TECH REVIEW Acer Aspire V5
PRICE 27,799
SPECIFICATIONS 11.6-inch display (1366 x 768 pixels), 1Ghz AMD dual core processor, 2GB RAM, 500GB HDD, 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, HDMI, VGA, 4-cell, Windows 8, 1.2kg Lightweight, great keyboard, handy charger, bright display, good build quality Average battery life, has trouble playing full HD videos, lid is prone to scratches
Anyone who travels a lot understands the importance of a slim and lightweight laptop. Besides being easy to carry around the whole day, most ultraportables are great for day-to-day usage. Acer’s Aspire V5 is a new offering that is not just ultraportable, it has a fantastic price.
Including the battery, the Aspire V5 weighs just 1.2kg — it's one of the lightest 11.6-inch full-function laptops available today. It has a sturdy plastic body with a dual hinge design. The hinge mechanism is smooth when you want to open it but also keeps the display rigid, so you can put those fears to rest. The top lid is a single colour glossy finish with the Acer logo on the left. We noticed that even though the glossy finish did not attract many fingerprints, it managed to scratch easily. Thankfully, Acer includes a good quality sleeve in the price to protect the notebook from damage.
The 11.6-inch display has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels and has good viewing angles. It also impressed us with its brightness levels and the anti-reflective coating on the screen makes it easy to use the notebook even under bright lights. Acer has managed to include all the the usual ports on the side. You get dual USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port, Ethernet, HDMI, VGA out as well as a multi format card reader.
The chiclet style keyboard is a comfortable size and the keys have good feel and travel. A backlit keybard option would have been a welcome addition. The trackpad is responsive and the buttons below it extend to the lower edge of the notebook. While this design allows for a larger trackpad, at times we found our fingers slipping when trying to click the buttons.
Hardware includes a 1Ghz dual core AMD E1 processor, 2GB RAM, AMD Radeon 8210 graphics and 500GB hard drive. The Windows Experience Index gave the machine a score of 2.0 — 2.0 being the lowest for graphics performance. We found that Windows 8 works smoothly on this configuration. There were no issues with basic usage such as browsing and document editing. However, even a little bit of image editing with programs like GIMP will really tax this little machine.
mixed bag. Audio output from the speakers is above average — it is loud enough for a small room, but tends to sound jarring at full volume. Headphone output is surprisingly good — good bass and clear vocals. It managed to play HD video files (720p resolution) without any issue. However, it did struggle to play full HD videos in mkv format — there were a few frame drops and stuttering when we tried to seek forward. We really liked the small, one-piece power adapter. This makes it easy to carry the notebook along with the charger. It has a small battery (to keep weight/size down). With normal usage, you can expect to get about four hours on a full charge. Therefore, the small, handy adapter is a welcome addition.
The Aspire V5 offers fantastic value for money. We love the fact that it is priced at just 27,799 and offers good performance for the price. However, if you extend your budget, you can get a similar lightweight notebook with touchscreen display: the HP Pavillion Touchsmart 11. It has better build quality, dual USB 3.0 ports and 4GB RAM. If you prefer a a lightweight hybrid notebook with a detachable display, the cheapest available option is the Lenovo IdeaPad lynx for 40,000.
KARAN BAJAJ ET131021
SPECIFICATIONS 11.6-inch display (1366 x 768 pixels), 1Ghz AMD dual core processor, 2GB RAM, 500GB HDD, 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, HDMI, VGA, 4-cell, Windows 8, 1.2kg Lightweight, great keyboard, handy charger, bright display, good build quality Average battery life, has trouble playing full HD videos, lid is prone to scratches
Anyone who travels a lot understands the importance of a slim and lightweight laptop. Besides being easy to carry around the whole day, most ultraportables are great for day-to-day usage. Acer’s Aspire V5 is a new offering that is not just ultraportable, it has a fantastic price.
Including the battery, the Aspire V5 weighs just 1.2kg — it's one of the lightest 11.6-inch full-function laptops available today. It has a sturdy plastic body with a dual hinge design. The hinge mechanism is smooth when you want to open it but also keeps the display rigid, so you can put those fears to rest. The top lid is a single colour glossy finish with the Acer logo on the left. We noticed that even though the glossy finish did not attract many fingerprints, it managed to scratch easily. Thankfully, Acer includes a good quality sleeve in the price to protect the notebook from damage.
The 11.6-inch display has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels and has good viewing angles. It also impressed us with its brightness levels and the anti-reflective coating on the screen makes it easy to use the notebook even under bright lights. Acer has managed to include all the the usual ports on the side. You get dual USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port, Ethernet, HDMI, VGA out as well as a multi format card reader.
The chiclet style keyboard is a comfortable size and the keys have good feel and travel. A backlit keybard option would have been a welcome addition. The trackpad is responsive and the buttons below it extend to the lower edge of the notebook. While this design allows for a larger trackpad, at times we found our fingers slipping when trying to click the buttons.
Hardware includes a 1Ghz dual core AMD E1 processor, 2GB RAM, AMD Radeon 8210 graphics and 500GB hard drive. The Windows Experience Index gave the machine a score of 2.0 — 2.0 being the lowest for graphics performance. We found that Windows 8 works smoothly on this configuration. There were no issues with basic usage such as browsing and document editing. However, even a little bit of image editing with programs like GIMP will really tax this little machine.
mixed bag. Audio output from the speakers is above average — it is loud enough for a small room, but tends to sound jarring at full volume. Headphone output is surprisingly good — good bass and clear vocals. It managed to play HD video files (720p resolution) without any issue. However, it did struggle to play full HD videos in mkv format — there were a few frame drops and stuttering when we tried to seek forward. We really liked the small, one-piece power adapter. This makes it easy to carry the notebook along with the charger. It has a small battery (to keep weight/size down). With normal usage, you can expect to get about four hours on a full charge. Therefore, the small, handy adapter is a welcome addition.
The Aspire V5 offers fantastic value for money. We love the fact that it is priced at just 27,799 and offers good performance for the price. However, if you extend your budget, you can get a similar lightweight notebook with touchscreen display: the HP Pavillion Touchsmart 11. It has better build quality, dual USB 3.0 ports and 4GB RAM. If you prefer a a lightweight hybrid notebook with a detachable display, the cheapest available option is the Lenovo IdeaPad lynx for 40,000.
KARAN BAJAJ ET131021
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