The only way the battery on my new Chromebook would last 12 hours is if it was switched off. At 100% charge, after only a few weeks of very light use, emails and web pages, with bluetooth off, and all programs except Chrome closed, the battery meter shows as 9.12 hours and within a couple of minutes...

The Acer Chromebook R 13 will get you through the day on a single charge with its excellent battery life, but it's no performance powerhouse – even compared to rivaling Chromebooks.

Excellent battery life; Competitive hardware specs

Unimpressive performance; Shell flexes too easily

The Chromebook R13 (CB5-312T) is the latest 13-inch Chromebook 2-in-1 from Acer. Costing around £400, this laptop/tablet is a cheap and cheerful device that's designed to tackle the basics with minimum fuss.

Excellent; if a little dark; Full HD display; Above your average Chromebook for performance; Decent battery life; A better value buy than most Chromebooks

Unlit keyboard flexes in the middle and feels cheap; Only really good for writing; email; Netflix; iPlayer

Nowadays, PC manufacturers position Chromebooks like the Acer Chromebook R 13 Convertible as prime choices for folks looking for budget laptops. In addition to attractive prices, majority of the top-rated Chromebooks boast compact designs like the 11-inch Asus Chromebook Flip or the Acer Chromebook...

Almost 12 hours of battery life; Large 1080p HD screen; 4GB of memory

Keyboard is slightly stiff

The Acer Chromebook R13 is a little expensive for a Chromebook, starting at $400 (converts to about ￡320, AU$525), but it's perfectly priced for all the features it offers. It's a convertible laptop with a touchscreen and a 360-degree hinge that allows it to be used as a tablet.

The Acer Chromebook R13 has a long-lasting battery and a variety of ports; Its 360-degree hinge allows it to be used as a tablet

It's heavy; The Chrome OS is limited in what it can do; Its keyboard isn't backlit

Acer's Chromebook R13 relies on ARM technology with the MT8153C SoC. The SoC allows passive cooling that is also implemented here. Thus, the Chromebook runs silently. Acer does not present a run-of-the-mill device with its Chromebook R13. It is a 13.3-inch Chromebook convertible.

IPS panel; Full HD resolution; noiseless system; very long battery life; Type-C USB

dark screen; unstable casing; no upgrade options

A chromebook makes a good alternative to an inexpensive Windows laptop for basic needs like word processing, online video watching, and Web surfing. While pricier than more basic chromebooks we've seen in the past, the $399.99 Acer Chromebook R 13 (CB5-312T-K5X4) brings to the table more memory,...

Metal body construction; Convertible hinge; Full HD screen; Long battery life; 4GB of memory

Single USB-C port; Reflective, glossy screen; Non-backlit keyboard

I really love my Asus Chromebook! very impressed with its use and its pretty display, I'll never need another laptop.. serves all my purposes.. from word processing to media.

A premium 2-in-1 Chromebook with some superb standout features

Impressive battery life; Aluminium encased design; ChromeOS works beautifully with 2-in-1s; Decent keyboard and trackpad; Android support

No support for Windows apps; Fairly heavy; No keyboard backlighting

This is my first experience with a Chromebook, and it's been positive so far. This is a good computer for web based activity. Great battery life and quick to boot up. The one downside is that it's a bit heavier than I expected, but not too bad for use around the house.