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Acer has been dominating the Chromebook market by releasing high-quality, affordable, and reliable Chromebooks that stifle the competition--but does the new Acer Chromebook 13 really offer improvements worth ditching your old Chromebook for this newer one? Let's look at what upgrades have been made and let you decide if it's worth taking the plunge into this new Chromebook. I'm going to focus a lot on the new processor first as it is the first Chromebook to ditch the x86 based Intel processor for the Tegra based processor. THE NEW NVIDIA TEGRA K1 CPU: Ditching the Intel x86 based Celeron CPU for the NVIDIA Tegra K1 CPU has given the newest Acer Chromebook 13 a peppier power plant while retaining the same 2GB RAM, 16GB on-board storage as its predecessor. The Chromebook 720 was the best Chromebook you could buy until the introduction of the Chomebook 13 although since it's so new, only time will tell if it truly outshines the Acer 720. ***READ THE UPDATES BELOW. THE NEW PROCESSOR ACTUALLY APPEARS TO LAG MORE*** While the more powerful NVIDIA CPU may seem like a major upgrade, in reality and actual use-case scenarios, the difference will be virtually unnoticeable to the user. Why? Because the Acer 720, running a lower end Intel Celeron processor packed enough power to do literally everything you needed to do on a Chromebook. The problem with the new Tegra based processor from NVIDIA is it's the only Chromebook on the market right now using a Tegra based processor. Many Chrome app developers haven't built their apps to be compatible with these CPU's and as a result, some apps simply won't run on this new model. While this won't affect everyone, especially those of us who only use the core Chrome apps like Google Docs, Sheets, Calendar, Drive, and so forth, it will affect users who heavily use other niche apps available on the Chrome App Store. These app developers will likely not be in a hurry to make their apps cross compatible when only one Chromebook model is utilizing the processor, at least not until other manufacturers start using them. And again, there's no guarantee when these developers will, even though Google is strongly pushing it. Intel, although known to be the "sleepy giant" when it comes to introducing new processors, has gotten the hint and is working on a new Intel Core M processor to be used in Chromebook devices and is due to be available in late 2014. I'm pretty partial to the Intel x86 based CPU's as they're the type you'd typically find in laptops and desktop computers and have a proven track record of success in mobile devices such as tablets and Chromebooks. Only time will tell if Acer's switch to NVIDIA Tegra based processors was a good move for the company, or a premature one. As an avid Linux user who has Ubuntu Linux installed on my Acer c720, I'm also a bit concerned on how the new processor will work with Linux and its apps as some Linux users online have reported some issues already. Some more detailed testing (which I will update you on) should give us an idea of how well they play together. I know this doesn't apply to most people, however, many of us do use Linux for various reasons and switching processors from x86 to Tegra based, could be deal breakers for us. Since I'm partial to the Intel x86 based processors, I'm personally waiting until later in 2014 when Intel releases its Core M processor before ditching my trusty Acer 720 Chromebook. While the Intel Core M processor based Chromebooks will likely cost a bit more, I personally feel the benefits will definitely be worth it. We should also see the same screen or a slightly upgraded one, perhaps offering touch-screen, or glossy finish versus the current matte finish. Since the NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor is so new to Chromebooks, I want to wait to see how they work in the real-world as people's comments begins rolling in. Will it really be all it claims to be or will the drastic change in processor type be a deal breaker? ***READ UPDATES BELOW FOR MORE INFO ON THIS*** BUILD QUALITY: Like most Chromebooks, with the exception of the outrageously overpriced Google Pixel (top of line model costing nearly $1,500 for a Chromebook,) the new Chromebook 13 sticks to the trend of a plastic body with decent build quality and durability, not much different than you'd find on your typical Windows based laptop. I have noticed, since it's white, simply throwing it in a bookbag or messenger bag results in visible scuff marks and scratches to the white finish... that said, you may want to invest in a case/sleeve for the new Chromebook before putting it in your bag. SCREEN UPGRADE: Going from the 11" screen to the 13.3 inch screen does give you more screen real estate, however, the new screen actually seems to be a bit darker and muddier than the c720, even at full brightness which I think is unacceptable. ***MORE ON THIS IN THE UPDATES SECTION BELOW*** BATTERY LIFE: The battery life upgrade from the Acer c720 was supposed to be HUGE! Going from 7-8 hours to 11 hours (13 hours on the non Full-HD version) is an amazing feat. I was expecting to see at most a 2 hour battery life upgrade, maybe no upgrade at all considering the full-HD screen size, and I was correct. With the older c720 Chromebook, I was able to use Google Docs and do some web browsing throughout the day and still have about 65% battery life when I got home. Now, using the Chromebook 13 exactly the same as I was using the c720, I'm getting home with only about 40% remaining. I may have gotten one with a bad battery, however, I think it has more to do with the increased screen size and new processor and other people have begun reporting the same