Get an Acer 11.6

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White gold: The Acer Chromebook C720P is a steal at $179.99.
Acer

Which would you rather have in a sub-$200 laptop: a bigger screen that doesn’t respond to touch or a smaller screen that does?

I ask because in the past, I’ve shared similarly priced deals on Chromebooks that had 13- or even 14-inch screens, but that weren’t finger-friendly.

Today, Best Buy has the Acer Chromebook C720p 11.6-inch touchscreen laptop in Moonstone White for $179.99. Shipping is free, but you’ll most likely have to pony up sales tax.

For anyone who doesn’t need specific Windows or Mac software but does want a laptop for email, Web, word processing and other basics, Chromebooks rock. You get lightning-fast bootup and shutdown, freedom from viruses and blue screens of death and, in this case, lots of connectivity (in the form of Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0, dual-band Wi-Fi and HDMI.)

Also, most budget-level Chromebooks come with just 16GB of storage, but the C720P gives you 32GB. That’s a nice perk for users who like to keep things local, not just in the cloud.

Downsides? If you want my $0.02, Gmail remains the ugliest and most user-hostile Webmail service on the planet, and setting up Google Cloud Print can lead you straight to madness.

Minor complaints like that haven’t stopped buyers from collectively rating the C720P 4.5 stars (out of 5), or CNET’s own Scott Stein from giving the system a score of 7.0 (out of 10). His bottom line: “The Acer Chromebook C720P manages to get better at all the key things, adding up to a little laptop alternative that’s better than any budget Chromebook we’ve seen before.” (And that was based on the $299 price tag.)

All this brings me back to the original question: Do you really want a laptop with a touchscreen? Because if you’d prefer a bigger display, I guarantee you there’s a similar non-touchscreen Chromebook deal just around the corner. Personally, I don’t see much point in putting your mitts on a laptop screen, but at this price, who am I to argue?

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AEE

Bonus deal: Now that the snow has finally melted, it’s drone-flying time! And I hope you saved up, because StackSocial is offering Cheapskate readers the AEE Toruk AP10 quad-copter for $611.10 shipped when you apply coupon code TORUK10 at checkout. (Click the little “Have a promo code?” link below the green Complete Order button.) It sells elsewhere for $699.

The AP10 features a built-in 1080p video camera, a GPS-powered return-to-launch function and a promised 25 minutes of flight time. You can learn more about the specs and features on AEE’s Toruk AP10 product page (but the deal is available only via the previous link).

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Get an Acer 11.6

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Acer

I know I shared a Chromebook deal just last week, but, hey, sometimes these things happen in waves. And this is a decidedly different model, one that may appeal to different users.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, Secondipity has the refurbished Acer C720P-2661 11.6-inch touchscreen Chromebook (in Moonstone White) for $219.99, shipped. Price new: $299.99. Price elsewhere: around $279.

Let me pause right here to note that if you’re not interested in putting your mitts on the screen, Secondipity also has a used Acer C720-2420 11.6-inch non-touchscreen Chromebook for $179.99, shipped. But it’s not classified as “manufacturer refurbished,” and there’s no warranty information listed, so there’s a bit of buyer-beware on that one. Let’s focus on the C720P.

And I’ll start the discussion with this: CNET called it “the king of budget Chromebooks” after reviewing it early this year. Yep, this is a current-gen model, not some two-year-old clearance item.

Thus you get not only a touchscreen, but also 32GB of solid-state storage (double the average starter Chromebook), various expansion options (SD, USB, HDMI), a newer Celeron processor, and a battery that’s good for nearly six hours of heavy use.

Of course, a touchscreen probably seems superfluous on a device like this, and I won’t argue that point. But at this price? I’ll take it!

And don’t forget all the happy users: Over at Amazon, where the C720P runs $279 new, it earned a 4.5-star average (out of 5) from nearly 400 buyers.

Why choose this over, say, the 14-inch HP from last week? Simple: It’s smaller and lighter, but with better battery life. It also gives you twice the local storage (MP3 library, anyone?) and, for those who like getting touchy-feely, a touchscreen. That’s an awfully good deal for $220 out the door. Thoughts?

Bonus deal: Game time! If you’re an Xbox Live Gold subscriber, Microsoft is offering Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (Xbox 360) absolutely free. Regular price: $19.99. This is a download, natch, so you’ll need space enough on your Xbox drive to store it. The game earned a 9 (“superb”) from GameSpot and has an average rating of 4.5 stars from over 200,000 (!) Xbox users. Nice freebie, Microsoft!

Bonus deal No. 2: So it has come to this: Newegg has the refurbished Roku Streaming Stick for $34.99, shipped — the same price as a new Google Chromecast. Which is the better HDMI dongle to bring Netflix, Hulu, and the like to your TV? I’m going to give the nod to Roku, mostly because I prefer a real remote (especially one with shortcut buttons for Amazon and Netflix). Chromecast requires you to BYO phone or tablet for clicker duty. Also, the Streaming Stick sells new for $50, so this is a deal indeed. Warranty: 90 days, same as a new Roku.

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X-Mirage

Bonus deal No. 3: Speaking of streaming gear, you know you can mirror your iPhone or iPad to your TV courtesy of Apple TV, but what if you want to replicate your iDevice on your PC? There’s an app (OK, utility) for that: For a limited time, X-Mirage (Win) is free. The software allows you to mirror your iDevice to your Windows computer — and record what you see (and hear) as well.

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