You can go too cheap on a laptop, and this is what happens when you do
It might seem all budget notebooks are the same, and you can pick any laptop off the shelf. That’s not true, however, as a quick comparison between the very bad Acer Aspire 3, and the very good Aspire E 15, demonstrates. You’ll want to do your research no matter how much you spend.
Acer Swift 7 vs. Apple MacBook Air
Acer's Swift 7 is singularly focused on being as thin as possible, and it succeeds -- rivaling the iPhone X at around 0.35 inches thick. But its keyboard has a weird layout and its touchpad doesn't click, making it hard to use. Does Apple's MacBook Air win out as being more pleasant to use?
We want every laptop to be as thin as an iPhone. But is it practical?
The Acer Swift 7 is the thinnest notebook you can buy, and in many ways, it feels like the notebook of the future. But it makes too many compromises along the way, particularly in its no-click touchpad and weird keyboard layout, and performance and battery life suffer.
Save $300 on a Dell XPS 9570 gaming laptop, more in Amazon’s Cyber Monday sale
Thanksgiving has come and gone and Black Friday is long over, but some of the best deals on tech still continue to surface online. You can now save up to $300 on a Dell XPS 9570 Gaming Laptop and other popular Acer, HP, and Lenovo Windows devices during Amazon's Cyber Monday sale event.
Acer Chromebook 13 review
Acer’s Chromebook 13 is a plain old clamshell notebook that doesn’t even boast a touch display. Instead, it focuses on bringing a solid build and superior performance to the Chrome OS platform. It mostly succeeds at both, but that’s not enough to separate it from the growing Chromebook pack.
Acer Chromebook Spin 15 vs. Acer Aspire E 15
Acer has some strong offerings in the budget space, with a choice of Windows 10 or Chrome OS if you're unable to spend more than $600. Two great options include the Chromebook Spin 15 convertible 2-in-1 and the Aspire E 15 laptop. They've both made it on our our "best of" lists, but which is better?
Acer Chromebook Spin 15 review
The Acer Chromebook Spin 15 takes the company’s very good 15-inch Chromebook and lets you spin the display. You won’t want to use it as a tablet, but it’s a good option for inexpensive Netflix binging. And the battery will keep you going for a very long workday indeed.
The Acer Predator 17 gaming laptop can replace your desktop PC for $999
Gaming laptops have come a long way in recent years, and the Acer Predator series is a shining example. The Acer Predator 17 can be yours for just $999 for a short time, and with its beefy hardware and 17-inch display, it's powerful enough to rival many custom-build desktop PCs.
Acer brings Intel’s 8-core, 9th-gen processor to its Predator Orion desktops
Acer today has revealed that it will be bringing the Intel 8-core 9th-gen processor to its Predator Orion 9000 and 6000 desktops. The new choice in processor puts more power into the hands of gamers and should make for seamless gameplay in the most demanding situations.
Acer Aspire 5 review
Acer’s updated Aspire 5 benefits greatly from Intel’s latest technology, including its 8th-gen processor and Optane memory. The Aspire 5 offers a lot of performance for not a lot of money, but its display and battery life betray its budget nature and detract from its overall value.
Acer Predator Helios 500 review
The Predator Helios 500 is a machine that calls to gamers. With a high refresh rate display, overclockable hardware, and great gaming performance, the Helios 500 holds no punches. If you’re fine lugging around nine pounds of gamer style, this just might be the gaming laptop you’ve been looking for.
Acer Chromebook 15 review
Our Acer Chromebook 15 review details the updated model, which packs a zippy Intel Pentium processor into its large, 15-inch frame.
The upcoming Acer Predator Triton 900 laptop has a display that flips
Although it wasn’t included in Acer’s product announcements during IFA 2018, the company provided a sneak peek for a gaming laptop called the Predator Triton 900. We don’t know any hardware specifics just yet, only that it sports a unique display frame that enables you to “flip” the screen.
The $1,100 Acer Swift is the lightest 15-inch laptop ever made
Acer came to IFA 2018 with a number of new laptops, the most interesting of which is the lightest 15-inch laptop ever made. At just 2.2 pounds, the $1,100 laptop is not only incredibly light, it's also packing the newest Intel processors, thinned-out bezels, and built-in 4G LTE. All that makes for one of the most exciting laptops from IFA 2018.
Designed to engulf players, Acer’s Predator Thronos is a titan of a gaming chair
Part of Acer’s gaming lineup during the IFA 2018 convention is the Predator Thronos Gaming Chair. Although the name resembles that of an evil, world-killing villain, this chair is just as titanic in nature as it cradles the player while simultaneously wielding three monitors and a tower desktop.
Acer OJO 500 Windows Mixed Reality headset lets you straddle real, virtual worlds
The OJO 500 is Acer's latest Windows Mixed Reality headset, boasting some unique design features. The OJO 500 comes with a detachable design, washable head straps, and a new sound pipe audio system that helps keep you aware of your surroundings in the real world while you venture into the virtual world.
Acer targets gamers with new color-rich 4K Predator and Nitro monitors
Acer has taken the wraps off of four new gaming monitors across the Predator and Nitro line. The two flagship monitors each support 4K UHD panels, 144Hz response rates, wide color gamut displays, and HDR colors. The Predator comes with Nvidia G-Sync support, while the Nitro series uses AMD's FreeSync.
