Acer Aspire M5-583P-6637

Feels the desktop replacement laptop category a little neglected these days, as the slim, new Ultrabooks and ultraportables hog the spotlight, but there's a lot of use still for an everyday laptop with good common performance . The Acer Aspire M5-583P-6637 ($ 629.99) just such a system, and it offers decent overall package that costs less than some competitors, such as Asus N550JV-DB72T, our Editor's Choice 'for midrange desktop replacement laptop.

design
The M5-583P-6637 looks a lot like the Acer Aspire M5-583P-6428 last year. That is because it uses the same general design, as well as a selection of similar hardware. The chassis measures 0.9 by 15 by 10.1 inches (HWD), and weighs 5.3 pounds, making it reasonably portable for a 15-inch system. Covered Brushed metal lid and palmrest, while the underside of the chassis is made ​​of hard plastic. The result is a lightweight system that solid feel when typing or when taken with one hand.

Boasting a 15.6-inch display system 10 finger touch capabilities, a standard 1,366-by-768 resolution. The screen is a little disappointing, given that Asus N550JV-DB72T offers 1920-by-1, 080 resolution, but I do not expect that kind of resolution in this price range. The touch capability is a must-have for Windows 8 system, with edge-to-edge glass, and supports display Hinge reasonably well when held, with only a slight hesitation screen. The color screen is slightly muted, and the glass-covered display is a bit reflective, but it was my only real complaint. Participating display four built-in speakers with Dolby Home Theater sound offers enough volume to fill a small room, but not much bass to speak of.

Chiclet-style keyboard The system has standard keyboard layout Acer, joking with a combined Backslash and Enter keys. It is otherwise comfortable and quiet, with white LED backlighting and 10 key numeric pad. The accompanying clickpad has two clickable zones on the bottom left and right corners instead of separate buttons, and the whole surface is clickable and supports multitouch and Windows 8 gesture controls. The wide touchpad is centered just below the spacebar.

Features
The M5-583P-6637 is outfitted with a fair selection of ports and features, but all of this is about location. With the right system you will find a single USB 2.0 port, a headset jack, and an SD card slot. On the left is another USB 2.0 port, and the Power button, which may not be the most convenient location for a power button, but it does not seem to cause any unwanted power down or similar issues, so it's a minor complaint. Behind the system will find a compact Gigabit Ethernet port (the port itself is hinged, opening to accept a standard RJ-45 plug), one USB 3.0 port, an HDMI-out port, and a Owned Port Converter, which can be used for VGA, USB, or Ethernet through an Acer Converter Cable ($ 34.99, sold separately). A Kensington lock slot case provides some physical security, and you get 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 + HS for wireless connectivity.

500GB hard drive system is a common ability in this price range, and should offer enough space for all your documents. In addition to Windows 8.1, the system has several preinstalled programs and apps, including a 30-day trial of McAfee security suite LiveSafe, and a 30-day trial of Microsoft Office 365. Covers the remaining A wide range, with proprietary apps like and Acer AcerCloud Docs for Web-based storage and sharing files on your home network, and a collection of shopping apps from eBay, Amazon, and Booking.com . You get the entertainment apps, like Netflix, HuluPlus, Spotify, and Music Maker Jam, and some sample games from WildTangent. Covered Acer M5-583P-6637 with a standard one-year warranty.