Review on Acer Chromebook CP713 1WN 53NF Convertible Touchscreen by Brad Schaefer

My review will be brief, but I'll likely update it over time. I only had it for the day I am writing the first version of this review. About me: I'm not exactly an advanced user, I would consider myself a super user. I've been using Chrome OS as my main operating system for about six or seven years, but the Chromebook that replaced it was quite a long time ago, so this is the first current-gen Chromebook I've had since my C720 was new. .Pro:* It has a great keyboard. This is the best laptop keyboard I've ever used, regardless of OS. (I know the Chromebook Pixel does very well, but I've never had to compare it to one.) The backlight is a handy feature, but not one I particularly care about.* The trackpad is great. When I first tried it, it seemed too sensitive to me. Thing is, I'm used to a "gripping" trackpad, and this one is silky smooth. Only time will tell how it holds up, but so far so good. Chrome OS gestures work great.* I would give the screen a 2+ or 1-. I know some people complain that the screen doesn't get as bright as they would like. It's definitely brighter and has better colors than my previous Chromebook, but that's not a very fair comparison since my previous Chromebook is a budget model that's a few years old. The glass on the screen is smooth and I haven't had any noticeable finger smudges yet. It was as responsive as my tablet when using Android apps.* Speed: That's a strong bet for a Chromebook. I haven't weighed it down or slowed it down yet. I had over a dozen tabs open to test it and all tabs were responsive.* Done. Brushed aluminum. It feels comfortable and looks good. No pros, no cons:* Fan: I have typical hearing. Yes, I heard the fan turn on several times. It doesn't bother me and doesn't sound loud, but yes I can hear it sometimes when it's turned on. I know other reviewers have described it as noisy. I'm wondering if there's a difference between the units, or (more likely in my opinion) a difference in what different people find loud or annoying. When there is ambient noise in the room (TV, music, etc.), I don't notice it at all. I'd say the fan doesn't seem like a problem to me, but others might be sensitive to it. Edit: After a few days I only heard the fan turn on a couple of times. It's not a problem, but I agree that there are sensitive people. Cons: * Weight (when used in tablet mode): I doubt I'll get much use out of tablet mode as it's a bit bulky with the size and weight. The weight is normal for a 13 inch tablet, but as a tablet it is a bit heavy. Note. What I like is that I've used some (cheap) 2-in-1s in the past with the weight mostly in the screen. As a result, these devices tended to tip over when used as a laptop - the slightest bump would push them. This device has enough weight in half of the keyboard that this is not an issue. *Price: That's a lot for a Chromebook. It's not the sort of machine I'd recommend for someone's first look at Chrome OS (unless price is an issue), because the OS itself is a love-or-hate situation. The hardware here is very good, but the operating system is what it is. I love Chrome OS and am heavily invested in the Google ecosystem, but if you're one of those people who doesn't like Chrome OS, the best hardware in the world won't change that. What I would have liked: Another USB-A port - I'd be happy if this machine had one on either side. I haven't used it enough to meaningfully check the battery life. Edit: I'm getting around 8 hours of mixed use so far, but I haven't really calculated it and most of the time I have the brightness set a notch below max. The same goes for the included stylus. So far the stylus seems like a nice toy, but I haven't found much use for it since I'm not an artist, despite having Gimp (similar to Photoshop) installed (via a Linux VM). Unfortunately, GIMP doesn't support pen pressure sensitivity (yet?), and the pen doesn't have a built-in eraser function. I've heard that Krita might support a pressure sensitivity feature, but haven't tested it yet. Edit: Crita doesn't work for me. Android apps that support pen pressure worked for me, but this feature didn't work for me on Linux software.