This is by far the best laptop computer I have every used, though it does have a few flaws as we all do. This is my response after about 3 weeks of daily use.First the PROs:
1. It is as described very light and thin. I switch from use of this computer to another frequently and the heft and size make this movement easy to do without requiring movement of everything else on my desk. I like it!
2. The speed of the i7 chip and of the two solid state "hard drives" are also as described fast to recalculate large spreadsheets and quick to load any program. I have never had this performance available to me short of some sort of mini-computer.
3. And one is spoiled by the responsiveness of the solid state flash drives.... I don't ever want to go back to the performance of what many of us remember in the 1980s as Winchester hard drives which at that time we thought were above our expectations! Programs seem as if they instantaneously load.
a. I deliberately bought a unit with two 128 Gb solid state (flash) drives. After I loaded a normal (but not "extensive") array of programs I had only about 128 Gb of flash storage available for data and other programs. I needed that second drive and I anticipate most others will as well.
4. The solid state drives provide another advantage I never shut the machine off. I just save my files and close the cover when I am through work. There are no moving parts, no heat is being generated. The programs are in the condition as left at shutdown when I restart.
5. The unit is rugged. When I open the display by lifting from the left-hand corner, there is no strain on the display or movement of the chassis.
6. The screen is bright and easy to read from most any angle associated with my use.
7. The published (CNET) concern about not having enough ports is unwarranted at least for my use. It comes with a Bluetooth connection AND very nice Logitech Bluetooth Mouse. It also comes with an HDMI port AND an adapter to connect HDMI to VGA (for my large flatscreen monitor). So there remain unused two USB3 ports and a Thunderbolt port.
8. Music sounds both very well and adequately loud through the backward pointing sound system. I think sound from laptop computers has finally become adequate!
Then the NEUTRALS:
1. The fit and finish are smooth; the unit feels solid, balanced. The chassis is of jet black anodized metal; it's not shiny. There is no special appearance factor, except that it is thin and looks just OK.
2. The published (CNET) concern about lifetime of the lift system which exposes the array of ports at the back for use appears also unwarranted. Actually, this lift is nearly always in the upward position (exposing the ports) because it also raises the computer frame to allow improved heat transfer from the chassis. In my experience, the lift is nearly always in the up position to improve heat transfer or to expose the HDMI port for use to drive my flatscreen monitor.
3. Keystrokes are solid despite the presumed short stroke length with a thin chassis. They are not "springy" or "dead."
4. The keyboard is not backlit as are some on other machines. That's the single feature I missed on this machine
Finally the NEGATIVES:
1. The thinness comes with a price. Necessarily, the power switch (located on the back left side of the frame) is very thin, and hard for me to activate with finger or thumb. This flaw stops being annoying and becomes difficult when I have to hold the power switch down for 6 to 8 seconds in order to reboot (that does happen, especially with Chrome!).
2. The keyboard is a compromise, as I suppose one would expect with a thin/lite computer with a 13.3" screen.
a. While it has all the normal set keys, some of them are hard to access. and and half size and only accessible through simultaneously pressing the blue Function key. For those who use spreadsheets, this is a drawback.
b. And for those who use a word processor or Adobe Reader, both the and keys are impaired by being half-sized sharing and respectively.
c. The good news is that there are two broad keys, that the and keys are full-size. Four function keys are unused: , , , and . However, these keys do work in other programs.
d. The normal "full-size" keys are slightly smaller than those of an Asus laptop with a 13.3" screen which is not "thin" and "light" which has no half-sized keys.
3. It's overpriced! The Decide (http://www.decide) rates it on July 3, 2013 as a 71 on a scale of 100 with values above 90 being excellent buys and below 60 being "don't buy." The price from Amazon on that date was $1,099... From about late April to late May the price from Amazon had been between $925 and $975. I got it in late May 2013 for the lower number! The thing is that one really is socked for the second 128 Gb flash drive as the same machine with one flash drive sells for $710 at the same time.
SUMMARY
This is a fine machine. I would buy another at a favorable price.
Lightweight: weighs very little
fast: turns and loads in less than 10 seconds
comfortable: small intestine, you can carry around
powerful: good processor, good RAM, fast hard drive
I recommend it 100%I purchased an Acer 13.3 Ultrabook (i7, 256GB SSD). While the ultarbook seems to be very fast, the display awesome and the size and weight are prefect for travelling. However, I ran into a small problem with the mouse and had to go through an awful and arrogant Acer Technical support service. The product came with an Acer Blue-Tooth which was not recognized by the notebook. I tried the chat facility first. It took hours to go through the entire procedure to address the problem. The advice I got re-install the OS and loose everything you have already installed on the computer. This did not seem to be the right approach, so I tried the support number. I was told that the product warranty does not support peripheral and that I would need to pay for the phone support. After spending hours and losing my temper I was routed to a supervisor. He repeated the unbelievable claim that the warranty did not include peripheral support. He suggested that I purchase a USB mouse. It took me a while to convince him that the purchase included an Acer Bluetooth mouse as the pointing device and it should work as advertised. He finally agreed to send another mouse. The problem was resolved immediately after I received the replacement mouse. The conclusion the product may be fine but do not expect to get good warranty or other support after you purchase it.
Acer Aspire 13.3-Inch Ultrabook / 3rd Generation Intel Core i7_3517U Processor/ 4GB DDR3 Memory / 256GB Solid State Drive (SSD) / HDMI / USB 3.0 / Bluetooth / Win 7 Home Premium / 2.65 lbs (Black)
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