Acer Aspire V5-171-6471 11.6-Inch Laptop (Silky Silver)

• Intel Core i5-3337U 1.8GHz with Turboboost Technology up to 2.7GHz
• 6 GB DDR3 RAM
• 500 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
• 11.6-Inch Screen, Intel HD Graphics 4000
• Windows 8, 5-hour battery life

I really adore this mobile computer. I am a mobile person and the size is perfect for every day commuting and long-distance travel; it has a small footprint and can fit on any surface be it an airplane seat tray or a lap. The computer does not have a disc drive (which I think is a plus), freeing it to be made very thin; it is not Macbook Air thin, but still very thin. One of my favorite features is the touchpad. It recognizes Apple like gestures and is free from the casing, so that it can physically move up and down when pressed. This gives it a very responsive feel akin to the Apple touchpad. The keyboard has keys separated by the case molding. It is not a full size keyboard, but I find the Chiclet-like keys helps prevent pressing more than one key at a time when typing; it also looks very cool.

I like a fast computer and this Acer has a lot horsepower for its price range since it has an Intel Core i5, instead of a Core i3. This means it comes with Intel's Turbo Boost technology. I believe the Turbo Boost makes a big difference in a laptop where power consumption is directly related to battery life. Most of the time a lot of horsepower isn't needed, e.g. web surfing, so battery power is saved. But when you need to open or run a demanding program like MATLAB (you'll see I love MATLAB) then Turbo Boost really shines and everything will run faster.

I took this computer to another level by upgrading to a solid-state hard drive and highly recommend this. The SSD makes boot up incredibly fast. (Note about installing Windows via USB: Format a USB (>4GB) with FAT32. Then extract a Windows Installation ISO to the USB using 7-zip. Super simple :)(Note 2: or use Clonezilla to clone the Windows that ships with the drive onto the new one.). With this setup the computer is very snappy. The computer boots in about 5 seconds. MATLAB opens on my laptop faster than my desktops!

I did not want to spend more than $800 on a new laptop. This laptop perfectly fits my computing needs and wants without breaking the budget. I think it is as cool as a computer can be without being a Macbook, which this computer clearly used as an inspiration. I don't believe in spending top-of-the-line money for laptops, because the dollar goes further in a desktop and laptops don't have as much longevity due to wear and tear (I'm pretty rough on laptops. They get banged around in my backpack when I bike around or travel). However, being unwilling to spend enough can result in an impotent laptop: more than a Chromebook (which are awesome in their own way, but specialized), yet not quite powerful enough for doing more than surf the web, write docs, and make slides; having a computer powerful enough to run MATLAB (or a similarly demanding program like Photoshop) was important to me. The Aspire V5-171 has met my needs and surpassed my expectations. It represents a fantastic value: it combines computing power and great aesthetics into a very convenient and mobile form factor.

The only caveat I can think of is this is not a "gamer's" laptop. However, it has the best integrated graphics chip Intel offers and will play a lot of modern games on the lowest visual settings at decent frame rates.

Finally, there are a few miscellaneous features that further prove how this laptop is the complete package. In addition to an HDMI port, there is also a VGA port. I think it is great to have both, because there is now the flexibility of giving a presentation on an HD screen or an older projector without needing to tote around extra adapters. There is also a USB 3.0 port to help future proof this machine. Another nice unheralded feature is the power cord, which does not have a "Ghostbusters brick". Instead it has the adapter plug directly into the wall; this seems to have reduced the size of the power cord and represents to me less of a trip hazard. My only wish is that the power cord would connect to the laptop using a magnet ala Apple (the ultimate in trip prevention), but I don't mind so much because this laptop comes in at such a nice price.

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I would give this laptop a Four except that its battery life is quite poor. After adjusting the power settings for minimum power, I have trouble getting more than three hours from it. Acer should have give it a larger battery. Acer doesn't have a larger battery available for after market either.

Like the machine, hate the battery!

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I just got mine yesterday. It was delivered with an out of date wifi driver and I could not connect wirelessly. I went to the Acer site and found many people were reporting the same problem. I downloaded and installed a new driver from the Acer site, but still do not have wifi connectivity on my brand new machine. Needless to say, I'm sending it back!

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Lack of backlit keyboard precipitated its return. Any laptop over $100 should have a properly backlit keyboard.

Nice machine, nice price, capable. But not capable enough. For something so small, the touchsreen of the S7 is a big plus. So is the lighted keyboard of the S7. We kept the s7 and returned the V5.

One thing better about the V5 is its better array of ports: VGA, RJ45, full-size HDMI, 2 USB 2.0 and 1 3.0.

Please listen, Acer: form must not preempt function, and pricepoint is irrelevant when it destroys usability.