 16GB of RAM and SSD storage.
If you’re after a decent suite of connectivity, Acer has ticked the boxes here too with two USB-C (including Display Port over USB-C), two USB and a MicroSD card reader. Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 round out the wireless connectivity.
The internal specs are complemented by a number of hardware features:
- A narrow-bezel on the 14-inch Full HD Corning® Gorilla® Glass touch display
- Newly-designed keys for improved typing
- Google Assistant connectivity
- Long battery life (up to 10 hours) thanks to the no-frills operating system
- AMD Radeon™ Vega Mobile Graphics
- HD Webcam
- Dual Microphones for clear audio on video streaming calls
We’re expecting the 514 (and enterprise model) to land in Australia in Q2 of 2021, with pricing yet to be confirmed. There are three colours coming: Pure Silver, Steel Gray and Mist Green.
The Spin 713 that Acer has advertised on its Aus website hasn’t actually been available here since launch in about August 2020.
I won’t be holding my breath for the Spin 514.