Core 2 Duo T5500 Processor 1.66GHz, 1GB RAM

Whenever someone asks us if you can really get a decent thin-and-light laptop for about S$1,500 (US$986.03), offer up the Acer Aspire 4710 as evidence. Here you've a thin-and-light laptop with an attractive 14.1-inch display, a solid keyboard, and all the ports and connections a home user could need, for just S$1,448 (US$952.63). The catch, if you consider it one, is that inside the case you'll find a dual-core Pentium processor which, though it has multiple processing cores, isn't enough to keep up with Core Duo and Core 2 Duo systems. No one expects a cheap laptop to win any speed contests, though. Fortunately, some countries offer configurations equipped with a speedy Core 2 Duo processor. Many home users just want a machine for checking email, typing documents, and watching DVDs. So for those users, we recommend the Acer Aspire 4710.

Design of the Acer Aspire 4710 Laptop PC

Like its larger and more-expensive sibling, the Aspire 5920, the Aspire 4710 features Acer's new Gemstone design which includes a matte-black lid and a light-gray interior. The case's rounded corners and beveled edges give the laptop a soft look that, in this smaller form, reminds us of the original clamshell Mac iBooks. Despite its soft looks, the Aspire 4710 feels pretty solid, though the screen did wobble a bit on its hinges when we accidentally bumped our desk.

The Aspire 4710's display is great for watching movies and working with images, thanks to its sharp 1,280 x 800 native resolution. Though not a deal-breaker, it's worth noting that colors tended to look particularly washed out at the highest brightness level. Also, the screen's glossy finish is among the more reflective ones that we've seen lately; the reflections were manageable in a typical office environment but intolerable when we were seated with our backs to an outside window. While higher-end configurations of the Aspire 4710 include a Webcam in the display bezel, the baseline configuration we reviewed does not.

We enjoyed typing on the Acer Aspire 4710's sturdy full-size keyboard. The keys provided plenty of travel and were remarkably quiet. Our palms did frequently graze the laptop's touchpad while typing, but the sensitivity of the pad was such that doing so did not misplace the cursor. Between the two standard mouse buttons sits a four-way scroll key that's particularly handy for reading Web pages and scrolling through long documents. A vertical row of controls on the left side of the keyboard include a convenient Wi-Fi on/off button as well as two programmable application launch buttons that default to the Web browser and email. The last button in the row is designed to turn the Bluetooth radio on and off; pressing it on this our review configuration only calls up a message declaring "No Bluetooth device". However, some retail configurations will include a Bluetooth radio as standard.

Given the Aspire 4710's movie-friendly display we wish Acer had found room on the keyboard deck for media controls; volume is controlled by a wheel on the laptop's front edge. Above the keyboard, next to the Dolby surround speakers, sits the triangular Empower key which launches a suite of utilities for managing battery life, network and sound settings. We loved having quick access to this information and enjoyed the design of the Empower suite, which looks very much like the Dashboard in Mac OS X.

Features of the Acer Aspire 4710 Laptop PC

We expected the Aspire 4710's low price to come from small economies on its features, but Acer has packed the laptop with all the ports and connections you'd expect on a thin-and-light laptop, including an ExpressCard/54 slot that should make it easy to add 3G/HSDPA card or a TV tuner. There are also two USB ports on each side of the laptop's base, which makes it easier to plug in lots of peripherals without getting cords tangled. The sound on the built-in Dolby digital speakers was decent, if a little tinny at high volumes; fortunately the S/PDIF audio-out jack lets you connect the Aspire 4710 to external stereo speakers for better sound quality. We like that Acer provides a software tool to quickly choose among multiple sound settings (music, movies, and games) so you get the best sound possible.

Performance And Battery Life of the Acer Aspire 4710 Laptop PC

With all these great features, our review unit of the Aspire 4710 achieves its remarkably low price in part by incorporating a budget dual-core Pentium processor (built on the Pentium architecture rather than the Core architecture that's been the standard for more than 18 months) and a single gigabyte of slow 533MHz RAM. It was no surprise, then, that the laptop displayed pokey performance on benchmark tests, falling in line with another Pentium dual-core system, the Toshiba Satellite P205 retailing in the US. What surprised us was that the Aspire 4710's performance came close to matching that of the some Core 2 Duo processor and well beyond the single-core Celeron processor found on some budget system. That's not to say that the Aspire 4710 will set any speed records; in fact, it will feel sluggish to anyone accustomed to Core 2 Duo-based systems. But for the money, it's definitely speedy enough for the productivity programs, media playback, and Web surfing that constitute most home computer use.

The Aspire 4710's battery held out for 1 hour 59 minutes on our taxing DVD drain test. While we always welcome lengthier battery life, we consider the 2-hour mark within the acceptable range for a thin-and-light laptop. Of course you can expect longer life from casual Web surfing and productivity work.

After-Sales Service And Support for the Acer Aspire 4710 Laptop PC

This notebook comes with an international one-year warranty from Acer. Recognizing that mobile computing has become a key activity for executives, the Taiwan company promises to fix any hardware issued within 2 hours, or it will deliver the unit to your preferred location free. Extended warranty can be purchased from the service center, with packages ranging from S$249 (US$163.99) to S$397 (US$261.01) depending on the degree of coverage and service required. For DIY troubleshooting, a toll-free telephone helpdesk is available for assistance. Acer support Web site offers downloads of updated drivers as well as an email for notebook issues. In the event that further technical assistance is required, the machine can be brought to any Acer service center worldwide for diagnosis.