Acer TravelMate TimelineX 8481T-6440

Pros: Slim brushed-metal chassis; Solid Core i5 performance; Deep security features; Comfortable keyboard with accurate touchpad; Very long battery life

Cons: Weak graphics performance; Lid picks up fingerprints; Battery bulges out the bottom

The Verdict:The Acer TravelMate TimelineX 8481T offers impressive portability, long battery life, and solid performance for workers on the move.

Combining the svelteness of an ultraportable with the screen size of a larger laptop, the Acer TravelMate TimelineX 8481T attempts to deliver the best of both worlds for business users. This sleek system crams a 14-inch display into a 13.3-inch chassis, offers seriously long battery life, and weighs just 4 pounds. Small-business users will also appreciate this Core i5 notebook's solid performance and host of security features. Read on to find out if Acer has what it takes to take on the best small-business notebooks.

Design

The Acer TravelMate 8481T-6440 has a modern, minimalist design. Aside from the gray brushed-metal Acer logo, the black matte metallic lid is bare, unless you count the scores of fingerprint smudges it gathered as soon as we touched it. The only other accents are the chrome-plated hinges.
The TravelMate's interior has the same black metallic motif as the exterior. A chiclet-style keyboard sits in a slightly recessed keyboard deck, while the display is surrounded by an impressively slim bezel. A row of buttons for the Launch Manager, InstantView Manager, Acer Backup Manager, Microphone audio control, and power sit above the keyboard in the top right-hand corner.

As with Acer's other TimelineX notebooks, the TravelMate 8481T is defined by its slim profile. At 4 pounds, it's lighter than competitors such as the 4.6-pound pound Toshiba Tecra R840 and the 4.4-pound Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420s. The 8481T's petite 13 x 9.4 x 0.9-inch frame is only slightly smaller than the Tecra R840 (13.4 x 9.4 x 0.8-1.1 inches) as well as the E420s (13.7 x 9.3 x 1.2 inches).
The only thing that mars the 8481T's slimness is its battery, which protrudes about an inch out the back of the notebook. However, it tilts the keyboard toward the user, which some may find more comfortable for typing.

Acer Aspire TimelineX AS5830TG-6402

Pros: Powerful Dolby audio; Attractive premium-looking design; Good overall performance and graphics; Long battery life

Cons: Jumpy cursor when using touchpad; Small touchpad buttons; Reflective display

The Verdict:Excellent audio and strong performance make the 15-inch Acer Aspire TimelineX 5830TG-6402 a winner.

Acer's Timeline series has always been a premier sub-brand in terms of design, and the Aspire TimelineX AS5830TG-6402 is no different. This 15-inch laptop features an Intel Core i5 processor, Nvidia graphics, and excellent Dolby speakers, all inside a metallic blue chassis that's stylish and feels sturdy. Priced at $799, the 5830T is a bit more expensive than budget notebooks, but it's worth the extra dough.

Design

The Acer Aspire TimelineX 5830T shares the same aesthetics as its smaller sibling, the 13-inch Aspire TimelineX 3830T. The smooth blue brushed aluminum on the lid picked up few fingerprints. Unlike the MacBook Pro, the brushed aluminum doesn't extend to the bottom of the machine; instead, Acer opted for a more budget-friendly basic black plastic.
Opening the 5830T's lid reveals an attractive combination of brushed silver and a slightly more muted brushed blue. The silver surrounds the black chicklet keys and extends to the Dolby Home Theater speakers above the keyboard. The blue finishes off the palm rest and touchpad before wrapping around the front edge. Measuring 14.9 x 9.8 x 1.2 inches and weighing 5.4 pounds, the 5830T is not really travel-friendly, but it can be easily moved from room to room.

