#1: Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3820T-5246 13.3-Inch HD Laptop (Black Brushed Aluminum) Reviews!
I bought this for 9, shipping included directly from Amazon about three weeks ago. As you can see from some of the discussion thread, the specifications on this system listed by Amazon were changed several times along the way - I think Amazon could do a better job in making sure they get the particulars of a specific model right when they are listing a new system. (I noticed this wasn't just for Acer, seemed to be the case for many new systems).
That being said, I love this little Acer system overall. I've been in high tech for over 25 years and I've gone through a lot of computers. I've had this one aboug three weeks and it has exceeded my expectations in most areas.
Form Factor
Small, light, and compact; yet feels solid when you carry it. Doesn't overheat like many systems. Speakers for a laptop are pretty good, as is the webcam. I think most 'average users' will be okay with both. While the keyboard and wrist area are fairly good at not picking up fingerprints, the same can't be said for the top of the system - the black matte surface tends to show them.
I like the multi-card reader (it's hidden nicely in the front left corner of the system) and the HDMI support is a real plus as well for me since I plug this into my standing monitor quite often.
If you're used to opening up your laptop with one hand (due the help gravity gives you in dealing with your older, heavier laptop) you may miss that - the Acer really needs two hands to open the lid, else the bottom tends to come off the table while you're trying to open the 'clam shell' hinged top. A small thing I adjusted to quickly...
In general, doesn't seem to be a lot of flex in the system, no creaking or moaning when I carry it. it reminds me a little of a well-built car when you shut the door - solid sounding, not a tin can. (I've had a lot of tin can laptops over the years...) I have noticed a slight looseness in the left hand side plastic that covers the LED display, but it's not enough to bother me.
Peformance
The Intel HD graphics, i3 processor, and 4GB of memory help this puppy hum right along. The only complaint would be the slower 5400 speed drive. It's not necessarily noticeable, but it's too bad Acer doesn't include a faster 7200RPM drive. Also, for future reference, the system can hold 8GB of memory, but it comes preinstalled with 2 2GB DDR3 1066 SDRAM memory modules so keep that in mind if you are planning to upgrade memory at some point in the future - you'll need to swap out both cards to get to 8GB.
High resolution video streaming, various online playbacks, and online performance in general is excellent. (See my note below about wireless throughput). In general, I'm very pleased with the graphics on this system.
Pre-installed Software
A couple of the Acer preloaded softwares seemed a little flakey. I uninstalled most of the preloaded software. In general, there is some clean-up if you don't want to take advantage of all their 'offers', but no more than most other systems.
Keyboard
Didn't mind the 'island' key layout, though it did take a couple minutes to get used to. Keyboard overall is responsive and has a very good 'full keyboard' feel. I thought the response of the multi-gesture touchpad was pretty good overall and think that if you haven't had one before, you'll like the functionality.
CineCrystal Backlight LED Display
Some people don't like this type of 'high-gloss' display. This system doesn't seem to have much glare/reflection issues; viewing angles are good, and the brightness is almost too bright - I adjusted the default power settings to turn it down some.
Wireless
I did have one issue with the wireless (which turned out to have nothing directly to do with the Acer system, but I thought it was important to include here for anyone looking at Windows 7 and N-router compatibility). The Acer found my network easily, and Windows 7 configured everything correctly so it worked right away... but, I noticed the throughput seemed very slow. I ran a speed test online (dslreports) and realized my throughput was terrible - even though I was configured to use my N-router and was only about 5 feet from the router when I did the test. I little research showed a lot of people complaining about slow and disconnecting wireless on Windows 7 systems (mostly during the Windows 7 beta, but still a lot since production release).
My problem turned out to be related to my router (it needed to have it's firmware updated to the latest version). Once I did that, the Acer connected wirelessly like a rocket. I'm averaging 11-12Mbps download on comcast; prior to update my wireless router firmware I was getting about 950Kbps download speed wirelessly. So - if you have an N-router and are moving to a system with Windows 7, and you notice any performance issues, you may want to double check and make sure your router firmeware is the latest version possible.
Also, be aware that the preinstalled wireless drivers for the Atheros miniPCIe card are more current than the ones on Acer's website. So if you are troubleshooting wireless issues, be careful to check versions before assuming Acer's website has the most current.
Batter Life
While the 6-cell battery is good (Acer also makes a 9-cell you can buy as well), it's not giving me anywhere near 8 hours of battery life - not that I expected it to. There are good options and a lot of granularity for adjusting performance/battery life profiles. I've been running mostly in the predefined 'balanced profile' and find I get about 4 to 4.5 hours of battery life which I think is more than reasonable. I suspect if I wanted to I could prolong the battery by running in the 'maximum battery life profile', but I haven't worried about it since my old laptop (Dell XPS) was lucky to get 2.5 hours. I did play with the maximum battery life profile a little and didn't notice any slow down in performance - only that it dimmed the display quite a bit - which is always a big culprit when it comes to consuming power.
Acer Support
I had a chance to deal with them when I noticed my slow wireless connectivity. In general, they seem to try and handle support via email, and although they are responsive, the responses seemed very automated and generic (try installing latest drivers, check obvious things). If you are used to troubleshooting issues on your own, I think they can complement the process. I never got the point where my issue was escalated hight enough to get any real help from them as I'd already solved it on my own. That being said, their site does a pretty good job of organizing their drivers by model and OS.
Last Thoughts
I had considered buying an Apple Macbook Pro or Airbook this time around, but for the price difference, this Acer can't be beat. I'd also looked at various higher/lower end notebooks, ultralight notebooks and ever a few netbooks. If you don't mind not having an optical drive (and to be honest I thought I would miss it, but don't) a 13.3 inch system like this Acer, with the new Intel i3 processor (they also have a model that comes with the i5) can't be beat for the price. It's solid and seems to be a good little workhorse.
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Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3820T-5246 13.3-Inch HD Laptop (Black Brushed Aluminum) Features
- Thin, Light and Packed with Power: State-of-the-art component engineering guarantees higher power efficiency. Travel anywhere without having to pack a bulky power cord, the TimelineX lasts an astounding 8 hours on a single charge!
- The Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3820T with its 13.3" LED display is less than one-inch, at its thinnest point, and weighs almost 4 lbs; a perfect balance to mobility and portability.
- Stunning 13.3" widescreen LED-backlit display features 16:9 HD True Cinematic View for enriched multimedia playback. View HD content in full HD and integrated Intel graphics bring stunning clarity to your display.
- With 802.11 b/g/n wireless and Gigabit Ethernet LAN you will always have a way to jump on the Internet and access email, browse the web, connect to your social networks and more!
- Smart controls and intuitive keys like the Easy-launch P Key and Media Controls, let you open often used programs and control your media with a touch.
