List Price: $1,649.99
Sale Price: $1,549.95
Today's Bonus: 6% Off
Last Updated October 17, 2013 [Windows 8.1 review]
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Reason for purchase:
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Been waiting almost a year now for Haswell to come out after leaks were given online, and it meets and exceeds my expectation through and through. I was looking for a replacement for my 3-year old Acer TimelineX laptop and decided I'm not going to go cheap when it came to buying a laptop since I was tired of flimsy screen that feel like they'll break if pressed in the middle. It was either the Acer S7, the Asus Zenbook Infinity, or Samsung Ativ Book Plus HD for my replacement laptop. Chose the S7 over the Zenbook Infinity and Ativ Book for 3 reasons:
1) This is Acer's third iteration of the S7 compared to Asus Zenbook Infinity which will be it's first. First generations for new designs usually have more kinks/issues that I'm trying to avoid when I'm paying over $1000+ for a laptop, you'd expect it to be flawless to an extent.
2) Owned an Acer and Asus laptop before, and Acer always knew what they were doing when it came to power efficiency versus Asus which for some reason or another has issues with power consumption levels. (this is from my experience)
3) Samsung decided not to increase the max ram amount to 8GB, which is shame since ram is crucial in multitasking especially for apps on windows 8
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Pros:
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--Battery Life!: just doing regular task like checking emails and browsing online at 70% brightness I was able to get 8-9 hours! which is amazing, this is why I waited for Haswell =) (assuming if you have 99% battery at start)
--Boot Time: Switching from an HDD on windows 7 to an SSD on windows 8 was mind blowing, from 2-4 minutes to only 2-4 seconds just made me love this laptop more than I already do. Albeit windows 8 is cheating a bit with their hybrid shutdown design, overall this is what I was expecting.
--Design: thin and light, ergonomic to feel albeit I was expecting a smoother finish on the edges but overall I don't know if there is another laptop that looks this good.
--Case: I was surprised that Acer included a leather case that really makes this laptop look like a fashion statement a plus for me, one less thing to buy =)
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Cons:
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--No adapters: I was surprised that Acer didn't include an ethernet dongle like they did with previous versions of this laptop which was disappointing since I need it for when I use the laptop at work
--Bloatware: this is typical but Acer like any other company included sponsored apps and their own homebrew apps of their own.
--Speakers: speakers are located on sides of the laptop near the bottom so the sound comes out muffled but I'm a headphone type person so this doesn't bother me much.
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Answers to questions asked/ Updates
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--Fan: the fan doesn't make a peep even on huge overload of online gaming which was surprising but the laptop does heat up at the rear end of laptop (hinge area) if you block the vents on the bottom.
=====================Update: July 18, 2013 (Day 3 with Laptop)=====================
--Cooling: when the manufacturer said to avoid blocking the vents they meant it, the laptop started to get moderately hot. Although granted I was running a lot of adobe software (photoshop, illustrator, dreamweaver, fireworks, etc...) the laptop fan didn't make any noise which was good. Just needed to remember that this isn't a desktop.
--Vent location: air enters and exits on the back bottom vents that stretches across the entire back (below the hinge side).
--SSD Space: 195GB are available after you remove most of the bloatware.
--Battery During Heavy Use: When I was running the laptop with Adobe Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and fireworks I was able to get to 6hours and 13 minutes of constant runtime which was awesome to me as a website developer on the go.
--Battery life (100% brightness): around 7 hours if at 99% full battery (please note the S7 comes with an automatic sensor like your smartphone to adjust brightness so the battery will last longer, automatically on by default)
=====================Updated: July 19, 2013 (Day 4 with Laptop)=====================
--Changed from 4 to 5 stars, decided 1 star off for speakers didn't make sense when it's an ultrabook and I use my headphones most of the time.
--Updated some of my statements on battery life, this was after bloatware was removed and I had Kaspersky 2013 and skydrive desktop app always running in the background, automatic updates and scans does drain the battery faster (no breaks)
--Automatic Brightness: to turn off automatic brightness control panel->Edit Plan Setting-> Change Advance Power Setting (clickable text)->Display(header)-> Enable Adaptive Brightness-> choose off or on
--Battery Life (w/ automatic Brightness off): at 100% brightness the battery lasted at ~6-7 hours just browsing the web, watching videos ~5/6 depending if your running videos on 1080p or 720p.