Nvidia GeForce RTX GPUs are coming to Alienware and Predator gaming desktops
Following the keynote presentation for Nvidia's new GeForce RTX 2000 GPUs, Dell and Acer have both announced support for these graphics cards in refreshed gaming desktops. Predator Orion series systems, as well as Alienware desktops, will soon come with the latest and greatest in graphics, courtesy of Nvidia.
Acer Aspire E 15 review
Can a $600 laptop be good? In the past we'd say no, but it's a different story today. The Acer Aspire E 15 is intended for people who want value and don’t care about a skinny chassis. So, does it have what bargain hunters are looking for or is it a compromise not worth making?
Acer Spin 5 review
Acer’s Spin 5 is a well-built and well-performing midrange 2-in-1 with solid battery life, a good keyboard, and a relatively svelte chassis. Alexa joins Cortana in providing digital assistance, although her features are limited compared to other Alexa-enabled devices.
Acer Chromebook Spin 11 review
Acer’s Chromebook Spin 11 is a low-cost, convertible 2-in-1 take on Google’s easy-to-manage Chrome OS platform. Battery life is good enough and build quality is decent, but performance is lacking, the display is dim and dull, and input options are competent but don’t stand out.
Acer crams a Ryzen 7 CPU, discrete RX Vega 56 graphics into a 17-inch laptop
A week after Acer flooded the press with new laptops and desktops, the company returns with one laptop and two desktops for gamers. They're AMD-based variants of products introduced last week, including a laptop sporting AMD's Ryzen 7 2700 processor and its Radeon RX Vega 56 discrete graphics chip.
Acer’s new lineup includes white gaming laptop and Pixelbook-esque Chromebook
The annual Next@Acer press event revealed Acer's refreshed portfolio of laptops and desktops for gamers, professionals, and students. The 2018 rollout includes the Swift 5 ultra-thin notebook, a gaming desktop packing two GeForce GTX 1080 Ti graphics cards, premium Chromebooks for business, and more.
Alexa makes herself at home on a variety of new Acer laptops
Acer has announced the impending release of the first laptops to have official Alexa support at the point of sale. Its Swift, Spin, Aspire, and other laptop ranges will have full support in the coming weeks, with current owners able to download patches from the Acer Care Center to expand their laptop's capabilities.
Acer’s new 4K, HDR, 144Hz G-Sync gaming monitor will cost $2,000
Acer's new Predator x27 4K is a super high-end gaming monitor, but you do have to pay a premium for it. If you are willing to match the $2,000 price tag, you can net yourself a 4K IPS display with a 144Hz refresh rate, a 4ms response time, full support for G-Sync fram syncing, and 10bit high-dynamic-range.
Acer Switch 7 Black Edition vs. Microsoft Surface Book 2 13
Microsoft's Surface Book 2 13 is the fast 2-in-1 in its class, hosting a powerful Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 for competent entry-level gaming and great creativity performance. Acer has attempted to accomplish the same in a detachable tablet, raising the question: Did it manage to unseat the master?
Acer Switch 7 Black Edition vs. Microsoft Surface Pro
The Acer Switch 7 Black Edition is a hefty detachable tablet 2-in-1 with a large display and a trick up its sleeve -- a discrete GPU that promises decent entry-level gaming to go with the usual tablet productivity chips. But is that enough to make it a better tablet than Microsoft's Surface Pro?
Laptop kickstands don’t need to be fancy, they just need to work
Sometimes it's the little things that matter the most when designing a computer. The tablet kickstand is a prime example -- get it right and it can make for a great experience, but get it wrong and the entire tablet suffers. Acer's Switch 7 shows how over-engineering can hamper the experience.
Acer Switch 7 Black Edition review
The Switch 7 Black Edition isn’t your parents’ detachable 2-in-1. Acer squeezed a discrete GPU and innovative liquid cooling into the Switch 7 Black Edition for some light gaming in a tablet format. Did the company manage to maintain the format’s usual productivity as well?
Acer, Dell slash gaming laptop prices to make room for new Intel models
Acer and Dell are slashing prices on gaming laptops for a limited time. For starters, Acer is now selling the Nitro 5 with a Core i5-7300HQ processor and a discrete GTX 1050 Ti graphics chip for dirt-cheap. Meanwhile, Dell's meatier Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming laptop packs a GTX 1060 GPU for $150 more.
Acer Nitro 5 Spin vs. Dell XPS 15 2-in-1
Acer's Nitro 5 Spin tries its hardest to be both a good convertible 2-in-1 and a legit gaming notebook. But it's not the first laptop that makes that ambitious attempt. Can Dell's XPS 15 2-in-1 beat it at either game?
Acer Nitro 5 Spin vs. Lenovo Yoga 720 15
Acer's Nitro 5 Spin tries its hardest to be both a gaming notebook and a convertible 2-in-1, and it fails to be a great example of either. Does the Lenovo Yoga 720 15 do a better job of straddling that fence?
Acer Nitro 5 Spin review
The Acer Nitro 5 Spin mashes together a distinct gaming aesthetic and entry-level gaming components with a convertible 2-in-1 design with pen support. Does it manage to meet the needs of both gamers and productivity workers, or does it call flat in meeting the needs of either?
Acer’s faster Nitro 5 gaming notebook offers GTX 1050 Ti, Intel Optane
Acer's newest Nitro 5 gaming notebook will keep the entry-level pricing and add in more RAM, a GTX 1050 Ti, and Intel Optane memory for much better performance.