Laptops and Notebooks Reviews : Acer

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Acer AS5732Z-4867 15.6-Inch HD Display Laptop (Black)

for the price it cant be beat

-- 2010-03-03
its a good laptop it hase 2.2ghz cpu witch is good if you what to play WOW or other games and it hase a big screen its my first pc i got it for $429 i hade it for 3 days now and it dose what you what and more for $429 i was not expecting this much but the hard drive is smaller than 250gb its 220gb and 196gb win everything is installed

Responding to the 'no mic' review...

-- 2010-03-02
I'd like to respond to Linda's complaint/review. I do agree that the mfr should be more up-front in disclosing lack of internal mic, however please let me provide a different point of view... for the benefits of other readers, at the least. I actually think a built-in webcam and no mic is the 'best of both worlds'. I know, that seems strange, but here's why.

A built-in webcam is creepy enough, but you can easily cover it with a piece of tape. We've seen in recent news that people can and DO hack into webcams and mics of people online--even (illegally so) a school providing loaner laptops to students, spying on them in their bedrooms.

You can't turn an internal mic off (no mfr provides a hard switch). You can disable it in the OS, but it's inconvenient, and you have to trust the OS and apps that nothing's switching it back on. Plus (and maybe most importantly, if not realistically), internal mics usually SUCK. Even if it's good, it's generally too far away and too close to the speakers when integrated. So what you usually get, is a built-in mic which stays on all the time, with the creepy security risk (and Google saying someday it will eavesdrop on your mic and if it hears a dog barking in the background, will spam you with dog food ads, for instance)... and you end up using an external mic anyway. Maybe you've had good luck with integrated microphones? I know I haven't. Nothing beats a headset, or something close to your mouth.... especially if you're using the laptop's speakers to hear your party.

A few years ago I had the opposite experience. I bought a laptop with no webcam, and it had an internal mic which wasn't documented. I'd had it about a year when I installed a recording program, and noticed it was picking up noises when I was just trying out the program (with no input). The quality was so low it wasn't useful, and the fact I had a useless mic which was only a security and creepiness liability made it an albatross. I wished they made laptops WITH webcams, but NO integrated mics, but I didn't think anyone would do that. Then I bought this laptop (not this actual model, but similar) and was so happy--but surprised--that there was no internal mic. Really. YMMV.

Let me make a comment on my laptop. I have an emachines version which is identical but mine has a lower-power AMD CPU with a lower-capacity hard drive. Chassis and hardware should be identical. I was astounded at the quality of my webcam. It does appear to be only QVGA (quarter VGA), but the quality is better than the VGA cams I've seen. And because it's QVGA, it updates a 4x faster on the user's end (seems smoother, more motion-y). Best of all, it really is "optimized for low-light" like it says on the computer. If you have a white background on your screen, the light from the screen is enough for the webcam to pick you up fine in an UNLIT room (too bad Skype has a black background; I can't seem to change it). (And it works fine in well-lit rooms too; no 'overexposure'.) One low-powered light on in the room is good enough for this webcam (exceedingly rare to find on an integrated cam IMO). Which is really nice for those late-night conversations, which is really when you want to use a webcam, right? I can tell you firsthand it's substantially better than a late-gen iMac webcam which didn't do well in existing artificial light.

Over the internet, I let a friend a choose between my integrated webcam and a well-respected USB VGA webcam I'd previously bought. I didn't say which was which, nor give techincal details, just: "which do you prefer?". My party chose my integrated webcam, to my surprise (and delight). Almost all integrated webcams are crappy, and I've never heard of one which is actually excellent. Plus, it is aimed right at me, taking into account proper screen angle. It's as if someone knew what they were doing when they designed it!

Personally, I use a little over-the-ear mic which came with that previous webcam I mentioned (now made obsolete by the excellent internal cam). These are really cheap to buy on the net. You can also get little "stalk" right-angle connector mics which are made for notebooks as you just plug it into the jack and angle it at you. But something close to your mouth is best. meritline, dealextreme, pcmicrostore, amazon of course and many others sell cheap mics of wildly varying style and quality. You can leave the stalk type ones connected--the smaller the stalk, obviously the easier it is to leave connected but the father away it'll be from you. Other options would be a USB 'speakerphone', also pretty handy, but that's more wires, or an adapter (which you can get on Amazon) which allows you to use your 2.5mm connector cordless phone headset in your computer.

