Thin, light and powerful - the next
generation of laptops is here
There’s no doubt Ultrabooks are the future
of the mobile computing market. Over time, as components drop in value, this new
format will supersede the heavy, plastic laptops currently available leaving us
with, thinner, lighter and more powerful personal computers. Ultrabooks, as a
platform, are nearly a year old and we’re well into the second wave of machines
arriving from the big name manufacturers.
Ultrabook
Supertest
Ultrabooks are so called because they
conform to prerequisites laid down by Intel. Namely, that they not exceed a
certain weight and thickness, boast SSD storage, wake from sleep instantly and
offer ultra-portability mixed with style.
By way of comparison, we’ve also included
the latest MacBook Air because, to give Apple its due, the company sparked the
desire for slim and light machines when it brought out the original Air in
2010.
Back in May we ran our first ever Ultrabook
super test and now we plan to prove that sequels can be better than the
original. We’ve covered the entire Ultrabook spectrum this month and featured
affordable Sandy Bridge models right through to the solid gold, Ivy Bridge
power performers.
Acer Aspire Timeline U M3
An affordable Ultrabook, but with an
underpowered spec
The Acer Aspire Timeline U M3 ($684inc.
VAT) is different from most Ultrabooks in this group test. It’s larger, with a
15.6-inch screen, and lacks the benefit of large flash storage with its minimal
SSD used solely for rapid start-up times. However, it’s significantly more
affordable and boasts and an optical DVD RW drive. Unfortunately the Sandy
Bridge processor puts it at a disadvantage performance-wise when compared to
other third-generation models.
Acer
Aspire Timeline U M3
The M3 is entirely decked out in black -
the chassis is constructed from a combination of metal and plastic and there’s
very little flex to be found anywhere. The larger screen gives it sizable
dimensions at 376 x 254 x 20 mm and makes it less portable than the smaller
13.3-inch Ultrabooks in this test.
The benefit of the larger screen and
built-in optical drive comes with media usage. The screen has a glossy Super
TFT reflective coating that makes colours look sharp and the Dolby Home Theatre
audio is really impressive. There’s a 320GB hard drive, which should be enough
for your films, albums and photos.
Performance is at the lower end of the
power spectrum. The processor is an Intel second- generation Core i3-2367M,
with the standard 4GB RAM to help with multitasking. Our benchmarking test
returned an average score and although this machine is capable of handling
basic tasks, it might suffer in years to come.
It’s worth pointing out that there are
different Timeline U M3 models available. Although price increases
dramatically, there are versions of this laptop available with a Core i7
processor and dedicated graphics.
Where the M3 shines though is usability.
The keyboard is wide and more spacious than most of the Ultrabooks in this
group test. There are no shortcut keys around the keyboard, but you are given a
dedicated numeric keypad.
Touchy subject
Elsewhere, the huge touchpad is a
particular highlight. Although we are usually distrustful of integrated click buttons,
it works well here. The touchpad supports multi-touch gesturing so you can
pinch to zoom or use two fingers to scroll.
The
Timeline U M3 is also available with a Core i7 processor and dedicated
graphics, though the price increases dramatically
There is the standard range of connections,
all located on the back of the M3 rather than the side. Of the three USB ports,
one is USB 3.0 format and you are also given an Ethernet port and an HDMI
connection for attaching the M3 to an external display. Of course, the
inclusion of a DVD drive will be a huge benefit to fans of physical storage.
Overall, the M3 has a lot to recommend it
as a portable media machine. The usability is excellent, the optical drive is
useful and there’s enough power to handle the majority of basic tasks.
Similarly, the price point is very attractive for anyone who doesn’t want to or
can’t drop a grand on a new computer.
However, the larger screen size does hamper
portability and the limited specifications will frustrate some. The reality is
that this model doesn’t offer much by way of future proofing, so if you are
interested in purchasing this Acer Aspire model it might be worth checking out
some of the more powerful iterations.
|
Info
Price: $684
Website: www.acer.com
What’s it best for
Web, mail & photos
HD, movies & TV
Light & portable
Key features
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
Processor: Intel Core i3-2367M 1.4GHz
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 320GB
Screen size: 15.6-inch
Screen resolution: 1,366 x 768
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000
Weight: 2.1kg
Verdict
Value: 4/5
Features: 3/5
Performance: 3/5
Total: 3/5
|
