Acer Chromebook Vero 514 review: pulled me to the Chromebook side

Acer Chromebook Vero 514 : Two-minute review

As someone who is firmly rooted in the Apple ecosystem, I found the Acer Chromebook Vero 514 a joy to use - once I got the hang of it. It might be slightly more expensive than some of the more popular Chromebooks out there (like the Acer Chromebook 314), but considering how much time and effort has clearly gone into making this a sustainable and eco-friendly laptop, the pricing can be easily overlooked.

Fans of Google and Chrome OS will naturally adore the simple layout and intuitive Everything Button, Chromebooks' answer to the age-old problem of ‘I want to Google something, but I can’t be bothered to open a whole new tab’.

Have a random urge to see what your favorite celeb is up to? A writer trying to remember what a polysyndeton is? Can’t remember where you saved that one file you’ve probably already downloaded twelve times? The Everything Button has you covered. In all honesty, this is probably one of the best Chromebooks I’ve reviewed - and I am not normally a Chromebook fan. 

Compared to its Windows-powered predecessor, there isn’t much difference in physical appearance between the Acer Aspire Vero and the Acer Chromebook Vero 514. The Vero 514 has a retro feel that works well with what it’s trying to achieve aesthetically; in that the design seems to favor simplicity over frills, something which is refreshing to see. This would definitely suit a campus environment and could be a great device for students, and as such may make an appearance in our best Chromebooks for students list in the near future.

The Everything Button (and Chrome OS as a whole) does take some time to get used to if you’re not already acquainted with the Chromebook layout. Particularly because there's no caps lock button (you’ll be using the shift key), Windows and MacOS users may find themselves accidentally hitting the Everything Button since it’s where the caps lock button would normally be. It can be super annoying at first, but pretty easy to overcome.

Beyond that, there's not much here to criticize: the battery life is solid, the overall performance is good (for a Chromebook, at least), and the keyboard is very comfortable to type on. Plus, this is a laptop you can buy with confidence if you're ecologically-minded, since Acer has done plenty of work to make this a truly green laptop - even the packaging is compostable and made from fully recycled materials.

Acer Chromebook Vero 514 review: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? $599.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,289
• When is it available? Available Now 
• Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK 

The  Acer Chromebook Vero 514 is available in a few different configurations, mostly depending on the variant of the Intel Core processor. We reviewed the Intel Core i5 version, which runs for $599 / £699.99 / AU$1,289 – a pretty reasonable price for a Chromebook of this caliber. 

The higher configurations will obviously cost a little more, but you’re unlikely to need anything higher than an Intel Core i5 processor if you’re looking to get hold of a Chromebook since Chrome OS is specifically designed to run on low-end hardware.

The difference between the variants again depends on what you plan to use this Chromebook for. Personally, I think this would be a great student laptop or something to use for work if you’re not going to be running heavy-duty software since, like most Chromebooks, you’re limited to what is available on the Play Store.

Since Chromebooks benefit more from running web apps rather than downloadable software, you’re not likely to need something that has huge processing power. Though if you were to run heavy-duty software, the Intel Core i5 model is not going to slow you down considerably.

• Price score: 3.5/5

Acer Chromebook Vero 514 review: Specs

The Acer Chromebook Vero 514 comes in three main configurations, the i3, i5, and i7 versions. We reviewed the Intel Core i5 version. Bear in mind that configurations may vary depending on your region; our review model is UK-specific, so you might find that the specs are a little different if you're in another country!

Acer Chromebook Vero 514 review: Design

• Unique, aesthetic design 
• Stylish grey chassis color 
• Compact,sturdy design 

The texture of the Acer Chromebook Vero 514’s plastic chassis combined with its boxy nature almost makes it feel like recycled paper under your fingertips, which is a super cool detail and really adds to the green ethos Acer is pursuing with the Vero product line. 

The 14-inch screen is crisp and provides good color reproduction, with just enough saturation that bright tones look vivid, but not enough to make your photos or videos look off.  I watched a few colorful animated shows like The Simpsons, Rick and Morty, and a few YouTube videos and was very happy with the image quality. Small details came to life on the LCD display, and the colors were vibrant and warm, displaying a kind of quality you might not expect on a Chromebook but rather on a Macbook or a Windows ultrabook.

The Vero 514 is very lightweight at about 1.40kg and durable enough that you could whack it into any backpack without a case and feel secure knowing it’ll be alright. This isn't technically on TechRadar’s usual roster of tests, but I did drop the laptop a few times (sorry, Acer!) and it held up absolutely fine.

Typing on the Vero 514 is a smooth ride (even when you’re adjusting to the lack of a caps lock key), and it takes no time at all to feel like you really know the layout. After typing on it for a week or so, writing both for work and for pleasure, I honestly felt like I had been using this laptop's keyboard for a lot longer. I could work on the Vero 514 and type for ages without feeling any uncomfortable strain in my fingers.

