Acer Chromebook Spin 312 CP312-1HN-34Z7 Convertible Laptop | Intel Core i3-N305 | 12.2" WUXGA IPS Corning Gorilla Glass Touch Display | 8GB LPDDR5 | 128GB eMMC | Wi-Fi 6E | Full HD Webcam | Chrome OS

I was looking for an 11-12" Chromebook 2 in 1 with an N100 processor or better (AMD or Intel only), 4 GB (but preferably more) RAM, and at least 64 GB of storage. Most of the ones in the 11-12" range have ARM processors, which means I can't enable Linux on them, and I have to have my Linux apps. Then I found the Acer Spin 312 2 in 1 with an 8 core Intel i3 processor, 8 GB RAM, and 128 GB storage. This Chromebook wasn't one I was shown on Amazon. I found it on Best Buy dot com for $299, and was checking out, when I decided to google the model number, and found this on Amazon, and it was also $299 on sale too, and I just happened to have a 10% discount, so I bought it from Amazon. I like its smaller size compared to my 14" Chromebook Plus. The screen is very sharp, and the processor is very fast with Chrome OS. I wish they had included a slot for a Micro SD card, and I wish the bezel around the display and the whole laptop were slightly smaller. Do I care that this isn't a Chromebook Plus, even though it's specifications qualify for it? No, not really. I don't use the AI wallpapers, and ignore the other annoying AI implementation on my Chromebook Plus, so I really couldn't care less about it. This model was released October 16, 2024, and will get the updates that keep it working for 10 years from that release date. I would recommend this model if it is still 2025, and you're looking for a Chromebook 2 in 1 that has excellent specs, was recently released, and that isn't too big or heavy. This is one to seriously consider.

I have been trying to find a small Chromebook that isn't the Duet (I want it to be able to stand up on non-flat surfaces like my lap, which the Duet kickstand won't do), and this was the smallest display size I could find on a modern Chromebook with a decent processor and amount of memory (I wanted 8GB). Unfortunately, it's barely smaller than a 14" display Chomebook and feels very heavy and bulky. They keyboard (which is not backlit, my own fault for not reading carefully enough) feels very unpleasant and loud, and the trackpad can only be clicked in certain places and with too much required force, and is also loud. It did appear to be speedy, though. I am glad I was able to return it.

The media could not be loaded. I'm coming from a Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 CB, after seeing my wife use a different version of the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 and a Lenovo Chromebook C330.What I like about these convertible Chromebooks is that they are light weight, take up a small foot print and have excellent battery life. The hinge is strong and the screen holds its position and the whole laptop can be picked up and moved about with ease with one hand.I can leave them for days without a charge and use them for hours and still have hours left on the battery. And because I don't have to leave it plugged in all the time to make sure its fully charged, there hasn't been much battery degradation as I can risk letting it get very low. And it always charge up faster than I expect. Like it must take less than an hour.However the screen resolution, RAM, storage, and most of all performance started to get intolerable on the older machines so I was looking for an upgrade. So when I saw the Chromebook Spin 312 had just come out during Black Friday, I cancelled an order for a larger non convertible $300 Chromebook and hoped this would go on sale from its $449 price (which I think is a bit steep). Some time later in December it dropped to $300 and I put in an order immediately.Overall this laptop is the perfect upgrade so far. It is a little heavier unfortunately, but not so much that it ruins the portability I like so much about this form factor. And right now, it's really the only option to replace this class of machine. I appreciate the higher resolution, although sadly my eyes just started going and so I have to run things at scales that almost defeat the purpose. I'm happy to say the battery performance so far is on par with my previous devices. New out of the box it might even be a little better.I'm a little disappointed that there is only one USB-C port. I believe it's both power and data, I haven't tried data yet though. It also doesn't have a backlit keyboard, which I like for battery life, but I'd probably have used it now and then if it was included.A few years ago, I would have thought this form factor and these specs make for a clumsy tablet and a weak laptop. And both of those things are true, but that actually fits an important niche in my life.