Google's Chrome operating system is officially on the AI bandwagon, and Chromebook manufacturers marked the occasion with a new batch of laptops. One of the latest is the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714, which aims for a premium laptop experience without a premium (by laptop standards) price. But at 699, it's still well above the budget niche that Chromebooks have traditionally occupied. The Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is an update to Acer's previous non-Plus Spin 714 (which is still available) and inherits a lot from its predecessor. The overall look and feel of the laptop are the same, which is a good thing.

When we reviewed Google's Chromebook Pixel in 2013, we said it was a gorgeous, well-built computer that almost no one should buy. That's also how we felt about the follow up in 2015. See, Chrome OS has been considered fine for a cheap second computer, but it was pretty much impossible to recommend anyone drop $999 for the Pixel. Chrome OS was too limited, when a computer running Windows or macOS costs the same amount. Google's ambitious new Pixelbook suggests that won't be the case anymore. The laptop bears no resemblance to the original Pixel, but it's cut from similar cloth.