Acer new all aluminum Chromebook 14 is available for pre-order on Amazon

Everyone thinks they need a laptop but if you are just going to websites to read your favorite sites, check on social media, and maybe do some light word processing, why send $500 or more on a laptop when you can just get a Chromebook.

Ask any discerning Chromebook user what they want more of, and you'll undoubtedly hear two specs toward the top of the list — battery life for longevity, and RAM to keep all those Chrome browser tabs going. The new Acer Chromebook 14 looks to fit that bill with a new metal beast (a couple of them, actually) that tops out at a potential 12 hours of battery life, and 4GB of RAM. And looks just like a MacBook Air.

This is Acer's first metal Chromebook — an aluminum body tapers nicely in that familiar sort of way. But there are a couple of options when it comes to that 14-inch display. There's a full HD version — 1920x1080 — that also runs with 32GB of on-board storage, and the aforementioned 4GB of RAM. This one's rated at a "mere" 12 hours of battery, though. (For the full 14 hours — which is the one making more headlines — you'll need to spec down to the HD display, which lowers things to 1366x768.)

But that top-spec'd model — it runs just $299.

Other specs of note: The Chromebook 14 weighs in at 3.42 pounds and is just 17mm thick. It's got USB 3.1 (via Type A ports) as well as HDMI out. And it's all powered by an Intel Celeron N3060.

Pre-Order here on Amazon