

Similarly, the Gorilla Glass-covered trackpad is smooth, and the large size makes gestures and right-clicks blissfully simple, even three-finger gestures like accessing the Overview screen or swapping tabs. This backlit keyboard is as predictably average as they come, with even backlighting, typical key travel and typing feel - so Acer didn’t screw anything up nor did it take anything over the top. The touchscreen itself is responsive and has a matte “non-glare” coating, which helps make the screen easier to read in some environments, but it also means that if you’re working with a bright light source behind you - say a bay window or a skylight - the screen can sometimes become unreadable until you kill the lights or change locations.Ī non-touchscreen version of this laptop could save you $50, but between it being easier for app interaction and the general usefulness of multi-touch displays, it easily earns that upgrade. I understand the appeal of keeping them better separated, but that front frame also means dust and debris can get stuck around the edges of the screen in a way all-glass screens can’t.

The 14-inch screen on the 514 is surrounded by a plastic frame, recessing the screen ever so slightly and keeping it raised away from the keyboard that you will absolutely cover in skin oils and grease.
