You may wonder what €240 will get you in terms of technology. Acer's 11 CB3-131 Chromebook proves that you do not have to splash the cash to get a solid device. 

For those who don't know, a Chromebook is a device that runs Google Chrome OS. It is not possible to install programmes, but there are a large number of apps available and it has full web browsing capability.  

Is this for you? 

If you're a student, like a browse online or carry out all of your work online and in the cloud, then yes. It's also handy for those who like to watch Netflix or YouTube.

Out of the box this is a nice, sturdy device. It's probably not going to win any beauty competitions, but it is incredibly light and durable.

It starts up within seconds and simply requires a Gmail address to set it up. From there, it's possible to avail of the full suite of Google Drive applications, YouTube, Gchat and Google Chrome.

There's a lovely keyboard that makes for comfortable typing and there's a decent sized trackpad mouse too. The only thing that is slightly annoying is the division of the left and right click. It's a very small usability issue that one could get used to or simply purchase an external mouse.

This is very much a "does what it says on the tin" type of device. It is not built to have files stored on the hard drive. It is the web-based user's ideal companion. 

It's important to note, however, that there is no Ethernet port on this device. It would have been nice to have, but is by no means a necessity. There's Bluetooth connectivity and an SD card reader too. 

Conclusion 

Having purchased this device for €240, I was skeptical about how well it would perform, but it has really impressed me. It is nowhere near as fast as my MacBook Pro, but it is an entirely different beast. It is a robust machine that performs the tasks it was built to do incredibly well. 

Aside from the ever-so-slightly annoying mouse, it ticks every box I needed it to.