A picture can paint a thousand words,
or even an Acer product code
The product I'll be reviewing today is the
Acer Aspire Timeline U M3 581T, or to use its full name, the
M3-581T-32364G34Mnkk (NX.RY8EK.001). You might ask what's in a name? But with
so many different models, it's important to identify this one from any other
Acer Aspire Timeline U M3 hardware that's being sold.
The critical bit is the 'U', because this
is most certainly an ultrabook, and one of the cheapest of that variety you'll
find. Being 'ultra' means the M3-581T is a svelte 21 mm thick, just 2.25kg in
weight, and Acer promises it can run for eight hours on its three-cell lithium
polymer batteries.
Given the pricing, there were bound be some
compromises made, so what are they? Well, being at the bottom of the pile means
that you get a 1,4GHz Core ¡3 CPU (¡3 - 2367M), Intel's unexciting HD 3000
integrated video and a 320GB hard drive.
On the other side of that balance, you get
in a built-in DVD writer, USB 3.0 port (just one), 4GB of DDR3 and a 1
5.6" active matrix TFT.
That's an impressive specification, and
while the video might not be game worthy, for application use and web
activities, there's an abundance of power in here.
It's also rather well made, having an
attractive gunmetal finish that projects greater value than Acer is asking for
it.
So what's the catch? Well, even if most of
these are minor complaints, I have a few. The first is that most of the
connectivity is along the back edge, which is both difficult to access and
prone to creating damage on both ports and cables. Why Acer did this I've no
idea, because the entire right side of the machine is completely free for use,
yet was ignored.
I also found that while the touchpad is
easy to use, it's also big enough to easily brush with your palm while typing,
and I had a number of instances where when using Word, the cursor got moved
mid-sentence or even mid-word.
The final slight niggle is the display,
which is a low-cost TN panel. The resolution of 1366x768 is relatively low for
its size, has an annoying glossy finish that enhances reflections, and it's not
fantastic on viewing angles. I'd say it was acceptable but hardly a strong
selling point of the M3 series.
Even with all these distractions, I can't
help but like the M3-581T. Because it's built for the purpose of commuter
computing, it's very well specified for that job and works brilliantly in that
context.
If you want more GPU power, Acer does a
more expensive Core ¡5 model with NVidia GT 640M mobile graphics that's worth a
look. For non-gamers,
I'd recommend you get this one and then
spend a little extra on dumping the 320GB drive for some hybrid or SSD storage.
The M3-581T brings the ultrabook into the
budget range of many, and that is something for which Acer should be applauded.
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Details
Price: $799.98
Manufacturer: Acer
Website: www.acer.com
Model: M3-581T-32364G34Mnkk
Specifications
·
Windows 7 Home Premium
·
Intel Core ¡3 (¡3-2367M, 1.40GHz, 3MB)
·
39.6cm (15.6") LED TFT colour
·
Intel HD 3000
·
4GB DDR3 SDRAM
·
320GB Serial ATA
·
DVD writer
·
Weight (approximate): 2.25 kg
·
Maximum battery run time: eight hours
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