--Touchpad: very responsive and customizable, recommend you adjust everything on the touchpad so you get the most out of the multi-gestures
--Screen Resolution: spending a couple hours watching videos on this laptop was superb and I can't imagine switching. Colors were crisp and clear, a huge gap in clarity from my old laptop's resolution (720p)
--Keyboard Layout: a bit weird at first but the organization is pretty convenient where all the hotkeys are easier to reach and alot faster than a tradition keyboard.
--Backlit Keyboard: awesome feature that only enhanced the laptop, the brightness is adjustable/turns on automatically when it gets dark which was convenient
--Webcam: resolution is at .9megapixel which is pretty low but the sensors on the webcam are top notch especially at night, I thought SONY were the only ones with night sensors for their webcams but Acer actually implemented their own variation or they outsourced w/ sony which is awesome. I was able to see my face clearly in a pitch black room no lighting except the laptop screen.
=====================Updated: July 21, 2013 (Day 6 with Laptop)=====================
--Wireless Signal: the Intel Dual-band 7260 + Bluetooth 4.0 for some reason started to act up by dropping signals in 5 bar areas, fixed issue by uninstalling the driver, and reinstalling the driver available from Acer's Support page.
--To download driver: go to Acer US -> click on "Support" tab -> click "Driver & Manuals" icon w/ wrench & hammer -> type "Aspire S7-392" in search by model text box & search (looks like nothing loaded but bottom of the page changed with list of drivers) -> look for "Wireless LAN Driver" -> click "Download" -> extract file using Winrar or Z-zip -> click "Drivers" folder -> click "win8" folder -> double click "DPInst64.exe" to install the driver (do this after driver is uninstalled and make sure Intel PROSet/Wireless software is NOT installed on the computer)
--To uninstall the driver: go to control panel -> Network and Sharing Center -> Change Adaptor Settings (left menu) -> right-click network card icon -> properties -> click "Configure" -> click "Driver" tab -> click "uninstall" driver
=====================Updated: July 22, 2013 (Day 7 with Laptop)=====================
--Updated Wireless Card issue from previous update.
--SSD Drive Info: 2X 128GB SSD (Formatted in Raid 0) from Kingston using Intel Trimming Technology
=====================Updated: July 31, 2013 (Day 16 with Laptop)=====================
--Updated Reason for Purchase, Touchpad comment, Wireless Card Comment & Cooling Comment
--Screen Protector: unnecessary since touch-screen is scratch resistant
--Maintenance: used Philips SVC1116F/27 LCD, LED and Plasma Screen Cleaner to clean both sides of the laptop once or twice a weeks to make the glass clean and clear =)
--Touchpad Software: Synaptic v8.1 Clickpad multi-gesture touchpad, similar to the apple touchpad.
--Warranty: Amazon sells the version with a 2-year limited Warranty
--Screen Resolution: Amazon sells the 1920X1080 version, the 2560x1440 isn't sold in the United States
--Dolby Home Theatre v4: at first I thought this was just the speaker version but it's actually an audio software built into the laptop that allows you to easily change the amplitude and clarity of sound for both the speakers and headphones, you can also save customized settings in the extra slots a plus for me since I'm an audiophile =)
--Ram: 8GB of ram is a necessity for any ultrabook and Acer finally understood that, no more memory dump issues since there's enough ram for running all my programs at once =)
=====================Updated: August 5, 2013 (Day 21 with Laptop)=====================
--After 3 weeks with the laptop, I'm glad I purchased this machine, never have to wait for the laptop to start-up since it's instant, working with adobe software (illustrator, photoshop, dreamweaver, etc...) hasn't been more seamless, and the build of the laptop couldn't be better, solid aluminum at its finest =)
--Only complaint now is the power button which should have been placed on the keyboard side of the laptop. Having the button on the side is really not smart since grabbing the laptop on its side can result in accidental pressing (happened to me a couple times), easy fix though is to change the properties of the button to do nothing, it'll still turn on the laptop when it's shutdown :)
--To change button properties: go to "Control Panel" -> click "Power Options" (icon with battery & plug) -> on left side menu click "Choose what the power buttons do" -> change the setting for "When I press the power button" to desired setting for both columns (Battery and when plugged) -> click "Save Changes"
=====================Updated: August 14, 2013 (Day 30 with Laptop)=====================
--A month has past since I got the laptop and I have to say I don't regret being one of the first few people who bought this laptop when it came out at retail price $1649. At first I had wireless issues but found out last week it was my router that kept dropping the signal on me, fixed it with the ASUS RT-N66U Dual-Band Wireless-N900 Gigabit Router. Now I'm developing programs and websites faster than ever. My old laptop would crash on me every other day so having a laptop that probably won't ever crash on me is huge relief also.
