Acer Refreshes C7 Chromebook With Better Battery, More RAM

Acer has updated its highly popular (and cheap) C7 Chromebook line with a new C710-2055 model sporting a better battery and more RAM. Acer claims the new model is best suited for commercial customers, especially schools looking for a way to enhance student learning. It's available now in the U.S. at retailers and from authorized Acer resellers for $279.99.

One of the biggest issues surrounding the previous C7 Chromebook was that it only offered up to 4 hours of battery life. Acer has fixed that by installing a 6-cell battery which extends the up time to 6 hours. That's still not very long compared to your standard notebook, but it's not bad considering the Chromebook's relatively cheap pricetag.

In addition to the battery upgrade, the new C7 Chromebook sports 4 GB of DDR3-1333 RAM, up from the 2 GB offered in previous models. There's also an Intel Celeron 847 processor clocked at 1.10 GHz (2 MB L3 cache), Intel HD graphics with 128 MB or VRAM, and an 11.6-inch HD Widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit LCD screen.

As for other features, the Chromebook packs three USB 2.0 ports, HDMI output, a VGA port, an HD 1.3MP webcam, and a 320 GB 5400RPM HDD. For connecting to networks, there doesn't seem to be an Ethernet port, only Wireless N connectivity. The chassis color is listed as "Iron Gray".

"The Acer C7 weighs only 3.05 pounds, so it’s portable enough to move between classrooms and even outside for projects in classes such as science and art. It measures only one inch thin, so it can easily be stored in a classroom, on a mobile cart, or can fit into a backpack for schools that allow a check-out program," Acer said on Tuesday. "The slim size incorporates a full-sized keyboard that is comfortable to use for web browsing, creating presentations and running educational apps."

 Amazon is taking pre-orders for the Acer C710-2055 now for $279.99 USD, as it's still listed as "not yet been released".

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  • dextermat
    The problem is the 12 year warranty, you know that most of them won't last more than 2 years
    Reply
  • dextermat
    typo in previous post i meant 1 year.
    BTW if we could edit our post I could of corrected it

    Although 12 years warranty would be nice!!!!
    Reply
  • the1kingbob
    Little shocked that it doesn't have network port... Not a bad price for what ya get though...
    Reply
  • fuzzion
    Something like this, 5 years ago, would have cost around $2,799.00.
    Reply
  • Memnarchon
    dextermattypo in previous post i meant 1 year.
    BTW if we could edit our post I could of corrected it
    Although 12 years warranty would be nice!!!!Go here and click edit/quick edit.
    :P
    Reply
  • alextheblue
    the1kingbobLittle shocked that it doesn't have network port... Not a bad price for what ya get though...Dump ChromeOS and install Ubuntu or Windows and you'd have a halfway useful machine. But if you spend a little bit more you can just get a real laptop with a faster CPU, better storage and connectivity, etc. I see these Chromebooks as more of a competitor to entry-level tablets.
    Reply
  • blazorthon
    fuzzionSomething like this, 5 years ago, would have cost around $2,799.00.
    I have a Gateway laptop (came with Vista) from 2008 right in front of me with similar specs and it only cost about $500 new and another $80 for the 4GB RAM upgrade. Even if I was to try to match specs more ideally, I could have done so for about $700 to $800. For $2K to $3K, I could have instead gotten a nice Core 2 Quad laptop that is much better than this Chromebook IIRC, although I'd have to check to be sure if we had many mobile Core 2 Quad options in early to mid 2008. Even if not, decent Core 2 Duo options would have still been available and still been faster than this even if at the cost of much higher power consumption.
    Reply
  • xero141
    dextermatThe problem is the 12 year warranty, you know that most of them won't last more than 2 years
    not really a problem IMO.. it's pretty common for people to trade up after a year anyways..
    Reply
  • janetonly42
    Could make a sweet Linux machine as far as Chrome and the cloud, I'll pass.
    Reply
  • AG4IT
    The Chromebook concept is an interesting one. Google has made good progress in getting people to accept the internet-only premise, but they still have work to do on that front. So sticking with a low-cost product line is the best way to go for now.

    One obstacle to wider adoption of Chromebooks (especially in business) is the popularity of Windows applications, especially Microsoft Office. One way around this is with solutions like Ericom AccessNow, an HTML5 RDP client that enables Chromebook users to connect to Terminal Server or VDI virtual desktops, and run Windows applications (like MS Office) or even full desktops in a browser tab. So even if you purchase a Chromebook for casual home use, you can also use it to connect to your work applications if necessary.

    Click here for more information:
    http://www.ericom.com/RDPChromebook.asp?URL_ID=708

    Please note that I work for Ericom
    Reply