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First, let's get the WIFI disconnection problems out of the way. No promises, but this is what worked for me and many others:
1) Update the WIFI driver to the latest one. Go to us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/drivers to get it. As of this writing, the latest driver is version 10.0.0.225. Install the driver and reboot.
2) Then, on your computer, open Network and Sharing > Change Adapter Settings > **WIFI Adapter Properties** > Configure > Power Management > UNcheck **allow the computer to turn off this device to save power** See? You want to stop the PC from turning off your WIFI to "save power."
3) Then go to your Battery Settings.....
Click Battery icon > More Power Options > Power Saving / Balanced / High performance > Change Plan Settings > Change Advanced Power Settings > **Wireless Adaptor Settings** > Power Saving Mode > on Battery > Change to low or medium power saving (Medium works for most people. I chose Low). Reboot one more time. Done.
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Now the review. I'll update this later if I encounter problems.
Pros:
* Optical/DVD drive. DVD drives are growing increasingly rare in the "budget" category. Maybe you don't want/need a dvd/cd drive. I do. I think the closest rival to this laptop is probably the HP Envy Touch, and it doesn't have an optical drive.
* i5 Processor. This is middle of the road. Not as slow as the i3, not as great at the i7. But the i5 does its job well. And yes, you can game on this, IF you adjust your game's Resolution and Details to Minimum, bringing the fps down. It still renders the play smoothly, example world of warcraft, sims.
* Graphics card / Memory. This comes with the Intel HD Graphics 4000 card (update the 4000 card driver when you get this laptop!) and 128MB of dedicated system memory. Yes, I would definitely prefer an nVidia and more Memory. But, for the money, it can still juggle multiple programs being open at the same time, some CPU intensive. For example, if you're playing a game, you definitely should close all other programs first to free up that Memory. However, let's say your editing videos; in that case, you can manage to have your editing software open as well as other programs and truck along just fine.
* More USB ports, including 3.0, and dongles (HDMI/VGA/Ethernet, packaged separately) than I've seen in most laptops under $600.
* HD webcam.
* HD space. This is 750gb. Some other V5's offer 500gb, yet cost more.
Cons:
* Battery life. 4 cell is far from stellar. The description says "5 Hours," but don't count on it, unless you're an extremely light user with minimal programs running. With heavy use, it's more like 3.5 hours. I think you could probably find a 6 or 9 cell for this and it would increase your time to 6-7 hours, but I haven't looked for one yet.
* Resolution. 1366 x 768 max, is not great, at all.. However, the only time I can really see the effect of that low resolution is when I'm pinching to zoom in the browser, it can look somewhat pixelated. However, the desktop and programs UI look great, as do videos and everything else.
Ambivalent about:
Windows 8. I miss the Windows 7 interface sometimes, because the familiarity of the Start button. I use Stardock Start8, which gives you the option of using the Windows 7 or Windows 8 interface, both.
Overall:
I'd recommend this for anyone who wants bang for their buck.
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I took a gamble on this laptop because it seemed that most reviews on any version of this laptop comments on broken wifi.The reason I took the gamble was thanks to another review that stated how to fix the wifi issue, but luckily when I received my Acer Aspire it worked fantastically out of the box.
The first time you power it on it takes awhile to setup the files, but that's to be expected.
Once the initial setup is finished everything is good to go. Wifi works fantastic. I had absolutely no issues with it.
The touchscreen is awesome and I truly had no idea how much I would enjoy it.
The backlit keyboard is fantastic.
This is not a gaming computer! Don't go in thinking all your supposed game should work. Just a disclaimer.
The only two issues I've had are:
1. The battery isn't as nice as I would like. I probably get 3 hours of heavy use. I still haven't looked into an extended battery.
2. About once a week you should completely restart the laptop to free up all your volatile memory.
Overall, I completely love this laptop. I'm on it right now typing this review. It actually works so great that, even though it's 3 months old, I still haven't transferred even half of my files over because it's just so great out of the box.
Best Deals for Acer Aspire V5-571P-6831 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Silky Silver)
Set up, performance, and yes WiFi all work flawlessly out of box without any driver updates. I'm not sure why some are claiming major WiFi issues, but I have had none. For the price, I don't think you can beat its performance. I also downloaded Microsoft Office 2013 Professional and all is good. Again, it to works flawlessly. I have been a Dell and HP fan in the past but it seems their build quality has dropped for their lower end models while Acer is trying to grab some market share and it shows in the quality build of this model again not sure why some are complaining here either my daughter compared it to Apples $1600 laptop, in build quality. I don't typically write many reviews but I'm so impressed with this purchase, and almost didn't buy it because of the somewhat negative reviews. I just don't seem to have any of the problems others have claimed. Good luck with your decision.Honest reviews on Acer Aspire V5-571P-6831 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Silky Silver)
The product largely does what it's expected to do: CPU is fast, integrated graphic chip is good for non-gaming applications, and touch-enabled screen goes well with Windows 8 Metro interface. Out of the box, wifi indeed is not stable (obvious compared with other devices connected to the same network: changing to "limited" connection and then coming back after some time). Installing the latest driver from Acer's support website has solved the wifi problem, but the bluetooth no longer works. Since I use wifi all the time while seldom connecting to a bluetooth device, it seems to be worthwhile trade-off for now. Hopefully Acer can introduce a patch that can make both wifi and bluetooth reliable.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Acer Aspire V5-571P-6831 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Silky Silver)
This machine is a beast for the money. Loads of RAM and spacious hard drive, laser-quick I5 Ivy Bridge (new technology) processor, backlit keyboard, touch screen, and much, much more. Incredibly slim and sleek-looking, and easy setup out of the box.Like some other users, I had an issue with Wi-Fi drops out of the box, but a quick update of my Wi-Fi driver completely cured this issue. I've had the machine for over a month, and have had zero other functionality issues.
If you're looking for a monster of a budget laptop, I've done all the research for you. This is your baby...
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