Acer Chromebook 511 C734T Review – A Little Powerhouse for Schools

Acer Chromebook 511 C734T is specifically designed with the primary focus of enhancing and empowering education. The Chromebook with is features and capabilities makes an invaluable tool for the world of education. The team at The Tech Basic has carried out a comprehensive and detailed review of Acer Chromebook 511 C734T focusing on the features, specifications and, practical utilization of the Chromebook.

Technical Specifications of Acer Chromebook 511 C734T

Appearance and Build of Acer Chromebook 511 C734T

The Acer Chromebook 511 C734T seems to be designed as a robust laptop, as both the screen and keyboard areas have rubberized edges around the perimeter. While this may provide some impact resistance, in everyday use, the rubberized border could quickly gather dirt and wear down. It’s possible that it may withstand a fall, but during regular use, the rubberized border may get dirty and worn.

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The entire laptop is constructed from plastic, which tends to attract fingerprints significantly. It’s challenging to clean them off from the outside, but the plastic on the inside seems easier to wipe clean. The Acer Chromebook 511 C734T offers a decent number of ports – on each side, there’s one USB Type-C and one regular USB Type-A port. There’s also a headphone jack and the option to insert a microSD memory card to expand the modest 32 GB of built-in storage.

It’s worth noting that the Acer Chromebook 511 C734T has a 180° foldable screen, allowing for versatile usage. Additionally, the laptop is passively cooled, meaning there’s no fan that could be noisy and susceptible to dust buildup. Charging the Acer Chromebook 511 C734T is done via a USB Type-C port, allowing this little device to be charged with more powerful smartphone chargers (the approximate minimum requirements could be at least 65W with Power Delivery support).

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Keyboard of Acer Chromebook 511 C734T

It must be said that the Acer Chromebook 511 C734T features a fairly sturdy keyboard without backlighting. This might have been a nice addition for a primary school student, even if they were to opt for a different Chromebook model. The touchpad is not very large, but for an 11-inch laptop, one can’t expect much more.

Overall, I would say the keyboard exceeds what one might expect from a $253 laptop, and the touchpad is functional as well.

Acer Chromebook 511 C734T Screen

Does a little child need a small screen? That’s a good question… It seems to me that nowadays there are a million other ways to strain your eyes; at school, one could have easily managed with a 14…15-inch laptop, as there’s no need to carry them around.

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The Acer Chromebook 511 C734T boasts a quite decent IPS screen, although it’s moderately bright, probably around 250 or 300 cd/m². The major issue with the larger screen is its glossy coating, which tends to reflect everything. Yes, it’s a touchscreen, which, in my opinion, isn’t really necessary for the learning process, but it’s been quite a few years since I’ve been in school.

It must also be said that overall, the screen is better than I had anticipated. The colors are vibrant, and the viewing angles are actually quite good. Yes, there are these crazy screen bezels, about two fingers wide, but without them, the keyboard would have to be significantly compressed. In fact, the Acer Chromebook 511 C734T is the size of a modern 13-inch laptop, only it houses an 11.6-inch screen.

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ChromeOS: A Comprehensive Overview

Compatibility and Functionality

ChromeOS is both a beacon of brilliance and a potential stumbling block. It’s worth noting that nearly everything we do here at Kursors (excluding videos, which is a different story) can be accomplished using ChromeOS capabilities. I’ve crafted this article using ChromeOS and have the ability to manipulate images as well. I’ve also seamlessly used ChromeOS in the past to record Kursors podcasts. However, this time around, it won’t be feasible due to the Acer Chromebook 511 C734T’s limited 4 GB of RAM; our recording solutions typically require a minimum of 8 GB.

Productivity and Applications

Upon perusing, it seems that ChromeOS allows for the use of Microsoft Office web versions and Microsoft Teams with minimal restrictions. Specific applications may pose a bit more of a challenge, but ChromeOS steps up with the Google Play Store and, consequently, integration with Android applications (a feature not available with ChromeOS Flex). With ChromeOS, you can have nearly all the apps you use on your Android smartphone, but it’s crucial to understand which ones seamlessly transition to working with a mouse and keyboard. Additionally, pre-installed Google applications such as Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Messages, and a few others are readily available for use, just as we do on our smartphones.

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Limitations in Gaming and Media Editing

The most significant challenges arise in games, as well as photo and video editing. It’s important to take into account that the Acer Chromebook 511 C734T, designed for schools, comes with a 32 GB eMMC memory, which is both slow and modest in terms of capacity. I’d refrain from directly attributing major shortcomings to the 32 GB eMMC memory and its sluggishness. Personally, I wouldn’t utilize a Chromebook for video processing in any way. For photo-related tasks, you can rely on Google Photos (there’s even a separate Photos app or you can use the web browser version of Google Photos).

Integration with Android Smartphones

Chromebook seamlessly collaborates with an Android smartphone – you can use your phone to quickly unlock ChromeOS. Moreover, a connected smartphone can be used as an internet access point without any additional steps. The Messages app allows for immediate messaging. Additionally, if you’ve already connected an Android smartphone to ChromeOS on another computer, the phone’s connection will synchronize immediately with the new ChromeOS device, eliminating the need for reconnection.

Gaming Experience

Games are available from the Google Play Store, but the Acer Chromebook 511 C734T might be a tad too weak to run titles like Alto’s Adventure (I chose this because the game controls with just one touch, or one button, and the touchpad works here). The game runs, but it occasionally stutters. Plants vs Zombies 2 ran reasonably well. More demanding games might not work, and it’s important to note that there aren’t many Android games specifically designed to work solely with a keyboard and mouse, without a touchscreen. However, Chromebook can always be used to play games through services like GeForce NOW or other game streaming platforms.

Desktop and Settings

There are a couple of aspects of ChromeOS that I find less satisfactory – the desktop is somewhat devoid of purpose. There are no widgets or options to arrange files on the desktop. Moreover, the ChromeOS settings seem rather limited, as the maximum displayed is memory usage. Out of the 32 GB, approximately 14 GB are available to the user, but this can be supplemented with a microSD memory card.

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Performance Considerations

It’s challenging to make definitive judgments about performance as there aren’t any specialized performance tests available. I can say that with about 20 Chrome browser tabs open, the laptop starts to feel sluggish. However, to manage that volume of open tabs, a more expensive screen would be needed to view them all.

Acer Chromebook 511 C734T Review Conclusion

Overall, it must be said that the Acer Chromebook 511 C734T is not the worst laptop I’ve come across. It’s important to consider that nowadays, you wouldn’t want to run Windows with a Celeron processor. The modern Windows 11 supporting Core i3 or i5 processors nearly double the price of a Windows laptop. It wouldn’t be wise to run Windows with 4 GB of RAM, but ChromeOS handles it quite well.

Perhaps the only reservation I have about the Acer Chromebook 511 C734T is the choice of an 11.6-inch screen. It’s not as if the Acer Chromebook 511 C734T is so cheap that you couldn’t get a reasonably comfortable 14-inch or 15-inch model for a similar price, which would be a much more convenient solution for children. For the Acer Chromebook 511 C734T to be truly well-suited, I would recommend at least 8 GB of RAM, but I doubt this would be a barrier for students in lower grades.

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