ACER ASPIRE S7 : REVIEW

Acer releasing a new arsenal to its S7 series calling it the S7-392. Comprising of 13-inch screen , it having the latest Haswell processors, a better battery of longer runtime . Acer retooled its cooling setup so that the fans supposedly operate much more quietly. It's the same laptop as the series : same keyboard, same thin and light design, same 1080p screen. So it is better then the rest of the series?
Look and feel

So if your looking for drastically new refresh of the S7 series,, this new model will dissapoint you in that . It features virtually the same design as the series of the last year. But fortunately that's a good thing: the original was damn gorgeous. But also thin, light, well-made. . The laptop continues to look fresh, even weeks after we tested it. At 2.87 pounds (up slightly from 2.86 last year), it's still one of the lightest 13-inch touchscreen laptops you're going to find. Even the Toshiba Kirabook, supposedly one of the lightest, weighs about a tenth of a pound more.
But part of it's also the way the S7 is put together. The hinge in the back is small, and unobtrusive, and sits flush with the lid. And while the sides are cut in a clean, blunt sort of way, they never feel too sharp. The corners, in particular, have been ever-so-slightly rounded so that they never dig into your palms when you're carrying it with two hands. Making an easy-to-hold laptop is about more than just using the lightest materials.
Though the S7 has mostly the same selection of ports as last time (two USB 3.0, an SD slot and a headphone jack), except the HDMI socket is now full-sized. Also, Acer's moved them around, shuffling some sockets from the right to the left, and vice versa. For starters, rather than have both USB connections on the right, there's now one on either edge, which seems like the more convenient setup to us. The SD slot has moved to the left edge, while the HDMI and headphone ports now sit on the right side. Not much to say here except that the power button is unusually difficult to push, to the point where it's not always obvious that the machine has registered your finger-press. Hopefully Acer will loosen that key up just a bit when it comes time to design the follow-up product.
Acer has refined its TwinAir cooling system so that the fans should make less noise than they did last time around. This unit also has Intel's Wireless Display technology, a requirement for new Ultrabooks.
Keyboard and trackpad
Acer hardly made any changes to the S7's backlit keyboard, which features flat, chiclet-style buttons, done up in a metal finish to match the palm rest. The keys offer slightly more travel this time (1.3mm instead of 1mm), but they still feel pretty flat. Even so, they're backed by a sturdy underlying panel, and most of the buttons are actually big enough to hit without looking (the Caps Lock and Tab keys being notable exceptions). All told, it's still easy to type on, despite its flatness and a few shrunken keys.
The touch feels the same as of the S7 as of its slightly tweaked and feels quite good when windows 8 is used and is quite comfortable and touchpad is quite responsive and has a good finish
Display and sound

The S7's new model will be available with 2,560 x 1,440 resolution . It's as lovely as ever, with arresting colors, fine details and a remarkable immunity to screen glare ). It comes with a 1080p screen and you don't have choice but to go with a 1080p screen, the viewing angles alone make it the best full HD screen we've seen on an Ultrabook. Truly, these colors just won't quit: whether you watch from off to the side or with the screen dipped forward, the saturation and contrast look about the same as they do when you're watching straight-on.
Unfortunately, the audio quality doesn't nearly match the visuals. . We finally settled on 75 / 100, but even then the volume wasn't quite loud enough to rise above the sound of an air conditioner blasting across the room. Still, that small concession in volume meant we could listen to a live recording of Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck and actually make out all the instruments (and not just Clapton's electric guitar).
Performance The system is well equipped, giving the user speedy boot times and app launches. The S7-392-6411 is one of the higher performers among systems with a Core i5 processor. The system's 3D scores are improved over systems with 3rd generation Intel HD Graphics, though for hardcore gaming you'll want a specialized gaming rig that trades everyday speed for gaming prowess. This system should last you the three to five years before you replace it with something newer.

