Review on 📈 Enhanced Performance in the Acer C720 Chromebook (11.6-Inch, 4GB RAM) by Peris Holland

available Background: This is my first Chromebook. I have a computer that I use for gaming and video editing. and I had a '08 MacBook (recently deceased while arranging this purchase) and a 12 MacBook Air (a gift from my mother), both of which I primarily use for surfing the web, checking email, watching YouTube and used to play music. and video files. I needed to replace my MacBook, so I researched my options and narrowed my choices down to the Acer C720 and HP Chromebook11 based on my needs. I read the limited reviews available at the time and the general theme was that the C720 offered better performance than build/screen quality, while the HP11 offered better build/screen quality than performance. I've always put function over form, so this was the C720. I'm happy to report that I think the claims made about the C720's screen - some of which sounded like it's a full POS - are unfounded as I think it's as good as it is My Macbook Air's screen. Sure, the build quality isn't the best, but it doesn't feel like a flimsy toy by any means. The keys and touchpad feel thinner, lighter, and of lower quality than my MacBook, but still adequate; and for $250 this is a solid machine that meets or exceeds all my expectations. At the time of purchase the available reviews did not highlight whether this machine could meet my main criteria (listed below in order of importance) and I am happy to report that the C720 passed with flying colours! (Please note that my 2008 MacBook was unable to play 1080p video from my Sony Action Cam or GoPro (without the help of Plex software) due to a CPU/GPU limitation.)1. smooth playback of 1080p raw video files from my Sony ActionCam and GoPro 3 (HDTV 1080p output works great too!) 2. Surf the web efficiently - no realistic limitations with open tabs/windows (thanks to 4GB RAM)3. Compact size (C720 seems a bit heavier than my Macbook Air and a hair's breadth in every way)4. long battery life (on a full charge and a screen brightness of 70%, the battery indicator estimates 7 hours of use)5. the ability to keep using all my external hard drives (some laptops I've used before don't work well). Overall I'm very impressed with the C720 and I think at $250 it's an excellent deal for a very powerful machine. Assuming your primary use is similar to mine - surfing the web on the couch/in bed, music and video playback - this laptop will surprisingly satisfy most if not all of your needs. The Intel Celeron Haswell chip, while simplistic, allows this Chromebook to match the performance of my MacBook Air for all my purposes and purposes, even outperforming my old MacBook in video playback. I've officially switched to a Chromebook and I don't miss my MacBook anymore! I will update this review as I have new experiences, but for now I am very happy with my decision to use C720.11/15/13. UPDATE: I'm even more impressed with this machine after spending another 3.5 weeks with it. Not only can I stream 1080p web content to my TV via HDMI, I can simultaneously stream 1080p content to my C720 display and view multiple tabs at the same time with no noticeable performance hit. That's two 1080p streams for separate displays, and you can surf the web smoothly. C720 is a beast!