Acer Aspire 5755-6482

If all you have to spend on a laptop is $ 600, you might think there's not too much you can get for your money . But the Acer Aspire 5755-6482 ( $ 599.99 list at Staples ) is proof that you can be wrong , there are parts that outshine you can see the other machines in this class , and even some useful software thrown in among the typical bloatware flotsam . You can get better performance by spending a little more , and better battery life without shelling out any extra money at all , but the 5755-6482 is overall a good value proposition for the budget - conscious consumers .

The 5755-6482 has a sleek , lightweight plastic lid color dark gray and decorated by a series of wavy black lines and a silver Acer logo in the center . It is low - key but looks noticeably a constant when the lid. The bezel around the 15.6 - inch , display 1366 -by- 768 - resolution black ( and , as usual , there's a webcam embedded in the top section ) , but all others rendered in shades gray or slate . You'll see two variations of the latter color , either glossy or matte , around the edges and between the keys on the keyboard deck . These include the touch pad , which features a single button hard to use for both left - and right- click : we found it a bit inconvenient to use . The black speaker system for Dolby Advanced Audio is located in a strip just below the lid hinges , and create a beautiful visual contrast glossy gray that surrounds them .

The keys on the keyboard are all the more vivid the color gray , although they can be printed with white letters outlined in black , easy to read even in not - so - awesome lighting. No dedicated media keys here : you have to press and hold a function key and then press either the Home , Page Up , Page Down , or End buttons for Play / Pause , Stop , Rewind , or Fast Forward controls , or the arrow keys to increase or decrease the volume and adjust the display brightness . Oddly , the mute function is assigned to the F8 key ( among other options , to turn off the wireless or activating an external display ) , which has the potential to be confusing at first . Two other notable elements of the keyboard : the backslash key is placed flush against the Enter key , and there is a full - size number pad for quick calculations and data entry .
As a size 1.3 by 15 by 9.9 inches ( HWD ) and weighs approximately 5.5 lbs , the 5755 to 6482 is quite average in terms of its portability.