--One thing I do recommend that everyone get with this laptop is a cooling stand such as the Cooler Master NotePal ErgoStand II Adjustable Laptop Cooling Stand with LED Light Strip for three reasons.
----1) Although the twin fan 2nd generation is whisper quiet that does come with a cost as the hinge area does get somewhat hot.
----2) Laptops are faster when they are cooled so your benefiting by making the computer consistently fast =)
----3) Having a laptop stand helps with posture and fatigue so you aren't constantly bending your neck and back :)
=====================Updated: September 15, 2013 (Day 61 with Laptop)=====================
--2 whole months have passed and I'm still loving the laptop as I did the first time I received it. You really can't beat instant startup after shutting down, I've come to rely on this feature too much lol. I haven't had any recent issues, everything has been running so smoothly. The wireless issue hasn't occurred at all after switching routers which I'm thankful for.
--Availability: Based on the trend for the past 2 months, Amazon usually receives a new shipment every week (on a Sunday normally). When they do run out they post an estimated "3 to 4 weeks" shipping but this is a worst case scenario if there were too many orders placed (probably the holidays is when this is true).
=====================Updated: October 17, 2013 (Day 93 with Laptop)=====================
--Windows 8.1 update was simple, updated through the Microsoft App Store Icon. Should be the first icon you see when you open the app, if you don't see it please update your computer to the latest windows 8 update then go back to the Store App Icon.
--Update is ~3.6GB and took ~10-15mins to install, make sure power adaptor is plugged in and don't have any external usb or dongles hooked up otherwise the update will not install, learned the hard way =(
--One thing I noticed, got ~5-10GB in space back from the OS since Windows 8.1 is way smaller than Windows 8
--Defragmenting actually started to trim the SSD compared on Windows 8
--Customizing startup to launch with Desktop Mode was easy, just need to adjust a setting on the Taskbar properties under "Navigation"
--Hibernate mode issue of sometimes turning back on by itself got fixed
--Drivers seem to work a lot better mainly wifi, got better signal than usual in most areas
--Battery life increased a tad ~10-20min since apps are more efficient/ updated
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Will update regularly or as questions are asked
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Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I have a short, but demanding list of requirements in a laptop. I regularly travel internationally and I use my laptop for both normal office tasks and high-performance processing.My list is:
Lightweight, 13 or less, 3lb or less, full HD screen or better, Core i7 CPU, 8GB RAM or more, 256GB SSD+, good battery life ~5+ hours. I'm unwilling to budge on any of these items. This makes for a very short list of potential laptops. In 2011, ONLY the Sony Vaio Z (my current laptop) offered all these features, but is getting long in the tooth. This year, there are more options, and the Acer S7 appears to be an attractive one.
Pros:
Battery life. 6-8 hours under normal WiFi, 60-80% brightness, browser, video playback, Outlook usage. Typcial business usage.Battery life is great, as I believe it will be on many/most Haswell-powered lightweight Ultrabooks. I'm pretty confident they could slap the new chipset and CPU into last years' hardware and nearly double battery life. It's amazing. But that's nothing specific to this laptop. The new Sony Vaio Pro 11/13 also see the same battery benefits.