Acer Aspire Ethos 8951G

Pros: Strong performance; Quality HD webcam; Touchpad doubles as remote; Long battery life

Cons: Touchpadremote has limited range requires learning curve; Slow hard drive; Limited viewing angles

The Verdict:The Acer Aspire Ethos 8951G pairs strong multimedia playback with a unique removable touchpad that works as a remote.

 What good is a mammoth 18.4-inch screen on a laptop if you have to sit right in front of it to fire up a slideshow or control movie playback? Acer thinks it has the answer with the Aspire Ethos 8951G, a notebook with a removable touchpad that doubles as a remote control. With a full HD display, Dolby speakers, and Blu-ray drive, the Ethos 8951G packs a veritable home theater into an 8.8-pound chassis. But with a price of $1,599, this system faces hefty competition for your hard-earned cash. Read on to find out if the Ethos is awesome or overkill.

Design

The Acer Aspire Ethos 8951G's subdued all-black chassis won't clash with anything in your living room, but it won't stand out either. The lightly brushed aluminum-magnesium lid resists fingerprints. Inside, an all-black deck with a chiclet-style keyboard, glossy touchpad, and a few status lights completes the plain but functional aesthetic.
At 17.3 x 11.3 x 1.4 inches and 8.8 pounds, the Aspire Ethos 8951G is significantly heavier than such 17-inch competitors as the ASUS G73SW (16.6 x 12.8 x 2.3 inches, 8 pounds) and the HP Pavilion dv7 Quad (16.3 x 10.8 x 1.2-1.4 inches, 7 pounds). We wouldn't recommend toting the notebook with you to school or work, but you can easily move it around the house or put it in a large backpack and haul it across town to a LAN party.

Acer Aspire One 722

Pros: Sleek slim design; Large friction-free touchpad; Long battery life; Good webcam

Cons: Sub-par keyboard; Mediocre performance; Display isn't as bright as we'd like

The Verdict:The Acer Aspire One 722 offers more power and a bigger screen than a netbook for a very affordable price.

Ever since AMD's Fusion processor made their first appearance in January, the affordable ultraportable category has seen some seriously sweet entrants at enticing prices. Now that Acer has joined the party, along with HP, Sony, and Lenovo, we're seeing a more netbook-like price, undercutting them all with the $379 Aspire One 722. To offer that low price, Acer uses AMD's C Series APU instead of the more powerful E Series. However, this streamlined design (with eye-catching lid) offers more pep than Atom-powered netbooks along with long battery life. Is this bargain machine right for you?

 

Design

The Aspire One line has a look that's now becoming classic, but we're not complaining. The 722 looks sleek, thanks to the tapered edges and clean lines. The ripple effect on the lid, which evokes a pool of water disturbed by a single stone, is a nice touch. It helps the 722 to stand out without being gaudy. Given this effect, we prefer the aquamarine version of the model, especially as the color extends from the lid to the deck. For those who aren't a fan of blue, the Aspire One 722 also comes in black.
Unfortunately, the glossy lid picks up smudges easily (it doesn't help that we were drawn to touch the ripple all the time). This problem doesn't extend to the deck, where the plastic is matte. Even with the eye-catching color, the overall impression of the notebook under the hood is clean, not busy. Aside from the keyboard and touchpad, there's just the power button on the upper left and the status lights on the lower left.
Measuring 11.2 x 7.9 x 1.0 inches and weighing 3 pounds, the Aspire One 722 is relatively light and portable. At almost half a pound heavier than most netbooks, we did notice the weight in our bag, but we had no problem carrying this ultraportable around all day.

Acer Aspire TimelineX 3830TG-6431

Pros: Bold lightweight design; Fast performance; Strong graphics; Long battery life; Dolby audio

Cons: Small touchpad; Runs warm; Heavy power adapter

The Verdict:The metallic-blue Aspire TimelineX 3830TG offers impressive graphics power, portability, and a head-turning design.

