Grab the amazing deal on Amazon and save $36 on Acer Chromebook 311 Laptop. Don’t underestimate the Acer Chromebook Spin 311. Despite being launched in 2020, it’s one of the best Chromebooks 2021 has to offer. That’s all thanks to its easy convenience thanks to that amazing touchscreen, great design and stellar flexibility – not to mention its upgraded specs for 2021. Aesthetically, the Chromebook Spin 311 is quite understated, covered in a matte black interrupted only by a diamond-shaped pattern that adorns the notebook’s lid.
Its understated looks makes it a perfect fit whether you’re taking notes in class or using it in a business meeting. It’s also perfect for working on because the touchpad and keyboard are such a satisfaction to use. Still, the keyboard feels a bit cramped, probably because it’s the same size as other Acer products but in a smaller case. It took a while to get used to it, but the pleasure clicks and controls eventually won us over. Front and center is the 11.6-inch display of the Acer Chromebook 311 C733U. At 1,366 by 768 pixels, it is not full HD. It also does not support touch input and does not offer IPS panel technology.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]It is an old-fashioned TN panel, which means pretty poor viewing angles and contrast. It’s also not the brightest screen on earth. It’s usable enough, and the small 11.6-inch diagonal means the pixel pitch actually isn’t that bad, despite the low resolution. But adults accustomed to larger screens will feel a bit limited, especially thanks to that limited vertical resolution that requires a fair amount of scrolling. The Spin 311 has an 11.6-inch IPS screen with a resolution just above 720p (1366 x 768). It is a screen of compromises. On the one hand, the diplay is covered with antimicrobial Gorilla Glass, which provides protection against most drops.
On the other hand, the maximum brightness is low, as is the resolution, and the bezels are thick. The stereo speakers on the bottom of the Spin 311 work surprisingly well, even if they are not that impressive. The speakers are small and the sound strongly supports the upper midrange. This is great for movies and TV shows because it emphasizes dialogue. In music, certain instruments stand out more than others. In a riffing piano number like Anomaly’s Valours, for example, the upper midrange of the piano stands out from the music.
In such a melodically dense piece, the sudden jump in volume can be jarring. In daily performance, it managed to do quite well. I wasn’t blown away by the speed, but the device handled everyday tasks such as browsing the web, watching YouTube videos, and editing documents with no trouble. It managed to rate 261/918 for single- and multi-core scores, respectively, in Geekbench 5. That puts it on par with other $300 Chromebooks, though it’s far behind what’s available to higher-end Intel-based machines.