This is an update to my original review (see below)
I purchased this Acer about nine months ago and it has been used every single day since then. It is still working perfectly and has NEVER displayed any problems whatsoever - in short, it is really exceptionally good. I boots up in a few seconds, is virtually silent when running, doesn't overheat, and has even been dropped once without suffering any damage whatsoever.
I read the reviews from time to time, just to see what other people are saying about it, and am always amazed at the negative reviews - I wonder if they are talking about the same laptop, because quite frankly I have not had any of the problems that others seem to have experienced. I still believe, as I said earlier, that a lot of people really don't know how to use a computer.
The only issue I have come across is that if I try to play a video located on the original hard drive, which I use just for storage, using the player on the M.2 drive it does not play properly - I don't quite know why this should be the case, especially as a video on an external drive plugged into a USB port plays perfectly - in any case, the solution is simply to put the video on the M.2 drive where it will play perfectly.
So there you are - this laptop is the best value you will find for the price.
(Original review)
I received my laptop about five weeks ago and decided to wait a bit before reviewing it so that I could give an objective review based on usage rather than my initial impression, which was a wholehearted "Wow!" So, first off, so many other reviewers have gone into a great deal of detail about all the fine features of the laptop and I don't feel a need to repeat all that. What I will do is tell you about my personal experience of using this amazing machine. I should mention that I spent several weeks and countless hours researching a wide range of laptop brands and models until I finally narrowed my selection down to this one - and I'm not sorry.
I find the build quality quite exceptional for a laptop of this price. I love the faux-metal finish, it's really quite classy. Likewise the keyboard, which I find perfect. The speakers are such a big improvement on my old Toshiba speakers that quite frankly even if they were half as good they would still be excellent. I always connect to external speakers when watching videos, but could easily just use the built-in speakers at a push (during a power outage for example). I can't say much about the trackpad because I always use a mouse - it works, what else is there to say. The 1080 screen is a fantastic asset in such a low-priced laptop - when I started searching for a new laptop a full-HD screen was one of my priorities and honestly I expected to have to pay much more than this one cost. I was already a Windows 10 user so expected a long update process when I first booted up - actually it didn't take as long as I had expected, less than an hour if my memory serves me correctly.
I immediately ordered an extra 4gb of RAM (Ballistix Sport LT 4GB Single DDR4 2400 MT/s (PC4-19200) SODIMM 260-Pin Memory - BLS4G4S240FSD), which was very easy to install in the spare slot. I also added an M.2 solid state drive (Crucial MX300 275GB M.2 (2280) Internal Solid State Drive (CT275MX300SSD4) and used the free EaseUS Todo app to clone the hard drive to the M.2. I had already downloaded the apps that I normally use - I set the M.2 as the boot drive, Windows renamed the new drive as the C: and the old hard drive as the E: - didn't have to do anything - and I have to say that boot time is now just a few seconds - the difference is quite amazing. I knew it would be fast because I had previously replaced the hard drive on my old laptop with an SSD, but the M.2 seems to be even faster if that's possible. It seems that some laptops come with the standoff screw for the M.2, and some without - mine had the screw - lucky me! I have left all my apps and Windows 10 on the original drive but use the drive only for storage - a "just in case" measure really.
The laptop is almost silent when running - and it doesn't generate much heat - the outflow from the side vent is negligible and almost cool. Likewise, the charger does not heat up too much and is much smaller and lighter than other chargers I've used. I was initially a little concerned about what happens if the battery fails because it is not removable like most batteries but decided not to worry about something that might not happen for years. As it is, battery life is exceptional - well, I'm comparing it to the 2 hours or so that my old laptop gives - I'd say that this one lasts realistically about 7 or 8 hours, depending on usage - I mostly keep it plugged in but whenever I do use it unplugged it discharges very slowly.
I have tried to find some negative points about the laptop - but the only thing I can think of is that there's no light on the caps lock key - a really minor detail indeed, more than compensated for by the backlit keyboard, which is a novelty for me.
These days I mainly use a laptop to go online, email, and for watching movies and TV shows. BTW, I use a VPN, which connects immediately after booting up - and the wireless connects instantly to my wireless modem and has never disconnected - some reviewers say that the wireless constantly drops the connection - this I don't understand, maybe I'm just lucky. I am not a gamer - aside from an addiction to Mahjong! - so I can't comment on how this laptop handles games - look at others' comments about this.
So, that's about it - for anyone looking to buy a really decent laptop for as little as possible I'd say look no further than this one. The features it comes with are quite amazing for the price - only time will tell how it will hold up in the long run but I am very optimistic and look forward to a long and productive relationship with my lovely Acer. I should add that I have a lot of respect for my electronics and treat everything very gently - no banging around, dropping, or general rough treatment - my old Toshiba laptop is 7 years old and still chugging away, albeit with a few minor scars due to old age! And last but not least, after reading so many reviews I have come to the conclusion that a lot of people really don't know how to use a computer properly - it is a complex thing, likewise software and operating systems - and all should be used intelligently and carefully - I think that people have problems with computers because they don't know what they are doing. Anyway, that's my take on it - but my final word is, buy this one if you want to be amazed!
| Standing screen display size | 15.6 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 Pixels |
| Processor | 2.4 GHz core_i3 |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR |
| Hard Drive | 1000 GB SATA |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Chipset Brand | Intel |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Graphics Card Ram Size | 4 GB |
| Wireless Type | 802.11ac |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 2 |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 12 Hours |