Speaking of lasting, the S7-392-6411 has a battery rundown time of eight and half hours (8:27), which will get you through a transcontinental flight, with hours left over for when you get there. As long as you let the system sleep when you're not using it, the S7-392-6411 should last the entire day. This is hours longer than last years model (4:45). The S7-392-6411 also performs better overall than our last Editors' Choice for high-end ultrabooks, the Asus Zenbook Prime Touch UX31A-BHI5T ($1,199), which got lower scores on the Handbrake, PCMark, 3D, and battery tests. The S7-392-6411 outlasts its closest rival in features and thinness, the Sony VAIO Pro 13 by two hours.
The Acer Aspire S7-392-6411's performance punctuates the system's excellent feature set, thinness, design, build quality, low weight, and general excellence. It is more than a worthy replacement of the Zenbook Prime Touch as our new Editors' Choice for high-end ultrabooks. Sure, you are paying a bit more for the thin chassis and sturdy build materials, but unlike the VAIO Pro 13, the Acer Aspire S7-392-6411 doesn't skimp on battery life in the quest to be the thinnest, lightest laptop around. The Acer Aspire S7-392-6411 therefore gains one of our highest overall scores and Editors' Choice award.
Pros
- Nice build materials
- Great viewing angles
- Fast performance, longer battery life
- Improved touchpad
- Now runs quietly
Cons
- Enormous power brick
- No 2,560 x 1,440 option in the US
- Power button is difficult to press
- Expensive for what it is
Bottom Line If you're looking for a laptop to show off, but want to do real work in Windows 8, the Acer Aspire S7 392 series is the ultrabook you want at the top of the list. It's the current pinnacle of the ultrabook trend and shows the brilliance that the PC makers can return under Intel's increasingly stringent standards for ultrabooks.Comes with a good graphics but a good portability and is hell lighter everyone can play with it.Still packs the power.Decent battery life as well as good ram as well.
Specs:
|
| Operating System | Windows 8 Pro |
|
| Processor Manufacturer | Intel |
| Processor Type | Core i5 |
| Processor Model | i5-4200U |
| Processor Speed | 1.60 GHz |
| Processor Core | Dual-core (2 Core) |
| Memory |
| Standard Memory | 8 GB |
| Memory Technology | DDR3L SDRAM |
| Memory Card Reader | Yes |
| Memory Card Supported | Secure Digital (SD) |
| Storage |
| Solid State Drive Capacity | 128 GB |
| Optical Drive Type | No |
| Display & Graphics |
| Screen Size | 13.3" |
| Display Screen Type | Active Matrix TFT Color LCD |
| Display Screen Technology | In-plane Switching (IPS) Technology |
| Screen Mode | Full HD |
| Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Backlight Technology | LED |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Multi-touch Screen | Yes |
| Graphics Controller Manufacturer | Intel |
| Graphics Controller Model | HD 4400 |
| Graphics Memory Technology | DDR3 SDRAM |
| Graphics Memory Accessibility | Shared |
| Network & Communication |
| Wireless LAN Standard | IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n |
| Built-in Devices |
| Webcam | Yes |
| Microphone | Yes |
| Finger Print Reader | No |
| Interfaces/Ports |
| HDMI | Yes |
| Total Number of USB Ports | 2 |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 2 |
| Acer Converter Port | Yes |
| Software |
| Operating System | Windows 8 Pro |
| Operating System Architecture | 64-bit |
| Input Devices |
| Keyboard | Yes |
| Keyboard Backlight | Yes |
| Pointing Device Type | TouchPad |
| Battery Information |
| Number of Cells | 4-cell |
| Battery Chemistry | Lithium Polymer (Li-Polymer) |
| Battery Capacity | 6280 mAh |
| Maximum Battery Run Time | 8 Hour |
| Power Description |
| Maximum Power Supply Wattage | 45 W |
| Physical Characteristics |
| Height (Front) | 0.51" |
| Height (Rear) | 0.51" |
| Height | 0.5" |
| Width | 12.7" |
| Depth | 8.8" |
| Weight (Approximate) | 2.87 lb |