After the initial release of windows 8 developer preview which integrates the look and feel of touch screen smart phone, people raised issues about the operating system’s functionality on a non-touch screen monitor. A full version of Windows 8 was recently released and the Acer S7 version of an ultra book is currently gaining reputation as one of the first products designed specially for the new operating system. The new product is powered by an Intel core i7 CPU and brings in a responsive touch screen monitor for an ultimate windows 8 experience. Below are some facts a customer would want to acquaint with before purchasing the Acer Aspire S7.
Design, size and common features
Starting with the size, you do not expect a wide screen display to fare well with touch screen functionality. The new S7 features a 13.3′ 1920 x 1080p display which works well for HD video viewing. It might feel like a compromise on size but you have to bear on mind that the products was specially designed for windows 8 and had to optimize on touch screen functionality. If you have been looking for a thin laptop, this is probably one of the thinnest produced this year. It is extremely light regardless of the gorilla glass which covers its lid on the back.
Apart from the lid, the rest of the body is made from fine quality aluminum denoted as unibody chassis by most manufacturers. Coupled with the white anti-reflective color, the ultra book is impressive even to tech enthusiasts who have been reviewing laptops for years on end. The keyboard features an island-key style and although this is the most recent trend of designing laptop keyboards, some people find it rather hard to type. At first, you are bound to make a lot of typing mistakes which has been blamed on uncertainty; naturally one keeps on checking to see if a particular character was registered after pressing its respective key. However, you should not be mistaken, you will soon adapt to this style of keyboard with time.
Although not unique, the touch screen display is one of the aspects which lift the S7 above other ultrabooks. Some years back, people disliked touch screen displays on their laptops simply because they took a long period to respond or you had to enter a command twice. This was put into consideration and anyone purchasing the S7 will probably like the response time.
Storage, connectivity and performance
In most customers opinion, a 500GB SSD hard disk is seemingly a must have for all competitive models of laptops in the market. However, you will have to appreciate the 256GB SSD on Acer S7. Again it might feel like a compromise on storage capacity but other factors considered, you probably do not expect a 500GB hard disk on such a thin laptop. To your relief, the S7 comes with 4GB of RAM which will be essential for video streaming and flawless gaming experiences. It is rumored that windows 8 is not great for gaming although this is not necessarily true. Customers who purchased the ultra book relayed positive feedback which is enough proof that the most recent games will play well on the windows 8 optimized laptop.
Another drawback is experienced when it comes to video output an input. Owing to the laptop’s small size, it comes with a single Micro-HDMI port which forces you into using an adapter whenever you want to connect to HDMI devices. You will have two USB 3.0 ports and an SD card slot which are pretty useful. Some customers complained that a network port was left out although LAN cables are slowly being phased out and soon everyone will be using WiFi signal to connect to the internet. To this effect, the ultra book comes with a wireless network adapter for Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity.
The S7 sources it power from a Stellar which runs for an estimated 4 ~ 5 hours of video playback. Some will expect 5 to 6 hours of battery life but this is so much to expect from a system which runs on a core i7 processor not to forget the touch screen display which also consumes a lot of power.
An overview of the most important features:
- 13.3 inch & 11.6 inch, 1920 x 1080p Touch Screen Display
- 256GB SSD Hard drive
- Intel Core i7 processor
- Ultra thin design
- Island-key style keyboard
- A unibody Chassis
- HD 4000 Graphics optimized for gaming
- Extremely light
There is no doubt that the Acer Aspire S7 is a great product for all applications including office and home use. It has great capabilities and the fact that it is built for use with windows 8 makes it popular with customers looking for an all new revolutionary product which will work well with new software.
To add a few points to design, the ultra book’s lids opens fully to 180 degrees; it is not necessarily useful but it helps when one opts to use the touch screen display only. Some of the laptops designed for windows 8 come with a lid which opens up to 300 degrees so that the user only gains access to the touch screen alone. This is not possible with the S7 mainly because it is anticipated that the touch screen display will not be used as the main input device.
Pricing Details
The new model from Acer is selling at an average $1500 depending on the store from which you source it. The price is expected to fluctuate with time as more people switch to windows 8 in the future. Customers should avoid looking down at this product as a substandard which sells for an exorbitant price just because the manufacturer added a touch screen display. On the contrary, the Acer S7 is in league with the most popular ultra-books. Just a short period after its release, the product is earning 5 stars from consumers and reviewers who have hard a look at it. You might be buying some accessories like a HDMI adapter for full functionality although this is expected with every new device in the market. If you are looking for a pretty laptop which does not compromise on functionality and performance, Acer’s S7 should be an ideal selection. Though it has a few drawbacks, it is a high end product on the bottom line.
