The Acer Aspire S3 is just about the lowest cost route into sub 1.5kg (3.3lb) laptopping there is, at least if you want an unrestricted Core processing platform. The 1.6Ghz Core i5-based Aspire S3 with Turbo Boost to 2.3Ghz, a hybrid (fast boot, fast resume) 320GB drive, 13″ screen, ultra-fast resume and a good suite of full-size ports, including a full+size SDHC card port, is significantly cheaper than other Ultrabook and Ultrabook-like options. Over the next week I’ll be giving it the full suite of Ultrabooknews tests for you. You won’t find this detail anywhere else: Unboxing and overview, first impressions, battery power analysis, live review with Q&A and of course a full detailed review.
I’ve already spent some time with it and am impressed with the value for money here. It’s not the most efficient Ultrabook, hasn’t got the best screen or fastest disk and isn’t the quietest but I haven’t yet seen anything that says ‘showstopper.’ The value proposition here is especially good when you consider the storage space and the Core i5 CPU.
I’m finishing off a full review of the Samsung 900X1B tomorrow so it will take a day or two before the S3 videos and posts start flowing but I’m planning the Live Review and Q&A session on Sunday 11th Dec at 2100 CET (Berlin. Other Timezones listed here.) Put it in your diary if you’re interested in the Acer Aspire S3 or want to know about Ultrabooks in general.
Thanks to @morganmobile, a reader here, for sending the S3 over for testing. Follow him on Twitter because he’s right in the middle of testing a number of ultra+mobile solutions right now and is sending out useful tweets.
If there are any specific questions or tests you’d like me to perform, do let me know in the comments below. Thanks all!
“significantly cheaper than other Ultrabook and Ultrabook-like options”
The pricing must be completely different in Europe than here in the U.S. Here, with base configurations the S3 is about $100 more than the Toshiba Z830/835 (US$899 versus $799). I would think that would make the Toshiba the bang-for-the-buck winner thus far.
Isn’t the z830 with the locked core i3 though?
Yes it is. It comes down to a question of i3 versus i5 weighed against the advantage of backlit keyboard + true SSD versus SSD/HDD hybrid, and then a discussion of ports between the two units. Also, I believe the Toshiba is approximately 0.2 kilos lighter than the Acer. It may ultimately be a toss-up between the two, depending on which features a buyer finds more important, as an argument can be made for either unit. I still find the statement that the Acer is significantly cheaper to be a false one. Staying with mainstream vendors here in the U.S., i.e., not fly-by-night or eBay sellers, the Toshiba can be bought for $799, but the cheapest I’ve been able to find the Acer is $889.
Phew! lucky I didn’t make that statement. ;-)
You are right though. It comes down to more than just price and that’s what ill be investigating over the next week.