Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

SHORT REVIEW: This is a very nice laptop. It has all the features you could ask for at the price, and it looks nice and runs fast. There is nothing I seriously dislike about it and would definitely recommend it for work, school, and entertainment. DETAILED REVIEW: After comparing numerous laptops, I decided to get this one. The battery life is very long (7 hours), and it has some great features, such as Bluetooth and USB 3.0. Also, it looks nice, which I know is important to many people, including me. As for Windows 8 (Windows 8.1, to be specific), I really like it. Once you get used to it, there's a good chance you'll like it, too. The desktop is very similar to Windows 7, but the start menu changed; it is now the start SCREEN, where you launch your apps, programs, etc. If you scroll down or click the down arrow in the start screen (to go to ALL APPS), you can find all programs and apps installed on your computer (including Control Panel, Windows Help, etc.). You can get loads of awesome free or paid apps and games from the APP STORE app, if you have a Microsoft Account (which you can set up for free when setting up the laptop). Windows 8.1 isn't the best thing for serious multitaskers, though, because apps are in full screen only (unlike in Windows 10). SPEED/HARD DRIVE _____________________17/20 ▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ This laptop is decently fast. People who use it for web browsing and word processing will be more than pleased with the speed. Gamers who play moderate to mildly heavy (as in, games that don't take up TOO much memory) games should be satisfied. Programmers who use large and expensive software might find that this computer cannot handle the software, but I doubt they could get a better, faster one at this price. However, after setting up the laptop, I did notice that over 2 GB of memory was being used, and I didn't have any apps or programs open. Later I uninstalled a lot of the useless software Acer provided with the laptop, and at the same time the memory went down to 1.3 GB. I doubt that was a coincidence. (Update: The memory went back up, but that may be because of the anti-virus software and other things I installed on it). The hard drive is advertised as 500 GB, but you will actually get 450 GB of hard drive space (and only about 425 GB will be free, because of the software and operating system that comes installed on it). I think 450 GB of hard drive is MUCH more than most people will need, though. DESIGN _____________________15/20 ▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ The laptop looks very nice, and has no major design flaws. You do want to keep in mind that the power jack, headphone port, 2 USB ports (one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0), HDMI port, and Ethernet port are all on the back of the laptop, making it harder to reach (although I personally like that they're on the back, because there aren't a bunch of cables sticking out the sides of the laptop). There's also another USB 2.0 port and memory card port on the left side. Another thing to note is the hard drive, memory, and battery are hard to access, so it is hard to upgrade or replace them. FEATURES _____________________18/20 ▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ There is a built-in webcam/microphone (which is useful for Skype), Bluetooth 4.0 (which isn't found on many laptops at this price), a multi-function touchpad, a numeric keypad, and all the other things you would expect on a laptop at this price. However, like many budget laptops, it DOES NOT have a CD/DVD drive, because so much software is downloadable these days. If you do need one, you can buy an external DVD drive that plugs in with USB, for around $15 (just search "external DVD drive" on Amazon). SCREEN _____________________12/20 ▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ The screen isn't necessarily something to brag about. The viewing angle is quite bad, which is typical for a laptop, but I wish it was a little better. The contrast ratio is decent, but nothing incredible. The brightness is also pretty good. The colors are quite weak and a bit too cool when compared to my ASUS monitor, but when compared to other laptops, it is about average. So, the screen probably won't blow you away, but it is definitely good enough. TOUCHPAD/KEYBOARD _____________________18/20 ▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ The touchpad is great once you get used to it, though it doesn't beat a good mouse. Here's how to use it: tap once to click (you don't have to hit it; just tap it), tap with two fingers to right-click, double-tap and move your finger to drag, move two fingers to scroll, move your finger from the right or left edge to the center of the touchpad (swipe) to open the charms or switch between apps, and pinch (move two fingers toward or away from each other) to zoom. You can also press down the bottom left or right corners of the touchpad to left and right click. It seems like a lot, but once you get used to it, you'll probably like it. The keyboard is decent. You can easily change the volume or brightness by holding the Fn (function) key and pressing the up and down arrows for volume, or the left and right arrows for brightness. There are also other Fn controls, such as play/pause, stop, skip, mute, and more. VALUE _____________________20/20 ▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ After looking at many laptops and comparing their statistics and features, I became convinced that this is THE BEST DEAL in this price range. Because of that, I rate value 20/20. If you haven't used Windows 8.1 before, and don't mind taking some time learning how to use it (watching a YouTube video on how to use Windows 8.1 can be helpful), I would definitely recommend this to you. Other things to mention: WEBCAM WITH BUILT-IN MICROPHONE: (640x480) The webcam isn't amazing, but it works. SPEAKERS: (Stereo) The speakers are okay for some things and not so good for other things. Mids and vocals are a bit muffled, bass is very quiet, and trebles sound cheap, but these things are typical for built-in laptop speakers. If you want really nice sound, you will definitely want to consider buying headphones or speakers if you don't already have any. BATTERY LIFE: (7 hours) I have never seen another laptop at this price with a 7-hour battery life. The battery is awesome! WEIGHT: (5.3 pounds) There are lighter laptops, but 5.3 pounds isn't too bad. COOLNESS: You can feel warmth on the bottom of the laptop, but it is very slight. QUIETNESS: If there is low to moderate noise in the room, you will not be able to hear the laptop at all. THINNESS: (about 1 inch) This laptop is very thin and sleek, making it easier to carry and store (and it looks nice, too). Thanks for reading! Please feel free to comment or rate my review helpful or unhelpful.