I needed to replace my MacBook so I researched my options, and based on my needs I narrowed my choices down to the Acer C720 and HP Chromebook11.I read through the limited reviews available at the time, and the overall theme was that the C720 offered greater performance over build/screen quality while the HP11 offered better build/screen quality over performance.I've always valued function over form so the C720 it was.

I'm glad to report that, IMO, the claims against the C720's screen - some of which made it sound like it was a total POS - are unfounded as I feel it's as good as my Macbook Air's screen.Of course, the build quality isn't the best, but it's not like it feels like a flimsy toy by any means.The keys and touchpad feel thinner, lighter, and of lesser quality than my MacBook but still adequate; and for $250 it's a solidly built machine that meets or exceeds all of my expectations.

At the time of purchase the available reviews had not covered whether this machine could meet my main criteria (detailed below in order of importance), and I am pleased to report that the C720 passes with flying colors on all counts!(Note, my '08 MacBook could not play 1080p video from my Sony Action Cam or GoPro (without the help of Plex Software), a limitation of the CPU/GPU.)

1. smooth playback of raw 1080p video files from my Sony ActionCam and GoPro 3 (1080p HDMI output to HDTV also works great!)
2. efficiently browse the web - no realistic limitation on open tabs/windows (thanks to the 4gb of ram)
3. compact size (the C720 feels just slightly heavier than my Macbook Air and a hair larger in all dimensions)
4. great battery life (based on a full charge and screen at 70% brightness, the battery indicator esimates 7 hours of use)
5. ability to continue using all of my external HD's (some laptops I've used before don't play nice)

Overall, I am super impressed with the C720, and IMO at $250 it's an outstanding bargain for a very capable machine.Assuming your primary use is similar to mine - surfing the web while on the couch / in bed, and playing music and videos - this laptop will surprisingly meet most if not all of your needs.The Intel Celeron Haswell chip, while dumbed-down, enables this Chromebook to match the performance of my MacBook Air for all my intents and purposes and even surpasses my older MacBook in video playback.I'm officially a Chromebook convert, and I don't see myself missing my MacBook anymore!I'll update this review as I develop further impressions but so far I am very happy with my decision to go with the C720.

11/15/13 UPDATE:
I'm even more impressed with this machine after having spent another 3.5 weeks with it. Not only can I stream web content in 1080p to my TV via HDMI, but simultaneously on my C720 display I am able to stream 1080p content and browse in multiple tabs all at once with no discernible hit in performance. That's two 1080p streams to separate displays while still being able to smoothly browse the web. The C720 is a beast!

Really, my only complaint is that chromebooks still aren't compatible with everything. It has been a pain trying to set up my printer because the driver install files are either .exe or .dmg and there are some things that just haven't come out for Chrome OS (e.g. I use Zotero for citations and Zotero can't be installed on a Chromebook).

So, as long as you know that there are certain things that won't work with Chrome OS, I'd highly recommend this computer. It's incredibly cheap, and it handles the important computing functions for pretty much everyone (web browsing, watching videos, and text editing) without any trouble.

There are some things to get used to, however. One of which is the keyboard. There is no insert, delete, home, end, page down, page up keys which I like to use. So they have to be custom bound. The screen is probably the worst part. The viewing angles are not great. In my opinion, Acer should provide an upgradable part to remedy this. The resolution and brightness is fine but unless you have the screen tilted just right, the colors are off. It isn't enough for me to take off a star because it is mainly a product of being spoiled by great HD monitors.

If you're wondering whether or not to upgrade to the i3 or stick with the celeron, I'd stick with the celeron. Get the 4GB RAM and upgrade the SSD to run Linux. The i3 is only marginally better benchmark wise and to pay another $100 for it isn't worth it in my opinion.