With this laptop, ALL the connectors are in the right place. Very rare. The sound, power, and network ports are all on the left--where God intended them to be :) . You don't have a power cable running out one side of you and a network cable out the other. Everything comes in at the left (yes!). There is nothing on the back, and nothing on the right to interfere with your mouse hand except for the optical drive, which again is also in the correct place for you to replace disks.

In the front, you have the card reader--which is a good card reader. It's BOOTABLE, and faster than a USB card reader I have. Yeah it's a little difficult to get to, and the action is very positive (you have to push pretty hard on the card to get it to pop back out), but I see that as a good thing, as the card is flush and is not going to pop out accidentally pushing up against you.

Honstly, I wish I had this model (I think it's a new model). What I'd really like to know is how often the fan turns on when idling in this model? Mine is really quiet. Fan doesn't run much, and is quiet when it does. My 160GB drive is the quietest drive I think I've ever heard, and I hope this 250GB is too, as it's only 5600rpm. A lot of the 250GB drives are 7200rpm, which are quite noisier, and not worth the speed tradeoff for me (I use a 7200rpm in my work laptop daily, so I know). I only have 2GB RAM and most for users running Windows 7 (Windows 6.1 technically), that's enough. However, if you open tons of web tabs, it is possible to max out in Windows 64-bit (I was surprised). 3GB or 4 would be enough for me but I'm a power user. This has 3, or 50% more than my 2GB. (The RAM inside may also be DDR3, which if true would be contrary to some spec lists.)

Likewise, I could use the more powerful T4400 processor in this model, I just don't know if it creates extra heat. The mobile Intels are very efficient. I have an AMD but one of the newer low-powered variants... but gutless compared to this. However, my fan is usually off in idle, only coming on a couple seconds every once in awhile after it's been on for awhile. I'd want to keep that--and want to know if this T4400 is cool enough it behaves similarly. Max heat of a T4400 is in the thirties of watts; my AMD creates 15 watts max, but max heat rating is not a good indication of idle usage. Anecdotal stories are much more useful.

Having used my laptop enough now, I like it so much (everything being in the right place, etc) that I'd pay extra for what I have now with more ram and a better processor--if that did not mean more noise. I've seen a lot of crappy laptops in my day (crappy=bad heat management/noisy, bad keyboards, and ports/connectors in illogical places). So I'm soliciting any feedback?

There's no perfect laptop, but I think the fact that this one's 'thicker' than most laptops these days yields hidden benefits that outway lack of thinness (and the lappy is pretty lightweight when you take the battery out, if you use w/a cord like I do). I have some issues with the keyboard, and yes there are only 2 USB ports (macbook only gives you 1?). But the intangibles are high here, including the very nice glossy screen, almost equivalent with HP/Compaq.

The keys are almost 'stealth chiclet', or 'hybrid'. They have good travel (unlike chiclet), and are larger (unlike chiclet), but have no bevel (like chiclet), and only an imperceptible curve (essentially flat), which makes it surprisingly hard for your fingers to find the keys in the dark (and keyboard is unlit). That said, they're nice and big and feel good due to good travel. Key location is above average, not perfect. They missed an opportunity to put page-up/page-down where they put those half-sized arrow keys. Why just leave that part of the keyboard as a blank hole, and make a button half-size, when you could either put a full-sized key there or put another half-size key above it? Again, nothing's perfect. I'm not a fan of numberpads, so I sacrificed the keypad and assigned a slew of non-character keys to it using a freeware app called KeyTweak. Now a pretty happy camper.

If you go through Windows 7 power management in Control Panel and get aggressive on the 'power saver' profile (including aggressive screen dimming), as well as turn off the stupid Aero interface and other animations/effects, you can squeeze about 50% more battery time out. Disabling wireless helps, if you can, and also frees up about 50MB of memory.

I love the laptop overall, and friends who see it are envious. Thinner is not necessarily better. Read reviews of the newer thinner Acer models and you'll see reviews are not as good. Most common complaints about this chassis form factor is only 2 USB ports, the silly layout of the number pad, the flat keys, and an occasional "slow Wi-Fi" problem I've seen in reviews which appears to be hardware-related (mine is fine and quite fast, actually). So if you get one, test out your wi-fi speed within the exchange period.

