Acer Chromebase 21.5-Inch Full HD All-in-One Desktop (DC221HQ Bwmicz)

I have been a Microsoft Windows engineer since 2001, and have always had very powerful PC's that I built myself. But I built a tiny house a my huge tower PC was just way too big for the space, it was too loud, and I wasn't really using it to its full capabilities. So I investigated some small form factor PCs and almost went that route, but then I started researching Chromebooks. I use an Android phone and have been happy with it, and Chrome and Android are very similar, so I decided to give a Chromebook a shot.I've been using it daily for one month now, and I really like this machine. Benefits: its inexpensive, it looks good, its lightweight, compact, it supports itself with a kickstand, and it uses very little power. It generates almost no noise and no heat. For my tiny house, its actually ideal! I am very happy with the purchase overall, and my gripes are very few.The only product flaw I would say is the quality of the speakers. I watch a lot of Youtube videos, lectures, Ted talks, techie videos, and things like that. On occasion, the video itself is recorded with poor volume levels, and even after maxxing out the YouTube volume and the Chromebook volume, the sound isnt loud enough. Rare, but it happens. And the overall sound quality is not great if you are an audiophile and love loud music. You'll want to connect some external speakers if you really want some bass and clarity. But for 90% of things, the audio is more than adequate.it also could use a tad bit more memory or faster processor, as I notice some "reaction delays" when I open a new tab or browse the web. A slightly perceptible pause while the computer processes the request. Granted, I'm comparing it to a very powerful Windows PC with 8Gb of RAM, so my standards are pretty high.Overall, for the money, this is a great machine that I expect to get much use from. The keyboard is compact, but works OK. The Chrome operating system can take a little getting used to, but its simple and reliable. Its never crashed, hung, or glitched on me. You also don't have to worry about antivirus software or firewalls as the updates are all built in, and the operating system runs each process in a protected space so there is no "cross contamination" that a virus or worm could take advantage of. As you can see in the photos, I built a little plywood base for the unit so the keryboard can tuck underneath to save me desktop space.If you are not a "power user" and just need a PC for email, web browsing, and Youtube type tasks, its great. It does document editing and office tasks just fine too. And there's an app for nearly everything you might want to do with it. So after 1 month, I am a happy camper and I am happy with this machine and Chrome.

I am very happy with my new Chromebase. I'm familiar with all-in-one computer and the Google Chrome platform, and find this computer is an excellent example of both. It was quite easy to set up and log in with my gmail account and, since I already have a chromebook, it automatically picked up my preferences. If you aren't accustomed to the chrome platform, it takes a bit of adjustment, but I love it. This takes very little space and is quite easy to move from one room to the next. It comes with a wired keyboard and a wired mouse, but works very well with wireless and since there are only 3 USB ports, I suggest a keyboard and mouse that share a dongle. This lovely little machine also works well with a cloud printer.All in all, I'm extremely happy with this purchase and highly recommend this computer to others - particularly if you're pressed for space.Update October 30, 2016: My chromebase is no longer working. I turn it on and get a message to go to a particular URL to create recovery media. When I type in the URL I get Error 404 and am unable to get to anywhere to create recovery media. I also went to the Acer site and typed in my SNID number and received a message that recovery media was no longer available for my model of Acer Chromebase. I am so disappointed! Acer has always had an excellent reputation but no more Acer products for me. $300 for 4 months worth of computer time is far, FAR too expensive.

The product is great for your standard web browsing, picture viewing, google docs and emailing, however, there is literally a time bomb! I've purchased numerous Chromebook and Chromebase products. Come to find out recently that the product’s software updates will expire! Being a security freak, I won't be using these Chromebooks and Chromebases post software update expiry. To find the expiry on your Chromebook or Chromebase go to:Settings, About Chrome OS, Additional DetailsYou'll see an update schedule that states “This device will get automatic software and security updates until the” specified date. So now I need to buy a bunch of computers. I spoke to Acer and got nowhere with them and they simply were blaming Google for the issue.Yes, it is a Google issue, however, Acer is packaging and selling a product that has a defined expiry without stating what the expiry is. The companies who sell these products are doing the same. The Expiry is not in the Description and can’t be found. The processors and components themselves are sufficient to last well beyond said expiry. This expiry fact should and does dramatically add to or subtract from the products value. I recently looked into buying another Chromebase or Chromebook and still no mention of said software update expiry.With speaking to Acer and reading reviews, I know for a fact that many Chromebase and Chromebook purchasers are very upset over this.Amazon is partially at fault as well. Amazon should do right by their customers and require a proper description and apply pressure to Google, Acer, and the resellers to disclose said SNEAKINESS.I find this to be unfair and deceptive.