Fan. This system is silent. Even under load, the system occasionally got warm, but was always extremely quiet, the fans were imperceptible.
SSD speed. Amazing read speeds, middling write speeds. Has 2x 128GB Kingston SSD's in a RAID0. Now that Intel's RST supports TRIM in RAID, these SSD's should last plenty long even in a RAID. Boot times and load times were good as expected. I'd expect the same kind of performance with any other Haswell laptops with SSD's.
Build quality. Looks nice. Feels premium, solid, and tough. No flex, no screen wobble, which is big for a touchscreen laptop. Unfortunately, the edges of the screen are quite sharp, which seems strange and unnecessary.
Screen. A good quality, good color, full-HD screen. Has some minor light bleed at the corners, but is only visible on full black. I'd hoped to see the model with the 2560x1440 screen, but it appears this isn't available yet.
Speakers. I've seen other reviewers knock the speakers. Coming from the horrific speakers on the Vaio Z, anything is a step up. I found the speakers to be reasonably good, with the note that they do face down from the front edge of the laptop. This means if you have it on a hard surface you'll get good sound, but on a soft surface or on a lap, the sound may be muffled.
Leather case is neat and attractive.
Cons:
Keyboard. Tactile feedback is good, keypress depth is good, backlight is nice, BUT... The keys don't consistently register unless pressed down from the center. That is to say, if you're used to touch-typing on another keyboard and you try to use this one, you'll regularly have to go back to re-press keys that aren't registering. Here's what's happening, if you press a key, but don't press in the center, the key goes down far enough that the tactile feel would have you think it's registered. That's to say you actual feel and hear the "click" of the keypress, without the key registering. This alone was a deal-breaker for me. Maybe it's something that can be fixed in software somehow, maybe by making the keyboard more sensitive to these "partial" presses, but this made typing on this laptop irritating and unwieldy. I fear this is a hardware design issue that would be unfixable. I suppose I could have persisted to try to ensure I press each key hard and perfectly in the center, but I was too frustrated to try.
Other haven't had the same problem, so it is possible my unit was defective, but still, the experience was bad enough that I wouldn't want to try again.
Clickpad. Yet another new generation of touchpad that seems worse than previous generations. I don't know why touchpad technology seems to be going downhill, but this seems like a good example. The pad feels just like a Macbook touchpad, but without the great driver implementation that Apple has. It's a single piece of material, with no physical left or right-click buttons. It looks nice, but that's the end of the similarities. It's reactive and sensitive as well as adjustable. Despite all the configuration options, I couldn't get the touchpad to work in a way that felt natural and for this reason found it uncomfortable to use the touchpad much of the time.
Here's the problem:
When clicking, whether by pressing where pointing to click, or by pressing the lower left corner of the pad to click at the same time as pointing, the cursor would often move slightly, meaning that I would often have to try two or three times to click accurately if I was trying to click on something small. If you turn off scaling, 1920x1080 on a 13" screen means everything is pretty small...Usually these types of touchpads (I've used plenty) have a designated dead area near the bottom that you can use to left or right click without that touch being factored into the overall cursor motion. This did not appear to be the case and was not configurable. I tried to hunt down newer drivers, even trying some non-Acer drivers, but was unable to resolve this. Maybe I use the trackpad differently than others, I typically use two fingers, one to point and another to click.
The Apple touchpad/clickpad is smart enough not to use a second touch to change the location of the cursor allowing you to use a finger for clicking and holding without it moving the cursor. It does this without needing a dedicated click area. Also, the Apple touchpad features the ability to touch the pad with two fingers to right click at the current location, negating the need for a right click area. This touchpad does not have this feature.
Lack of F-keys. The laptop has no dedicated F-keys (F1, F2, F3, etc...). Instead it uses the number keys along with the Fn button. This is fine as long as you don't use these regularly (Alt+F4 for instance). I do use them regularly, so I found this annoying. I'd rather them be small than nonexistent. I assume these keys were done away with to make room for the S7's cooling, which is admittedly excellent.
Although relatively light, the laptop seemed heavy for it's size. I'm coming from a Vaio Z, so maybe the step up in weight from carbon fiber is noticeable to me where it wouldn't be to to others.