Acer Aspire AS7740-6656 17.3-Inch HD Display Laptop (Blue)

Best laptop I own yet

-- 2010-02-24
I have own a Acer before. My last Acer lasted me 8 years. I Love my new Acer. I use it for Work, school, and Play.
This computer boots up fast. runs fast. lots of space for work and school and games. I play World of Warcraft It run Just like if I was on my gamer desk top. I work in EMS SO I do my my reports, MY con ED is done on line with the big 17" screen I see the Videos lot better than my old 15" and loads the video faster. Playing WOW the game runs fast very little lag if any. FPS is just a little slower than my desktop.
By the way have I told you I love this laptop. has every thing I need, The price for this laptop is low compared to other laptop of the same built. This the best laptop for the price.

Superb Choice

-- 2010-02-21
I usually buy my electronics through [...]. Newegg didn't have this model so Amazon got my business on this one and I'm glad that I happened to stumble across it.

I wanted 2 things in my PC. One was a large screen and the other was speed. The 17.3" screen is perfect. Not as bulky as an 18.4" but larger than a 15.6", so it's a good compromise. The new i5 chip is great. I didn't see the point in buying a PC with the old INTEL chips or AMD. I buy a new PC maybe every 6 years or so and considering I could have spent a lot more on a model by another manufacturer with the older chipsets it just makes more sense to buy this....which is really what makes this PC such an excellent purchase.

Usually when you find something that's a good buy you're making numerous compromises. That's not the case with this Acer. From the new chip to the 500 gb hard drive to the 4 USB's, card reader, VGA, HDMI, and dual-layer drive it's top-notch and is of an excellent quality build. Nothing feels cheap.

I have always despised notebook PC keyboards and anticipated using an external keyboard. Well, surprise surprise surprise....with the touchpad turned off, I find this keyboard works great. The keys are a good size for my stubby fingers, I don't mistype on it and find that the straight down touch you use, instead of the slightly angular touch I like on the external keyboards, works perfectly fine. The keyboard has a great feel to it as well. Rest your palms on the lower portion and go to work. I won't need an external keyboard with this PC. I definitely give it an A.

The screen is excellent. It's very sharp, equally bright and does justice to all my pics. Video is excellent and although it does not do 1080p HD, it does do lower resolution HD perfectly fine and on the 17 inch screen it looks fantastic. In fact, watching YouTube or other videos in full-screen mode looks good, but will look better when these on-line videos start sending out higher resolution streams than they do now. DVDs are excellent.

When I made my purchase decision I had looked at 6 or 7 other brands and found that the ACER beat them all on price when you compared the options it came with. The biggest dilemma for me was to get a model with a blu-ray drive and an i3 chip, or to go with the much faster i5 and not have blu-ray. For me, the best decision was to take the faster chip. I believe it would likely provide for smoother video and graphics overall and I could always add an external blu-ray drive later, if I really wanted to.

The only other factor about this PC which concerned me was that this model uses the integrated INTEL video card. I have used PCs with that in the past and found that I preferred having a separate graphics card. But my research indicated that INTEL is using a different methodology on the motherboards that have the new i series chips so I decided to go with it. So far I am pleased, but since I have not used one with a separate graphics card, I cannot say whether or not the separate graphics card offers any advantage in terms of performance. My guess is that a separate graphics card with 2 meg of dedicated RAM in addition to the 4 meg the system comes with might perform better under certain situations, however the software for this PC automatically dedicates 1,756k to video memory of the main 4mb and it's all DDR3 so I wonder if the difference would really be that noticeable. The additional price would be though, so I think this might well be the better purchase.

One disappointment...the sound on the speakers is very low, and since it's Dolby Home Theater with Virtual Surround Sound I expected more volume from the PC itself. Internet radio is hard to hear, but if I watch a video and use Windows Media Player or Winamp, that software boosts the sound a bit more. I use external speakers whenever I can and will continue to do so with this, but these internal speakers really are low volume.

If you're in the market for a new notebook this is a great PC. It's a great buy too. To borrow a phrase from a mortgage broker who advertises locally here...."It's the biggest no-brainer in the history of earth."

Acer Aspire AS1410-8414 11.6-Inch Sapphire Blue Laptop - 6 Hour Battery Life

Computer arrived on time but was not for me.

-- 2010-03-07
When I ordered this computer I ordered the wrong size but I tried to reach the seller and they wouldnt email me back so I couldnt return it and got stuck with it. Ive had it since Jan. and so far it freezes up more than any computer Ive ever had and sometimes when I want to go turn it on it wont turn on. The only thing good about it is its light weight and long battery power.

Slow Choice

-- 2010-02-28
I returned the Acer-Aspire for a refund because it's performance was slow and sluggish... it had a below-average level of multitasking which was hard to get used to... the other features were all OK and the long battery life was a plus.