problem. It may not be a huge deal but it's somethjing to think about. CHROME APP TESTING: When testing the new NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor on various apps in the Google app store, people have noticed that several apps simply refused to run with the new Tegra based processor and as I mentioned above, it is highly unlikely that the various app developers will be in any hurry to make their apps cross-compatible, at least until more Tegra based CPU's are introduced into the Chromebook lineup. Several popular games refused to run so this is obviously a problem both Acer and Google need to be aware of, and address. OTHER MENTIONABLE UPGRADES: Besides the faster processor, which as I said before, will be virtually transparent to the user, the larger full-HD screen, and supposed longer battery life, the Chromebook 13 gets some other small upgrades, or maybe I should say, "changes." The Chromebook 13 moves to a fanless design due to the "power-friendly" Tegra based processor, but also manages to only gain a little weight, coming in at 3.3 lbs. (and a mere 0.71 inches thick.) CONCLUSION: I really feel that the Acer Chromebook 13 is an amazing machine that has addressed some upgrade requests from Acer users, although after spending some serious time actually using the new Chromebook, I am beginning to doubt some of the manufacturer's claims. As I mentioned earlier, the screen, although now Full-HD and larger, is a bit darker and muddier than the older c720 Chromebook, and the battery in the new Chromebook, at least for me, is using noticeably more power and draining the battery faster than the c720 did, even though Acer is claiming a substantial increase in battery life due to the "power friendly" processor. The charger port is fragile and likely to be damaged or break for users on the go who are using the A/C adapter frequently as it is loose and wiggles in the port, unlike the c720 that had a very solid, tight-fitting port. If you feel the upgrades Acer is offering in this latest Chromebook lineup is worth it, go ahead and take the jump. Acer has consistently impressed me with every new Chromebook model they release but I'm still a bit undecided on whether or not to recommend the new Chromebook 13 as there are too many issues I'm noticing at the moment. Read the updates below for more specif information. I'll update my review as I continue to use the Chromebook 13 and post any mentionable issues I discover. UPDATES: 11-01-2014 SCREEN: The screen appears to be darker and a bit more muddier than the older c720. It is Full-HD (if you order that version) which is nice but also has its drawbacks. For example, with the washed out and darker screen, it does make the font a bit hard to read at times unless you increase the font size by zooming in. Unfortunately, by doing so (at least in Google Docs), zooming in moves the cursor mark BEHIND the letter you're currently typing making it very difficult to accurately backspace and edit. CHARGING PORT: This has got to be the biggest flaw with this machine in terms of quality control. The charging cable is actually loose in the port when you plug it in, even after it "snaps" into place. You can actually wiggle it side to side while it's plugged in. For most of us who just charge up the Chromebook when we get home or are done with it for the day, this won't be a problem, however, those who have it plugged in at work or at a coffee shop should worry about how long that charger port is going to hold up. I'm guessing that with regular use, there could be problems with the charger port getting damaged. The c720 did not have this problem, in fact, it was a very tight, secure fit with a larger pin going into the port. BATTERY LIFE: Another thing I noticed after using the ChromeBook 13 for the past couple weeks is the battery life actually appears to be worse than the c720 even though Acer claims it has 11-hours of battery life vs. 8-hours with the c720. With the c720, I could go all day using Google Docs and some web browsing and still get home with about 65% battery power. With the Chromebook 13, I get home with about 40% remaining. Could mine just be flawed with a bad battery? Perhaps. But I believe it has more to do with the larger screen and new processor. (And this is with keeping the screen brightness on the lower side.) CPU: The new Tegra based CPU is supposed to be "power friendly" and substantially faster than the previously used Intel Celeron processors. In my testing, however, I am experiencing noticeable lag with the Tegra processor, something I didn't experience with the Celeron processor. This may just be due to the processor being so new and the manufacturers and developers still finding out how to properly utilize it. Remember, the Chromebook 13 is currently the only Chromebook on the maket utilizing this new CPU architecture. All in all, this Chromebook is currently only $10 more than the c720 and you are getting a larger screen, and supposedly a bigger battery and faster processor. Those last two claims I'm seriously questioning. Because of these drawbacks, I'm going to change the review from a 5-star to a 4-star until Acer addresses these issues. I really want this Chromebook to work as claimed but as of right now, it's not happening. *** If this review has helped you in any way with your research into a new Chromebook, please let me know [...]t. I really love helping others when they're looking at upgrading their computers and other technology and I do my best to provide you with as much information as possible along with my own professional experience in working with these products. Thank you for taking the time to read my review and good luck on your search for your new Chromebook! ***