Acer Aspire TimelineX 5830TG-6614

We saw some laptop lately peg the intersection of the desktop replacement and budget categories at around $ 700. The Acer Aspire TimelineX 5830TG - 6614 is a bit steeper at $ 779.99 list , but do not dismiss it : For one thing , we've seen online resellers offering it for around $ 750. For another , the 15.6 - inch Aspire is loaded with everything from Intel Wireless Display ( WiDi ) to a separate NVIDIA graphics adapter that actually passed our gaming tests at medium settings and resolution specifications .As you might guess from its model number , the Acer 5830TG - 6614 is a refreshed version TimelineX 5830TG aspire - 6402 ( $ 799.99 direct , 3.5 stars ) we reviewed in August . Besides a $ 20 price and allow the addition of WiDi 2.0 - which post the notebook display to an HDTV equipped with extra- cost ($ 100 or so ) Belkin , D - Link , or Netgear adapter - the changes include slightly more faster graphics and processing hardware .

Design
Unchanged from August is the Aspire 's handsome cobalt blue aluminum lid with chrome Acer logo and matching blue plastic palm rest : the black chiclet - style keys are framed in a silver aluminum keyboard surround . There 's a numeric keypad , with small but dedicated Home , End , PgUp , and PgDn keys , to the right of the primary keys : the touchpad is centered under the latter (actually , under the space bar ) , so some users perceive it as being too far to the left . I had no complaints myself -I quite enjoyed typing on the laptop , and the touchpad , though a little small compared to some of the jumbo ones you see today , worked smoothly , with comfortable left and right buttons instead of invisible clickpad corners .
Measuring 1.2 by 14.9 by 9.8 inches ( HWD ) and weighing 5.4 pounds , the 5830TG - 6614 has an appealingly angular design . The 15.6 - inch widescreen has the same 1,366 -by - 768 resolution that 's ubiquitous in the class , if you want more space , you'll have to either pay for the likes of the Dell XPS 15z ( $ 1,534 direct , 4 stars ) or opt for a 17.3 - inch system Such as the HP Pavilion dv7 - 6b55dx ( $ 699.99 list , 4 stars ) . Sufficient for viewing videos in 720p , the display offers a glossy finish and fairly narrow viewing angles . The laptop 's audio is a good partner for those videos , with above - average sound from the Dolby Home Theater speakers mounted above the keyboard .

FeaturesWiMAX or other mobile broadband is absent , but Otherwise the TimelineX has a full complement of wireless features : besides WiDi , there 's 802.11n Wi - Fi and Bluetooth . There 's also Clear.fi , a proprietary streaming technology that lets Acer products (such as the Aspire and an Iconia tablet ) share multimedia content over a home Wi - Fi network .
On the Aspire 's right side are three USB 2.0 ports and a dual - layer DVD ± RW drive , with an SD / MMC / xD / MS Pro memory card slot on the front edge . Ethernet , microphone , and headphone jacks are on the left side , as are VGA and HDMI ports and one USB 3.0 port . The last can be used to charge a cell phone or other device : a handy utility lets you specify Whether to Allow USB charging only When the laptop is plugged in or discontinue it When the latter 's battery sinks to a Certain percentages .
The Acer 's 640GB , 5,400 rpm hard drive is smaller than the 750GB drives found in competitors like the Lenovo IdeaPad Z570 - 10249ZU ( $ 699.99 list , 3.5 stars ) , but still offers plenty of room for your documents and multimedia files . It 's also packed with more than its share of bloatware , from a slew of house - brand utilities to usual suspects like Microsoft Office Starter 2010 and a 60 - day trial of McAfee Internet Security to the New York Times and Nook e - readers and Netflix and eBay links . Acer backs the Aspire with a two - year mail - or carry - in parts - and- labor warranty and one - year international travelers ' warranty offering access to service centers abroad for owners who carry a copy of the original sales receipt .