I picked up one of these because it was one of the three best deals I saw this Black Friday and weekend. The other was an Asus and a Toshiba at BB. All 3 of these computers are very similar in specs and after you add tax at BB to four fifty, the cost alone isn't going to make the decision.The BB models look tempting because they have a newer i5-2430M processor compared to the i5-480M in this Acer. But you are not going to see much real-world difference unless you start doing something intensive like compress video or transcode audio. But keep in mind that the slow laptop hard disks will limit performance, thus blurring the difference. If you do that type of work, you should head over to BB. The older i5-480M runs at a higher clock speed of 2.6GHz (turbo boost to 2.933 GHz) compared with the newer i5-2430M running at 2.4GHz (turbo boost to 3.0GHz). The processors both have the same cache size of 3MB, but the newer i5-2430M has a faster system bus and memory type, though the difference in memory bandwidth is not large (17.1 GB/s vs. 21.3 GB/s). On paper you don't see too many differences that are important.-= some gimmickry with the integrated graphics like wireless display and some further wifi integration with the cpu. 99% of people will not know those things are there. To summarize... if you do graphics, video, simulations, etc, please navigate away from this page and get yourself the newer i5. (it has a 256bit instruction set extension called AVX that is optimized for this kind of work). If you don't do those things heavily and just watch videos (not edit them), browse the web, and use office, you are not going to get much benefit from the i5-2430M.
You might be thinking that even though you don't need those extra features of the new processor, you should have it anyway. You are absolutely correct, but the catch is that these manufacturers reach the low price by navigating a minefield of trade-offs. We decide who makes it and who doesn't. If you are getting the later processor, you should expect to lose something in return. A quick list is that this Acer has a 640GB hard disk (vs 500 at BB) and 1.3MP webcam (vs 0.3MP at BB). There are a variety of subtle differences where the BB models start to go cheap on things you do use. First is the display quality and contrast, the Acer supports 10/100/1000 Gigabit LAN (BB Toshiba model only 10/100), the Acer has 802.11b/g/n wifi (BB Asus model 802.11n only; Hope your campus and work wifi are all 802.11n or you have a problem!). That killed the Asus option for me (and maybe you too). If you made this far, we are getting to why I picked up this Acer. The build quality is soooo much better and it is 0.6-0.8lbs lighter. The Asus was the worst build quality, but darn that 802.11n which probably isn't in the Starbucks or the airports yet. The Toshiba was easier to eliminate on the basis of weight, build quality, and the multi-gesture touchpad present on this Acer. And that is where I'll end the comparisons by saying that Acer did a fantastic job implementing the apple macbook-like scrolling and swiping. I have demos on more failed attempts to copy Apple's magic than I care to remember. Given how it is a laptop and I don't like those little touchpads to begin with, this is a huge relief!
If you are considering different models this Holiday season and are not sure what to buy, break up the problem and compare each point to make sure it will work for you. It is really best if you can handle them a bit before deciding. I can tell you though that this Acer is solid in comparison! Finally, please remember that if it seems too good to be true, it is. What I mean is that this $500 area is the sweet-spot and they compete like you wouldn't believe. Most of us read specs and think the answer is obvious. Look for where they are saving money and if you can't find it on paper go pick these up at BB. Unfortunately for Amazon the best features of this model are revealed in your hands.
Anyway, best of luck fellow laptop hunters. I do want to close by saying that Amazon does look stupid with this $629.99 vs $499.99 MSRP gaffe. However, many people are incorrectly arguing that the price of $499 (0% discount) means it's a bad deal. Had Acer and Amazon both both posted a $659.99 MSRP, and then this went to $499.99 for the LD -it may feel different but it would be the same computer at the same price. I'm pretty sure Amazon makes their money on these LDs while people are impulse shopping in between the headline items. I picked up a few things that way. This computer would have sold for at least $600 3 weeks ago. But if time is on your side, this will definitely get to 400 and down after the Holidays. This laptop was produced solely for this deal. They will burn off whatever inventory survives. Happy Holidays!
Aspire
AS4743-6628 ( LX.RFK02.024 )
499.99 USD
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit version Intel® Core(tm) i5-480M Processor 2.66GHz with Turbo Boost technology up to 2.93GHz 3MB L3 cache) 4GB DDR3 Dual-Channel Memory 640GB hard drive 14" HD Widescreen CineCrystal(tm) LCD display (1366 x 768) Intel® HD Graphics Mobile Intel® HM55 Express chipset 8X DVD±RW DL high-definition audio support built-in stereo speakers webcam multi-gesture touchpad 802.11b/g/n WLAN gigabit LAN HDMI® USB Multi-in-1 card reader 6-cell battery 1-year limited warranty
Buy Acer Aspire AS4743-6628 14-Inch HD Display Laptop Now
Overall, the laptop works well. I purchased this to replace a laptop that heading off for 30 days of factory repair, since Acer does not offer either cross-shipping or pre-payment for replacements. The laptop works well and is fast. Fairly light. A bit thicker than I'd like, but otherwise has handled a week of travel and heavy usage just fine.Read Best Reviews of Acer Aspire AS4743-6628 14-Inch HD Display Laptop Here
As noted by previous reviewer, MSRP is $499 not $629. If any of you are purchasing this for $499 as part of the lightning deals, congrats, you just bought it at a 0% savings! Otherwise, a good laptop.Want Acer Aspire AS4743-6628 14-Inch HD Display Laptop Discount?
I bought this laptop as a gift for someone in our family and it made her very happy. Good size and weight makes it very portable within affordable budget.
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