Acer Aspire AS5740-6025 15.6-Inch Laptop (Blue)

Actually 5470-6378

-- 2010-02-23
Picked up nearly the same model at Costco for $599 after discount. Only difference is a 320GB drive instead of the 500GB drive. Seems like fairly solid construction. Keyboard is quiet. Track pad is a tad sensitive but I've adjusted how I use the pad with my fingers. There is a button to shut the pad off should you decide to use a mouse. Processor is fast, and, as advertised, fires up to 2.5GHz+ when doing processor intensive things. Did run a few low graphics intensive games and it did a fairly admirable job, though definitely not on high settings. Wireless-n has been solid. No mute button on the console, which is something I like, but not a big deal. Screen is bright - brighter than expected - though does have a low viewing angle from the top - and the screen doesn't tilt as far back as my old Dell laptop did. So you really have to be pretty square in front of it. I'm not a huge fan of the outer blue plastic, but, hey, I don't look at the back of the screen when I'm using it. The matte finish on the touchpad and handrest is smart (not like the HP's which show fingerprints VERY easily). Overall, great value. Time will tell on durability (I'm hoping for 1.5-2yrs).

acer 6025

-- 2010-01-31
Just received. Amazon service as usual, perfect. My expectations were high and I have not been disapointed. Core i5 processor is fast. Screen is glossy but beautiful. Keyboard is excellent. Everything works. First experience with Windows 7; looks good, nothing to complain about it. Time will tell, but this seems to be a bargain.

Acer AS7540-1317 17.3-Inch Laptop (Blue)

As advertised

-- 2010-02-18
I bought this for a friend because he had a computer failure. He is enjoying it. I can't review the features since I have not used it.

Not at all bad for the price

-- 2010-02-05
Ok so its been a while since i had a new laptop but i think this one does what i need and it does it very well. the speeds are snappy, the longest waiting time i had was for windows to remove all the bundle software that came with the laptop (seriously, who uses McAfee still?).

Windows gave it an overall score of 4.0 and the reason for that is because the ATI Radeon in this laptop is designed more so for viewing video (HD at that) which displays great on its crisp LED screen. if you find yourself being a media hog i would recommend at least a network/external drive or upgrading the one with it, it comes with 320 (good for moderate users) but media people on a budget will find that they can fill that up in a moment. I have yet to test it with games but according to several reviews they say that the video card should be able to play games like modern warfare 2, on its lowest settings.

The Multi-touch track pad is something i have yet to find a true use for, sure you can start in the corner and spiral around like an ipod to scroll down or up.. but why? there is a built in scrolling bar. Ok so you can pinch in and push out to zoom in and out... most people already know that the scroll bar does the same thing... seems more like a gimmick then something useful even the photo rotating command feels awkward to perform.

all in all its a good laptop for the price, not for gaming or long flights (average battery time i get is about 2.5-3 hours), but it fits that niche for people who need to have a big screen for either media or for viewing a lot of documents.

Acer Aspire Timeline AS1810T-8638 11.6-Inch HD Display Black Laptop - Over 8 Hours of Battery Life

Super Loaded Aspire

-- 2010-02-09
I've owned this computer for 3 months and it's doing a great job. It's pricy,but seems a really good quality build. I ordered mine maxed out in mem 4GB and harddrive 320.It's proclaimed 8 hr battery life may be close IF you don't use the bluetooth for mouse access. I'd recommend it to anyone needing or just wanting a really top end netbook with all the bells and whistles. oh, the HDMI output is super. giving a beautifull picture on my 65inch monitor

Small but powerful

-- 2010-02-07
Very pleased; a good buy. Light, lots of memory, boots quickly. Touch pad a bit too sensitive, butotherwise excellent.

Acer AS5740-5513 15.6-Inch Laptop (Blue)

Very Happy

-- 2010-02-27
There is an identical listing for $599.99 except it has a 500gb Hard Drive, make sure to take advantage of the additional 180gb for $0.31.

I received my laptop and I am extremely pleased so far. The blue shell is much more of a midnight blue and doesn't look anything like these stock photos. Also, as for the design of the laptop you have nothing to worry about, it is very sleek and has some blue accent lighting around the power button and other buttons, which makes it look very very sharp. I read another review where the design was the only problem with this laptop so I was slightly worried, but now that I own it I could not be happier.

I'm going to skip reviewing the internal specs because the first review sums up everything you need to know regarding the hardware.

