Acer has been in the Chrome business almost since the beginning, with a robust assortment of small notebooks boasting Google's Chrome OS. Yet, despite offering several award-winning Chrome devices, there wasn't a Chromebox—a desktop with Chrome OS—available from the company until now. The Acer Chromebox CXI-4GKM ($219 as tested) offers everything we like about Chrome, at an affordable price, including great performance for casual Web browsing along with a few features we haven't seen offered before. It doesn't replace the Editors' Choice Asus Chromebox M004U, because a $40 difference is a pretty big gap when dealing with list prices this low, but it's a nice alternative.

Design and Features
The compact Chromebox CXI-4GKM measures just 6.51 by 5.12 by 1.3 inches (HWD), making it a convenient size for either placing on a desktop or shelf, or even mounting to the back of a monitor to roll your own version of the LG Chromebase. The small size is similar to other compact desktops, like the Apple Mac mini. The sides of the case have a textured pattern and are adorned with the Acer and Chrome logos.

The small plastic box comes with a base for standing the Chromebox up vertically, and a VESA mounting bracket for attaching it to the backside of a monitor or HDTV. The Chromebox comes bundled with an inexpensive USB keyboard and corded mouse. Neither is particularly impressive, but I wouldn't expect much given that they are bundled with such an inexpensive system, and they do the job just fine.

The compact size means there's not a lot of room for ports and
connectors, but there is still a decent selection. On the front you'll find an SD card slot and two blue USB 3.0 ports, along with the system's Power button. On the back are an Ethernet port, two more USB 3.0 ports, DisplayPort and HDMI video output, and a headset jack. The selection is identical to that of the Asus M004U. A Kensington lock slot lets you physically secure the device, which is sort of comforting considering the chassis is smaller than a paperback book.

The processor is a 1.4GHz Intel Celeron 2957U, which may not sound impressive, but it offers plenty of horsepower for the basic Web-centered experience for which a Chromebox is built. For something more powerful, and more expensive, the Dell Chromebox 3010 features an Intel Core i3 processor, but aside from offering faster website rendering and better VOIP and video conferencing support, there's not much difference between it and the CXI-4GKM. Pairing the Celeron CPU with 4GB of RAM and a 16GB solid-state drive (SSD), you'll definitely want to get familiar with cloud storage, and Google provides you with an extra 100GB of storage space in Google Drive (free for 24 months). As with other Chrome-based devices, the Chromebox doesn't support Windows software, but you can use a number of Chrome apps and browser extensions to perform the same basic functions.

Performance
The Chromebox offered one of the fastest desktop boots I've ever witnessed, going from Off to the sign-in screen in mere seconds. The Chrome setup process is quick and painless, and lasts only moments, just long enough to connect to your network (via Wi-Fi or Ethernet), and another moment to log into your Google account—if you've ever logged into Gmail, the process is pretty much identical.

See How We Test Desktops

That basic experience was consistent throughout my testing, whether I was browsing Facebook, watching YouTube videos, or writing up this review in Google Docs. Things loaded more or less smoothly, though streaming media like Netflix and YouTube sometimes loaded a bit slowly. I did notice some slowing down while running several open tabs, but that didn't really happen until I hit the 10- to 12-tab mark. That means that I was able to do the majority of my Web browsing completely unhindered by the system's low-powered processor or small allotment of memory. Some of those issues will disappear with a faster processor, like the Core i3 CPU in the Dell 3010, but you'll pay an extra $100 for that small performance boost.

Conclusion
All in all, the Acer Chromebox CXI-4GKM is everything we expect from a Chrome device. It's inexpensive, easy to use, and it easily supports the casual use for which the Chrome is tailored. It does come in at a slightly higher price than the Asus Chromebox M004U, but that is somewhat offset by the extra RAM and the inclusion of a stand and mounting bracket. The bundled keyboard and mouse didn't sway me much, since you can pick up a cheap keyboard and mouse combo for less than $20. All things considered, the Asus M004U stays on as our top pick, but only because it's a little less expensive for a similar package and preformance. If you want something like it that's easy to tuck out of the way or mount to a TV, the Acer Chromebox CXI-4GKM is a solid alternative.