Good laptop. It's by no means going to win awards or anything, but for what you get at this price point, it's pretty fantastic. Surfing the internet, typing papers and watching HD videos are all a breeze on this machine. Newer Intel chipset easily got me the advertised 7 hours of battery. Biggest decider between this and a Chromebook was screen size, and determining whether I actually needed Windows. A Chromebook will be a little cheaper, but you'll probably lose screen real estate and the ease with which you can use certain Windows programs.
I considered taking a star off pretty much because it's Windows 8.1, but it's not that big a deal. I had read in a different review that it's advertised as coming with bluetooth, but it actually doesn't. It took some digging, but it does in fact have bluetooth. You just have to sift through Windows 8's horrible UI. It's pretty much inaccessible from desktop mode. But that's really a small thing, and there's lots you can do to increase usability. Lots of guides out there to make Windows 8 more like Windows 7.
Make sure you understand what you do and do not get from this before buying, and judge your needs. It doesn't come with an optical drive, as is mentioned, and it doesn't have a dedicated graphics card. It plays HD videos splendidly, but you can't do high end gaming. Still, a good work horse if you want a bigger screen and a full keyboard.
****6 Month Update****
6 months later and I am still incredibly happy with this purchase. However a few things have come to light. Upgrading things on here is a pain. You have to remove all fifteen screws from the bottom, then pry the keyboard up. Be very careful, as it would be easy to snap plastic, or break a wire that connects the keyboard to the rest of the computer. Pretty standard stuff to be upgraded. You can add another stick of RAM, switch out the hard drive for a solid state drive, or even add in a DVD drive to it. But if you aren't comfortable with pulling electronics apart, do not do it on your own. It's very easy to break something, and/or void your warranty.
Second issue is a small one. Trackpad is just slightly to the left. Might make it nice for a left handed person, but as a righty, I often find myself accidentally right clicking something instead of left clicking it. Again, not a big deal, but it needed to be said.
Everything I praised about the laptop is still working wonderfully. Probably the best thing is I've found the Core i3 chip lets me do some light gaming. Portal, Minecraft and old system emulators run pretty well and are fun to do with friends. If you don't need a Mac or high end gaming PC, but you need to do more than with something like a Chromebook, this laptop is a solid choice.
I personally just upgraded the laptop with more ram and a SSD, so I'll let you know how it handles those upgrades after some time with them.
P.S. If you don't like the Windows 8 interface, I highly recommend getting Start8. It'll give you your start menu back, and allow you to disable the annoying parts of Windows 8 while still getting the OS's performance boost.
*****2 Years Later*****
Laptop is still chugging along. It has survived the Windows 10 upgrade, and with it makes great use of the SSD I installed.
The trackpad is still a sore issue. Really wish it was more centered, or better defined areas for left and right clicks.
I now kinda wish it had more USB ports. Since I hate using the trackpad, I'm forced to keep a mouse plugged in, so only two are available. I'd gripe about only having one USB 3.0 port, but two and a half years ago, having one on such an inexpensive machine was pretty nice. Still, showing its age with that.
Honestly, I don't see a need to replace it any time soon. If I get anything on my tax return, I might consider getting another laptop in the Acer Aspire line. This machine has been great to me.
*****4 Years Later, and Probably the Final Update*****
The machine is finally starting to show its age. The trackpad is significantly less sensitive, and I've all but abandoned using it in favor of an external mouse except for rare occasions. I also had an issue with a cracked screen about a year ago that required me to replace it. Luckily, I was able to use that instance to switch the glossy screen with a matte one. However, it was a complicated process and I would not recommend most people go that route.
Honestly, the main reason I've been using this so long is it still works and I've been short on fund to buy a suitable replacement. That said, I also haven't had a reason to really change either. While the screen issue made me consider it, I took the learning opportunity to learn how to replace a screen, and it’s been chugging along ever since. The keyboard still works great. I can play Overwatch on the lowest settings with the laptop. I've had no issues that interrupt how this machine behaves on a daily basis. Considering I bought it for about $350 initially, and put about $200 worth of upgrades and repairs into it, it’s been great for nearly five years. If I can save up for a gaming laptop, I might but so long as this little guy keeps going, it’ll be my work laptop.
| Standing screen display size | 15.6 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1366 x 768 pixels |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1366x768 |
| Processor | 1.7 GHz core_i5 |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR3L SDRAM |
| Memory Speed | 2.7 GHz |
| Hard Drive | 1000 GB SATA |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel HD Graphics 4400 |
| Chipset Brand | Intel |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Graphics Card Ram Size | 64 MB |
| Wireless Type | 802.11a/b/g/n |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 2 |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 1 |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 7 Hours |