You don't find many 13-inch laptops with discrete graphics for less than $800, nevermind one that looks like this. Acer's new $779 Aspire TimelineX 3830TG-6431 (price as reviewed) weighs just 4.2 pounds, yet it packs both a second-gen Intel Core i5 processor and Nvidia GeForce GT 540M graphics. Like blue? Then you'll definitely want to take a look at this vibrant metallic chassis. Read on to find out if this Timeline has what it takes to win you over.

Design

One of the most intriguing designs from Acer yet, the Aspire TimelineX 3830TG sports a very unique cobalt-blue metallic lid and matching palm rest. The thin chassis is chiseled in flat planes and blunt edges, held together by a solid cylindrical hinge. Framed in silver, the recessed keyboard has black keys, which match the display's hinge and glossy frame.
This retro-futuristic look isn't for everyone, but we're glad to see someone adding a splash of color to laptops. Like an increasing number of 13-inch notebooks, this one lacks a DVD drive.

Above the keyboard sits a long speaker bar prominently bearing the Dolby Home Theater moniker. A power button glows blue next to the speaker, while the status lights gleam in blue and orange on the notebook's front lip. The undercarriage is a plain black plastic punctuated with slotted vents.
Measuring 12.6 x 9 x 0.9 inches and weighing 4.2 pounds, the TimelineX 3830TG is slim enough to slip into laptop bags and carry around without any trouble. That's the same weight as the ASUS U31JG and lighter than other 13-incher, the Samsung SF310 (4.6 pounds). The 13-inch Toshiba Portege R835 is much lighter (3.2 pounds), but it doesn't offer discrete graphics.
Unfortunately, Acer saddles the TimelineX 3830TG with a big and heavy (1.2-pound) power brick and a three-prong adapter. A small two-prong power adapter would make much more sense for a system this svelte.

Acer Iconia 6120

Pros: Innovative touch software; Easy-to-use virtual keyboard; Strong overall performance; Quality webcam

Cons: Short battery life; Touch apps slow to load; No SD Card slot; Heavy

The Verdict:Sporting dual 14-inch touchscreens and innovative software, the Acer Iconia 6120 makes Windows more touch-friendly, but its bulk and short battery life are turn-offs.

The Acer Iconia 6120 isn't the first dual-screen Windows 7 tablet on the block. The Toshiba Libretto W105 had two 7-inch displays and was about the size and weight of a paperback, but its short battery life and lackluster software doomed that device to collectible status. The Iconia is different. It's more like a coffee table book, a book that features two large 14-inch displays and innovative touch-enabled software, plus a Core i5 processor. But does this $1,199 tablet-book represent the future of laptops, or is it just a pricey experiment destined to appeal only to early adopters?

Design

The Acer Iconia 6120 has a fairly sophisticated look. The lid and bottom are both a champagne-colored metal. The bottom, one solid panel, has two rows of small square cutouts for ventilation and speakers, and can be removed easily with two sliding latches. There are only two physical buttons on the Iconia: The right hinge has a power button, and the left hinge activates the virtual keyboard. The Iconia's two touchscreens are each 14 inches, surrounded by a glossy black bezel.
While the Iconia's dimensions--13.5 x 9.7 x 1.2 inches--are typical for a 14-inch system, the notebook is on the heavy side: 6 pounds. We definitely noticed it carrying it home in a messenger bag. That's the price you pay for two displays.

Acer Aspire AS5253-BZ480

Pros: Long battery life ; Comfortable keyboard; Good webcam; Relatively light

Cons: Mediocre benchmark performance; Lackluster speakers; Low wireless scores

The Verdict:Powered by AMD's Fusion processor, the budget-friendly Acer Aspire AS5253 offers long battery life and enough power for everyday computing.

 For most budget-minded notebook shoppers, the sweet spot hovers right around $500 with a screen size of about 15 inches. The trick is to find a laptop that will deliver the performance, comfort, and endurance you deserve. Powered by a 1.6-GHz AMD dual-core Fusion processor, the $499 Acer Aspire 5253 (as low as $379 at Staples right now) does its best to please. Find out if this inexpensive portable strikes the right balance.