I also have to take a moment to gush about the touchpad on this Chromebook. The trackpad is made with ocean glass and recycled plastic that gives it a sleek and very realistic glass-like feel meaning scrolling on it is smooth and very easy. The clicks on the trackpad are satisfying, and this is probably one of the few laptops I have reviewed so far that I can see myself using it just as it is - no external mouse needed.

• Design score: 4/5

Acer Chromebook Vero 514 review: Performance

• Slight ‘hum’ when starting up
• Processor handles workloads well
• Easy to use/get to grips with

The first thing you notice when using the Chromebook Vero 514 is that it's very satisfying to use. Every click of the touchpad and tap on the keycaps delivers awesome tactile feedback which makes typing an absolute dream (my own feelings about the lack of a caps-lock button aside).

The touchpad is very smooth and glasslike, adding a luxurious feeling to the everyday use of the laptop. It’s responsive and removes the need to buy or have an external mouse, though if you'd prefer to use one, the connectivity and range of ports on the device would make that pretty easy.

As I mentioned above, you do have to keep in mind that Chrome OS will only support a limited selection of apps and software. If a program you need is not on the Google Play Store or otherwise lacks explicit Chrome OS support, you’re going to struggle with this laptop. As this Chromebook is targeted towards business and educational use, that is definitely something to keep in mind.

I decided to put it to the test and not only write this review on the Acer Vero 514 but do other long-form writing and general admin on it, and I found the entire experience really enjoyable. I spent hours on the laptop watching films, typing out blog posts, and doing some creative writing, and I never felt any finger strain or had to rush to find a charger to plug it in.

The display is incredibly crisp and clear, and the colors on the screen are vibrant. There is something comforting about watching Netflix shows on the laptop in bed that reminds me of my student days, and despite having it on my bed or propped up on some pillows, it never got obscenely hot or loud. I even made a few video calls to friends on it, and while you may not get cinematic levels of camera quality, it was pretty decent.

Obviously, as this is a Chromebook we're testing, we couldn't run our usual suite of Windows benchmarking tests, but instead ran more Chrome OS-friendly tests. It performed exceptionally well during my favorite benchmark, the 'fish test', which uses WebGL to render up to 30,000 fish in an aquarium in order to test graphical performance.

Overall, the Chromebook Vero 514 performed really well both in benchmarks and everyday use, and I would be pleased to have had this laptop in my university days or even now as an on-the-go work laptop. 

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Acer Chromebook Vero 514 review: Battery life

• 10-hour battery life
• A whole day of productivity and then some 

The battery life on this thing is awesome. I have been using it for quite a while, and normally when I test laptops I make a point to use them unplugged as much as possible. I was definitely pleasantly surprised by the battery life here.

I tested the battery life in two different ways. The first time, I sat down and put on South Park, monitoring how long it would take for the battery to die (South Park was chosen as it has more than enough episodes to last a laptop battery test). Acer claims the battery to last around 10 hours, and I have to confirm, it lasted all that time and ten minutes more.

My second battery test involved having a marathon catch-up call with a friend and seeing how long the battery would last running a video call and a watch party of Modern Family at the same time. At this point, the laptop did start to hum a little bit and get a tad warm - but not enough to warrant any alarm. The battery under these conditions lasted around four and a half hours which isn’t too bad, all things considered.

• Battery life: 5/5

Should you buy the Acer Chromebook Vero 514?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Acer Chromebook Vero 514 review: Also consider

If our Acer Chromebook Vero 514 review has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...  

Acer Chromebook 514
If you'd prefer a shinier finish and a slightly lower price tag, you can pick up Acer's standard 514 Chromebook instead of the Vero model. Don't worry, we're not here to judge.

Read our full Acer Chromebook 514 review 

Lenovo Ideapad Duet 5
If you'd prefer something with a touchscreen, Lenovo’s detachable tablet Chromebook is perfect for whiling away the hours on the couch - though it’s built on a Snapdragon platform, so not great for high-end performance.

Read our full Lenovo Ideapad Duet 5 review 

How I tested the Acer Chromebook Vero 514

• Used as primary work from home device 
• Used as a personal device as well
• Carried around back and forth for weeks so always on hand 

As with most of my laptop reviews, I try to approach my testing with as much realism as possible, so I slotted the Acer Chromebook Vero 514 into my daily life and made it my default machine.

Obviously from my battery life tests, I used it for work and pleasure, got to know it from a professional standpoint and a personal one, and saw how it would handle everyday tasks like basic admin and word processing, as well as the essential binge-watch and bestie catch-up. In terms of portability, I carried it around with me even when I didn’t necessarily need to, just to get a feel of what it would be like if it lived in my backpack as my official laptop.

Most of my testing was done with the laptop running unplugged just to get a sense of how it would perform out and about rather than glued to a desk. I found that to be a more realistic approach to benchmarking, video calling, and the like rather than having the laptop perpetually plugged in.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2023