Why You Can Trust CNET Get an Acer Chromebook 11 for $109.99
What?! Best Chromebook deal ever! And it probably won't last long.
I'm crossing fingers, toes and everything else I can think of that this doesn't sell out 5 minutes from now. Because it's crazy-insane great.
For a limited time, and while supplies last, Acer (via eBay) has the refurbished Acer Chromebook 11 CB3-111-C8UB for $109.99 shipped. That's one of the lowest laptop prices I've ever seen. (Thanks to reader Mark for sharing!)
What can I tell you about Chromebooks that you don't already know? They boot and shut down almost instantly. They don't slow down over time, and don't hit you with sudden and inexplicable Blue Screens of Death. They don't get infected with viruses, spyware or the dreaded ransomware (though phishing is still a risk).
Of course, they don't run Windows software, either, so this isn't the right choice if you need, say, Microsoft Office, iTunes, Photoshop or the like.
It is, however, fantastic for everyday computing tasks: email, Facebook, YouTube, Netflix, Evernote and so on. That's because you can accomplish all of them inside a browser, which is the Chrome OS modus operandi.
I think Chromebooks are especially ideal for students, especially given that many schools are steering them to the Google ecosystem anyway (Docs, Drive and so on).
The Acer, as you might expect, has pretty basic specs -- Celeron processor, 16GB of storage -- but Chrome OS doesn't need a lot of horsepower. And it's wholly cloud-driven, so your data gets stored mostly online anyway. Check out the wildly enthusiastic user reviews at Amazon. And even more at Best Buy. (Also, note that some of the specs on Acer's eBay page are just plain wrong. It says the system has neither "wireless networking" nor Bluetooth, but it has both.)
This being a refurb, it comes with a 90-day warranty. Even so, for $109.99 out the door, this is tough to pass up. Get one before they're gone!
Bonus deal: Calling all parents! Need some wholesome family entertainment that doesn't involve sitting through "Finding Nemo" for the zillionth time? Google Play is offering the G-rated "All Creatures Big and Small" for free. Interestingly, the movie is headed to theaters on July 17, so this is your chance to watch it for free, at home, instead. You can access Google Play on your phone or tablet, of course, but also on your Roku box via the eponymous channel.