Tag Archives: AcerAspireS7

Acer Aspire S7 review (2013): the second time’s a charm for Acer’s flagship Ultrabook

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Acer Aspire S7 review (2013): the second time's a charm for Acer's flagship Ultrabook

It wasn't easy writing a conclusion (much less a headline) for our original Acer Aspire S7-391 review. The company's third Ultrabook was near-perfect, with a stunning full HD display, exceptionally fast performance, an extra-light chassis and one of the most sophisticated designs we'd seen on any Acer machine, ever. Even so, the battery could barely last past the four-hour mark -- a poor showing, even compared to other machines on the market. Plus, the fan noise was some of the loudest we'd heard, so you couldn't enjoy that blazing SSD without a good deal of distraction. We ultimately recommended it, but with a sigh. This wasn't the Ultrabook we thought it would be.

Fortunately for us, we no longer have to hem and haw over whether to recommend an exquisite laptop with worst-in-class battery life: Acer recently released an update to the S7, aptly called the S7-392. Available with a 13-inch screen (the 11-inch version has been discontinued), it arrives with Haswell processors, a larger battery and the promise of seven-hour runtime. Additionally, Acer retooled its cooling setup so that the fans supposedly operate much more quietly. Otherwise, it's the same laptop: same keyboard, same thin and light design, same 1080p screen. So can we crown it a winner now?

Gallery: Acer Aspire S7-392 review

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Acer’s Aspire S7 Ultrabooks coming October 26th, starting at $1,200 for the 11-inch version

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Back at Computex, Acer announced the Aspire S7 series -- the company's third line of Ultrabooks, and the first of the bunch to sport touchscreens. At the time, we were told they'd go on sale once Windows 8 started shipping and sure enough, Acer just sent out a press release confirming they'll be available October 26th, the day Win 8 officially launches. Prices will start at $1,200 for the 11-inch model (the S7-191), but you'll pay either $1,400 or $1,650 for the 13-inch version (S7-391), depending on which configuration you choose.

For those who missed the initial June reveal, the laptops all have 1080p IPS screens and backlit keyboards. The 13-inch model in particular has a display that can lie completely flat. Another key difference: the 11-inch version has an aluminum lid, while the 13-incher's is fashioned out of Gorilla Glass. Whichever you choose, the S7 comes with a USB to Ethernet adapter, a micro-HDMI to VGA dongle and a carrying case -- a first for Acer. They also make use of Acer's TwinAir cooling technology and are set up to work with AcerCloud, the company's free online storage service, which you can use with mobile apps on iOS and Android.

Inside, the SSDs are all arranged in RAID 0 configuration, which means you can expect the kind of absurdly fast I/O speeds we recorded on the Aspire S5. (The lack of redundancy in that RAID 0 setup also means you might want to be extra vigilant about backing up your stuff.) The battery life is rated for six hours on both models, but the 13-inch version will be available with an external cell that can supposedly double the runtime. Meanwhile. RAM is fixed at 4GB, and integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics are the standard. All told, just the kind of specs you'd expect on a high-end Ultrabook.

Again, these will ship on October 26th, starting at $1,200 for the smaller 11-inch model. In the meantime, we've got a few additional specs after the break, and you can always revisit our hands-on from Computex if you want to re-live the magic of a crowded press conference.

Continue reading Acer's Aspire S7 Ultrabooks coming October 26th, starting at $1,200 for the 11-inch version

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Acer's Aspire S7 Ultrabooks coming October 26th, starting at $1,200 for the 11-inch version originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Ultrabooks of Computex 2012

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It was last year that Intel chose Computex, a computer tradeshow in Taiwan, to introduce its Ultrabook concept to the world. Twelve months later, 110-plus models are in the pipeline, which meant the Taipei Convention Center was overrun by skinny, lightweight laptops. Make that skinny, touch-enabled laptops. Between those new Ivy Bridge chips and Microsoft putting the finishing touches on Windows 8, this week's show was nothing if not a five-day-long wedding between two tech giants: almost every device on display here was a vehicle for showing off Microsoft's glossy new OS. At every turn, a celebration of touchscreen notebooks.

With more than 30 hands-on posts this week, we can see where one Core i5 laptop might look like the next, or how you might have failed to keep up with Jonney Shih's rapid-fire product announcements. Now that we're wrapping up here in Taiwan, though, we're ready to take a step back and think about what it is we just saw. Whether you felt overwhelmed by our wall-to-wall coverage or just need to catch up, we suggest you meet us past the break for a quick recap of all the new Ultrabooks. Oh, and if you're in the market for a new laptop, you can check your trigger-happy finger at the door. With few exceptions, we're not expecting these to go on sale until the fall, when Windows 8 is expected to start shipping.

Continue reading The Ultrabooks of Computex 2012

The Ultrabooks of Computex 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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