Design

Clad in all-black plastic, the Aspire 5253 would never be mistaken for a luxury machine. However, we like the textured crosshatch pattern on the lid, which makes the notebook easy to grip and helps resist fingerprints. A modest speaker grille and a few colored status lights are the Acer's only design flourishes. The overall look is plain but functional.
Measuring 15 x 10 x 1.3 inches and weighing in at 5 pounds, the Aspire 5253 is pretty portable for a 15-inch notebook. Still, it's clear this machine wasn't meant to leave the house much; slipping the laptop into our standard-sized laptop bag proved a tight fit.

Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG-6847

Pros: Strong graphics; Accurate multitouch touchpad; Fast overall performance; Dolby Home Theater audio

Cons: Graphics switching not seamless; Below-average Wi-Fi throughput; Washed out display

The Verdict:With its switchable AMD graphics, trendy design, and solid battery life, the TimelineX AS4820TG is one impressive thin-and-light notebook.

How much power can a 4.6-pound notebook really offer? More than you might think. Thanks to a second-generation Intel Core i5 CPU and AMD Radeon HD graphics, the Acer Aspire TimelineX AS4820TG-6847 ($729) outperforms most of the competition and looks good doing it. Perks such as Dolby Surround Sound really sweeten the deal, too. Read on to find out how this thin-and-light speedster compares to the competition.

Design

Understated but elegant. That's how we'd describe the chassis of the TimelineX AS4820TG. The lid has a black brushed aluminum finish, while the palm rest has a lighter brushed metal treatment. Glossy black plastic surrounds the display and keyboard, which adds a nice accent but picks up fingerprints.
Above the keyboard on the left side of the deck is a grooved circular power button, next to which are LED activity lights. Two speakers separated by a Dolby Home Theater Virtual Surround Sound label sit in the center, and two thin black buttons--one to launch the Power Smart Manager and an eject button for the tray-loading DVD drive--are on the right side of the deck.

Acer Aspire One D260 (1270) (Dual-Core)

Pros: Lightweight and slim; 2GB of RAM; Good performance; Windows 7 Home Premium instead of Windows 7 Starter

Cons: Loud color may put off some; Area near vent gets quite warm; Tinny speakers

The Verdict:Acer's newest dual-core netbook has style and beefed-up specs to run Windows 7 Premium.

Acer was among the first companies to bring a dual-core Atom netbook to market for a price meant to trounce the competition. Though the Aspire One D255 offered an impressive design, pretty good performance, and a low $329 price, a wonky touchpad and other drawbacks outweighed the benefits. This time, Acer is determined to get it right with the Aspire One D260, offering a slick dual-core system that fixes the flaws of its predecessor and provides features you normally don't find in a netbook--such as 2GB of RAM and Windows Home Premium. These perks come with a higher price tag of $399 (though you can find it for about $40 less online). Is the D260 worth more than its predecessor and competing $299 netbooks?

Design

This slim 10.2 x 7.3 x 0.95-inch netbook definitely has the wow factor when it comes to looks. Between the blade-like taper on the front and the in-your-face aquamarine color, the D260 will stand out wherever owners whip it out. The netbook also comes in black, charcoal, pink, and purple, all with a flake pattern.

Unlike the lower-cost Toshiba mini NB505, the blue color on the D260 isn't just for the lid; it extends to the deck, surrounding the black keyboard. The blue of the backlit power button on the upper left doesn't match the color palette very well, but that's a minor nitpick.

Though it weighs a bit less than most other netbooks--2.6 pounds instead of 2.8--the Aspire One D260 feels even lighter, perhaps because of its streamlined and compact chassis. We like that the bottom panel is smooth and comes off in one piece, similar to what we've seen on recent HP netbooks and small ultraportables. This makes upgrading components easy.