Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 review: Google Gemini practically lives here rent free

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 just reminded me what I love about Chromebooks. As someone who is deep into the Google ecosystem in my work and personal life, as well as owning an Android phone (e.g., Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra), it's so much more convenient for me as opposed to the M2 MacBook Air that I use. At setup, I was asked to log in with my Google credentials, and it didn't leave me floundering. (No offense to Microsoft, but since I don't use the likes of OneDrive, Teams, nor other Microsoft properties often, I can never remember my Microsoft credentials, making setting up Windows laptops a pain.) With an attractive sub-$500 starting price tag, for a split second, I wondered whether I'd be better off with a Chromebook — but one dealbreaker slapped me right back into reality. Still, I'd argue it's one of the best Chromebooks you can buy. Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 price and specs The Chromebook Plus Spin 714, as of this writing, starts $499 via Best Buy and comes with the following specs: Intel Core i5-1335U 8GB of RAM 256GB of SSD storage 14-inch, 1920 x 1200-pixel display ChromeOS If you want a bump in performance, you can upgrade the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 to an Intel Core Ultra 5 115U (this review is based on this configuration) — this will require an additional $200 for a price of $699. Credit: Best Buy / Acer $499.99 at Best Buy Shop Now Credit: Best Buy / Acer $699.96 at Best Buy Get Deal Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 design Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714's design language just speaks to me. You really can't go wrong with a gray-and-rose-gold color scheme. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon The entire aluminum chassis comes in Steel Gray — the only color option for the Acer laptop. But what gives this laptop an edge is the rose gold touches that you can find on the hinges and the reflective trim that surrounds the touchpad. Speaking of the hinges, as you can tell by the name "Spin," the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 would be a contortionist if it was personified a