The power power on the laptop and the corresponding plug were tiny. I was afraid that it might get bent. The laptop gives off a quiet beep when the power is connected, which is nice, but the plug does not stay very securely. I suppose given the battery life, most users might unplug this laptop before using.
Cover and screen are fingerprint magnets. But I suppose that's to be expected of glass. It made me wish the screen wasn't a touch screen, so I would want to avoid touching it.
Bloatware. As is the norm on most laptops these days, Windows is chock full of Acer's "helpful" programs. Unfortunately, it's difficult to tell which programs actually serve some kind of purpose and which don't.
WiFi performance with the dual band Intel 7260 was initially AWFUL. That's to say 20% signal strength on this laptop next to my Vaio Z with the older Intel WiFi card at 90%. I was amazed to see this from an Intel WiFi card, which I normally find to be exemplary. I managed to dig up a new driver that was not yet available from Intel's site and was able to achieve normal WiFi performance.
Battery. Although battery life was great, the battery showed 5% wear after a week of usage! This is as shown by BatteryBar. Most of my laptops stay under 5% until well over a year of usage. The high wear right off the bat with a 5% loss in capacity was very concerning as to the quality of the battery in the S7.
Conclusion:
In the end, I wanted to love it, but the keyboard and the touchpad were too painful to use for an extended period of time and I ended up returning it. As always, Amazon returns and customer service are excellent.
Next on my list is the Asus Zenbook Infinity, which should have the higher-res screen the US-spec S7 lacks. Gorilla Glass 3 instead of 2 on the lid, and will ship with Windows 8.1, meaning they may already have worked out the 8.1 driver issues we're bound to see with laptops like the S7 that are released just months before 8.1 is released. Fingers crossed.
Best Deals for Acer Aspire S7-392-9890 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Ultrabook (Crystal
I have been researching and trying ultrabooks over the past month or so. I am planning to use the computer for large data related projects as well as web development. So was looking for premium work horse machine with icore 7 processor, but did not want to compromise on size/weight.Tried Asus Transformer, Lenovo Yoga, Samsung ATIV 6, as well as new Sony pro. Saw S7 with 3rd gen intel and was tempted to purchase it, however all the wireless related noise as well as fan issues scared me away. When I saw the release of this system with 4th gen intel chip, decided to give it a try. I am extremely happy with the purchase.This machine has delivered in every aspect and I recommend purchasing it.Pros:
1. Beautiful/minimalist design
2. Keyboard/mouse/touchscreen work extremely well
3. Compared the speed of S7 with Samsung Ativ 6, and truthfully, while both machines are icore 7 (samsung is gen3), Acer was at least three times faster on start and two times faster on loading apps.I also installed programming server for php and was pleasantly surprised by the speed. Downloaded flash/dreamweaver/photoshop, again the speed of loading is unparalleled.
4. No issues with wireless connection/fan since I received the laptop
5. Battery life appears as promised, had the lap top running for about 3 to 4 hours and have 2/3 remaining
Cons:
1. Speakers are OK, definitely inferior to Samsung Ativ6 (not super important to me)
For now, this machine is a keeper and while it is a little pricey, from my prospective the premium is warranted. I will update with any issues should they come up.
By the way, Amazon delivery and service was top notch as always.
07.15 Update (2 days of heavy use)
Just wanted to respond to a couple of questions. I have not experienced any issues with internet connectivity. When placing it on my legs, I did notice the computer being slightly warm, this happened when I started the system from sleep mode, after a minute or so the temperature normalized. Battery life is about 7 hours with normal to elevated use. I still highly recommend the system and believe this is one of the best ultrabooks on the market.
Will update if any other issues arise.
