Acer Refreshes C7 Chromebook With Better Battery, More RAM
Aver has updated its C7 Chromebook line with a new model.
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".

BTW if we could edit our post I could of corrected it
Although 12 years warranty would be nice!!!!
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.
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.
not really a problem IMO.. it's pretty common for people to trade up after a year anyways..
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