GREAT laptop for the $

-- 2010-02-25
I bought this laptop when it was on sale at office max recently for $480.00 plus tax. IT IS FANTASTIC!! the i3 processor is lightning fast, the LCD screen is excellent for streaming videos. beautiful picture. this laptop is built solid (it is heavy) which is ok for me since I never take it out of the house anyway. the shiny finish on the shell does show fingerprints, but really thats all I can say negative about this great machine!! I am not a gamer, I am a basic applications user (videos, emails etc etc) so this laptop more that fits the bill for my needs.the keyboard works great, the touchpad works like a charm. LOVE IT..!!! also...FYI..the store offered me the extended warranty.. 2 years for $200.00 extra!!! forget that...I bought an extended warranty right here at amazon (squaretrade warranties).. 3 years..includes accidents/spills/dropping..for $82.00!! another great deal from amazon..:)

Acer Aspire AS1410-2039 11.6-Inch Black Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium)

Acer 1410 makes great choice for college students

-- 2010-03-09
I recently bought this Acer 1410-2497 to replace my Aspire 5735Z because it was a monster, too big. I thought the smaller 1410 would perform slower, but I'm surprised that it runs almost as good. It is great for browsing the 'net, running MS Office 2007, and I can even play Legend of Zelda N64 ROM on the Project64 program smoothly. Adobe CS4 will run but not very smoothly. The webcam is good but don't do any sudden or swift movements. The included 6-cell battery lasts about 4-5 hours, but if you want more I suggest you buy the 8-cell battery Amazon sells. Lacks a number pad but makes up for it through the Fn button and certain keys.

Pros:
* Decently sized screen
* Long enough battery life
* Decent performance (I could play Legend of Zelda smoothly)
* Thin, portable, lightweight
* Fast Wi-Fi
* Very sharp display (makes my old laptop's screen look blurry)
* Not a lot of crapware
* Nice deal for a college student

Cons:
* Lid is a fingerprint magnet, requires frequent cleaning
* Wish it would come with one 2GB RAM stick instead of two 1GB RAM sticks so it would be cheaper to upgrade the memory to 4GB

Great little notebook!

-- 2010-03-08
Great notebook, fast, boots up in like 30 seconds, battery lasts like 4 hours not 6 even at battery save mode, very light and easy for travelling, works like a champ with Windows 7, installed MS Office 2007 and works beautifully, handles well in multitasking, WIFI card ok, HDMI works ok and keyboard size is great!!!

I can list some cons but it should not be enough to not recommend this netbook...

Cons:
-Bluetooth button that does not work...why the hassle? Why did they put the BT button when it doesn't have BT?
-No DVD or CD writer
-Sound, you literally have to stick your ears to the speakers to listen to it :(
-Sometimes not good for youtube on HD mode
-Lasts forever to fully charge the battery

Conclusion:
If you travel as much as I do, use the netbook for basics such as skype, web surfing, MS Office, MSN, Youtube, Facebook, etc. You are good to go...
If you need a higher demanding laptop, don't buy...

Acer Aspire Timeline AS4810TZ-4474 14-Inch Aluminum Laptop - Over 8 Hours of Battery Life

PC version of a MacBook

-- 2010-02-01
When I first unboxed this, it was the first thing that came to mind. This is a PC version of an Apple MacBook. The extremely thin, and a very well built, solid feel to it. Not to mention the chicklet style keyboard. It SCREAMS MAC! It would have been really nice if the keys were backlit, but oh well.

My first concern with this laptop was weather or not the 1.3 Pentium DC processor was going to get the job done running Windows 7. I am here to say that it does. In fact, it runs extremely well. All of the apps that I have pulled up, (admitedly none that would be considered 'heavy') have run with no lag, or problems what-so-ever.

The trade off for the slower, dated Pentium Dual core processor, is that you get 8 FULL hours of usage time. It comes as advertised too. Infact, I have gotten closer to 9 hours of time out of mine on a full charge.

The wireless antenna is extremely strong uses a technology called ConnectUp. Not quite sure what it is, but it rules! Have gotten a strong signal from all over my house, where my previous laptop would struggle.

The screen is a backlit LED display which is absolutely beautiful. The HDMI port is a nice add on, but I cant even imagine when I will ever hook it up to my TV, since the display on the laptop itself is so amazing.

The speakers are very good, and even get a little bit of the surround sound feel.

I would not recomend this computer to anyone that is looking for a hardcore gaming unit. Although I have not tested the processor out on a game, I would think that it would probably choke. But I am not a PC gamer, so it suits my needs just fine.

Well worth the $650 investment.