Honest reviews on Acer Aspire S7-392-9890 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Ultrabook (Crystal
Since I am on an airplane every week, thin and light was my goal after my last laptop crashed. The specs meet the criteria of light and fast. 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD was a requirement and eliminated a lot of the competitors who still offer 4GB and and/or 128GB. RAID 0 is a big plus. For me, this model gives me both productivity and entertainment.Top things that impress me are:
-It is so thin and so light, yet so much room for keyboard area and screen
-Screen HD resolution and clarity is amazing
-Speed is faster than anything I have ever seen. Even playing Modern Warfare games at full detail have no lag
The only thing I dislike is the sharp edges. If you rest your wrists as you type or use the touchpad, you will hate these edges.
The keyboard is 100% responsive and is better than any previous laptops over the past 20 years that I have used. This was complaint by another reviewer but not with the unit I received.
Others complained about the speakers. I think the speakers are great.
I bought an Ethernet 10/100/1000 USB 3.0 and it works perfect, and setup was a breeze. (Cable Matters SuperSpeed USB 3.0 to RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter in Black). I would rather buy USB 3.0 adapters than the ACER adapter, which should have been provided with the laptop.
I installed and tested all my legacy software, including Office 10. All programs work perfect.
Ensure that you condition the battery a few times as stated in the manual. Battery life is at 7 hours for me, as advertised. Also, the laptop runs cool. No heat issues unless you set it on your bed or block the vents.
*** UPDATE 8/17/2013 ***
-I ordered a "Black HDMI Input to VGA Adapter Converter For PC Laptop" and it worked instantly and flawless. I use this to connect to projectors and a desktop VGA at work
-I attached a external DVD player/writer and it also worked flawless
-Fan is quiet and there are no heat issues unless I lay it on a soft surface
-I installed a lot of enterprise software and upgraded to Windows 8 Pro Pack. All software and the upgrade went flawless. I have SQL Server Express, MicroStrategy, and IIS all working well
-I found keeping it in the leather case Acer provided is critical to not scratching the laptop
-Someone mentioned the keyboard not being responsive. This is true. You have to type harder or it will not register, especially the spacebar
I am very pleased with the speed and compatibility with all my programs.
*** UPDATE 10/11/2013 ***
After 2 months of constant use, the laptop has proved solid. Here are a few extra notes about the laptop:
CONS
-Acer has not made one update of any of its drivers or included software in 2 months. You might as well take out the Acer updater.
-The edges are too sharp. They need to soften or round them
-I am use to hitting keys harder but sometimes they still do not register; mainly the spacebar
PROS
-I have thrown a lot of corporate software at this Acer and it runs everything flawless
-All the sales promo claims hold up well. This is not a hype machine, it is solid, fast, and looks great
-Connectivity is flawless. Whether HDMI, ethernet, wireless, bluetooth, or USB 3.0
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Acer Aspire S7-392-9890 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Ultrabook (Crystal
I recently upgraded my desktop motherboard, installed a new cpu, increased the ram to 32GB and added a 500GB Samsung SSD. It now nearly instantly boots, shuts down, loads programs, processes requests and in general offers instant gratification. I have also owned notebook computers since 1990, 6 of them and wanted one offering the same gratification as my current desktop.My wife has a dated Acer Aspire One A0722-0473 that she purchased from Costco for $279 about 4 years ago. It was beginning to excessively slow down and I heard constant complaining from her about it. So I doubled the ram from 2 to 4GB and installed a Samsung 256GB SSD. It was super easy to do because Acer designed an easy way to take the bottom off to access the HD and ram slot. She is extremely happy with the results, and I grew to respect the low weight and design of this low-end machine--not adequate for my needs but still a nice form factor and speed for her.
Instead of this machine that I am reviewing here I actually wanted the Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus, but only the one with 4GB ram and 128GB SSD were available-not sufficient for my needs. On top of that, it was not upgradeable. I found out that Samsung had soldered the ram in place, so that I couldn't even take the financial hit and replace the ram myself. I called Samsung customer support, and they verified that the ram couldn't be upgraded and that the warranty would be voided if I opened the back up. Soldered ram and no access to the SSD was a deal killer for me. So, I decided to look harder at this Acer A7 with 8GB ram and 256GB SSD running in RAID 0.
