I like the build, I like the screen, keyboard, ports, and extra bells and whistles users will have an option on, too. Even so, this Acer isn't meant for much more than casual web browsing, Gmail, and Google Docs productivity. All the same, these results still put the Chromebook 317 in the lower level of the Chromebook rankings, and a way away from newer mid-range devices with Pentium Gold and Core i3 CPUs.

The first objective benchmarks we use are Principled Technologies' CrXPRT 2 (a suite of simulated Chrome OS productivity apps) and WebXPRT 3 (a browser-based test of HTML and JavaScript throughput). Exporting a video from InShot to Instagram, for instance, didn’t always work, with the latter often crashing on me. There are lighter machines and smaller machines, but for a 14” laptop this is tough (and cheap) enough to happily withstand the hustle and bustle of commuting. The webcam is a generic laptop component that captures relatively well-lit and colorful images with rather a lot of static or noise.The Chromebook 317's 3-cell battery is no better than the battery you’d pay for in a higher-performing Acer Chromebook. Opening half a dozen browser tabs didn't faze it, but multiple video windows or Android games bogged down.

You're just getting into Chromebooks: This is a pretty easy laptop to get started with as it's design is super simple and familiar. However, it’s stingy with ports, its battery life is shorter and it looks puny compared to the Chromebook 317’s giant footprint.

Colors are satisfactorily saturated but not vivid, though details are sharp and viewing angles are wide. You might even stretch it out to about seven hours of media consumption with the brightness down and the keyboard backlight off.