Review of the Acer Chromebook Plus C515

Acer Chromebook Plus C515

I've always said Chromebooks are great for most people, but not for me. I need a machine that can handle serious multi-tasking. Well, enter the Acer Chromebook Plus C515, stage right.

This machine finally handles the workload I require. Unlike Windows, ChromeOS doesn't require huge resources, so the 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD are more than sufficient. I routinely run 25+ tabs and 10 or so apps at once, and this lean, mean multi-tasking machine just keeps up, thanks to the Intel Core i3 "oomph." It even has a quiet fan, so it never gets too hot under a heavy processing load.

The "Plus" features are what seal the deal for me. The AI-enhanced 1080p webcam controls are built right into the dock and make me look fabulous. But the real value? It includes a free year of Google's Gemini Advanced program. That's over a $250 value (with tax), which means if you get this on sale, the device practically pays for itself!

The hardware is solid. Battery life is an easy 10-12 hours depending on what settings you're using. The FHD touchscreen is bright and crisp, and the upward-facing stereo speakers are a game-changer—no more muffled sounds coming from underneath the keyboard! It's also super light weight at just over 3 lbs with great WiFi 6 and Bluetooth.  And did I mention that Chromecast is built right in? There's even a Pomodoro mode for serious productivity, as well as Do Not Disturb modes to keep you from distractions. The AI-enhanced mics are excellent for calls, too as my contact sometimes think I'm in the same room as they are.

One of my few complaints is the keyboard. For starters, it's not backlit, and the standard Chromebook layout has a weird slant eeif you're used to a PC QWERTY keyboard like I am. You get used to it, but it could be better. At least the keys are spaced out well, which is an issue on some laptop keyboards.

My only wish? That I'd bought this sooner. I now do about 90% of my computing on this Chromebook Plus. It handles light video editing and software development just fine. But for heavy-duty compiling or video rendering, I still turn to my Windows machine (since this only has 8GB). And of course there is the odd program that will only run on Windows. But for everything else, this is my go-to, daily computing device now.

(Disclosure: This Acer Chromebook Plus C515 was purchased by the author from Amazon during a sale event.)

Whether you choose this Acer or another Chromebook "Plus" model, you can't go wrong. Like me, you'll wonder why you didn't switch sooner. And the eco-friendly packaging is just a bonus that seals the deal.