I was a little reluctant to purchase a notebook that has glass on the back side of the screen, but now I've grown to appreciate it. The Samsung ATIV 9 Plus would have scratched whereas the Gorilla Glass is very hard to scratch. Fingerprints easily wipe off. The only plastic part of the case is on the bottom, and even that is done tastefully. The entire area around the keyboard is a matted aluminum finish--real aluminum that extends all the way the edges of the machine beyond the plastic bottom. The same goes for the area around the screen. It is the matted real aluminum that is the same edge for the front and back of the screen.
Some reviewers have complained about the keys not registering when typed, especially the space bar when it is hit away from the center. Mine isn't doing that. It doesn't have the feel of my Razr gaming keyboard, but then again it's an extremely thin ultrabook. I am an accomplished touch typist and don't even need to see the keyboard to type. I'm finding this keyboard meets my expectations very well for this type of implementation in such a shallow form factor. I've also read negative reviews about access to the function keys, and this is one of the reasons I was considering the Samsung ATIV 9 Plus because it had another row of keys. I've had no issues finding keys or wasting keystrokes hitting wrong keys. The keys are also as wide apart as a conventional keyboard, which leads to fewer occurrences of unintentionally hitting multiple keys at once. I'm also not having any issues with the mouse pad as others have stated. It works just as I expect it to work. I even turn it off sometimes as I've done now as I type this using my now ancient Logitech MX1000 Bluetooth mouse instead of the keypad mouse. The built-in Bluetooth on this ACER A7 easily recognized my Bluetooth mouse and always does when it comes out of standby or from a reboot at my desk.
The screen is easy to see from other than straight on, and I find it easy to magnify the area I'm looking at either by using my finger to stretch the screen wider or by using the keypad.
Performance: I have many, many applications loaded on this A7, and all of them load as quickly if not faster than my high-end desktop machine with SATA6GB (Sata3). The slowest loading app is QuickBooks 2013 because it makes calls to the Web as it boots--same for the desktop. I can shut the lid on this A7 and come back directly and nearly instantly to where I was in any program. No problems with the WiFi connection disappearing as on my Lenovo ThinkPad. I can turn on tethering from my Samsung Note2 android phone and have an instant high-speed internet connection anywhere I can get 4G from Verizon around here. I still have an unlimited data plan. I have experienced absolutely no issues instantly connecting to the WiFi on my phone or to my NetGear router. I get the same download speed as my phone and other notebook connections have gotten as measured by Speedtest. It just connects and stays connected. I also use Acronis to backup to a USB 3 external HD. I do this by plugging in an external DVD played into 1 of the 2 USB3 ports on the A7, booting to Acronis on a CD on that drive and writing an image of the drive along with its hidden partitions on the A7 to the USB3 HD on the other USB3 port on the S7--no issues, and the image is created in about 10 minutes. I'm very happy with this performance (and insurance).
I took this Acer A7 with me all day long and didn't bring the power cord. I only opened it each time I had to write a receipt for my business, and each time it performed flawlessly. I had it on standby from 12 hours using it intermittently when I needed to. At the end of the day the battery registered 95% full. My other notebooks' batteries would have left me high and dry--not to mention that they pretty much choked when it came time to run QuickBooks 2013, which needs too much horsepower these days to run on older notebooks. Also easily got onto the internet via my Note2--instant connection with great speeds through Verizon 4G in Pleasanton, CA for the day.
Using in Bed: I don't have to prop myself up to use it. I just straighten out the screen to 180 degrees, and the edge sits on my covers. This way the screen is much higher and in my line-of-sight without having to kink my neck or nearly look over my cheeks and nose to see the screen. It weighs so little that I don't really notice the weight on a thin edge. I use the bed duvet to disperse the weight, I suppose.
The leather case that comes with it fits extremely well and is very well made. I will use it when in clean conditions but also purchased a Thule case at an Apple Store made for a 13" MacBook Air that is black and also fits the S7 perfectly snugly. The case won't show dirt, and will protect the S7 edges if dropped on edge.
I originally paid over $3,500 for the ThinkPad this A7 replaces. I've disliked the ThinkPad for all of the 7 years. I am extremely happy and satisfied with the purchase of this Acer S7.
So far, I've grown to really appreciate this Acer A7.
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