Review: Acer Aspire S3-951-6646

Ultrabooks are Intel's answer to the MacBook Air's dominance of the super-thin, super-portable and super-power efficient computing device market. Last year in 2011, the company set aside a whopping $300 million as a start-up fund for a new class of notebooks that they conceptualize to be ultra-thin (less than 0.8"), with excellent battery life and powered by Intel's own class of low-powered processors. Sure enough, top laptop makers like Samsung, HP, Toshiba and Acer all rose up to the challenge, and in just a few months, have started churning out series after series of these thin, portable and aesthetically pleasing breed of notebooks. And thus, the ultrabook finally came into being. They have been catching consumers' eyes ever since.

The Acer Aspire S3-951-6646 was one of the first few ultrabooks that was released on the market. Unveiled during the fourth quarter of 2011, it was noted for its cheap pricing which, at $899 or less if can find a newegg promo code, was significantly lower than the price range set by some of its closest competitors, most notably the Macbook Air's MSRP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price) of $1399.

The low price comes with a few drawbacks, of course. Most people will notice that Acer Aspire S3 uses a hybrid drive - a storage system that combines a standard 320 GB HDD (Hard Disk Drive) with 20 GB of SSD (Solid State Drive). This was clearly an effort made by Acer to cut costs. But since people were expecting a full SSD memory system (like the MacBook Air's), many were left disappointed. Another trade-off is its lack of physical connectivity ports such as an USB 3.0 and VGA display port. It still has two USB 2.0 ports, though, and an SD card reader - all conveniently located at the back of the device.

But despite of these minor shortcomings, the Acer Aspire S3 remains a viable contender in the ultrabook market. It is equipped with an Intel Core i5 1.6GHz processor, which gives it more than enough power to handle the day-to-day computing needs of the average consumer. Boot-up times are fast and the device can also handle a bit of gaming on the side too. The 13.3" screen has a crisp and clear display that is great for watching HD movies, while the sleek aluminum top and gray finish almost gives out that cool MacBook Air vibe. The Acer Aspire S3 also weighs light enough to be comfortably carried around anywhere, making it a great companion for those who like to work on-the-go.

The Acer Aspire S3 is not a Macbook Air, that's for sure. But it can be a good alternative for anyone on a budget who can live without the bells and whistles of the Air. It has a few shortcomings here and there, but in the overall scheme of things, the Acer Aspire S3 is still a pretty solid ultrabook for the price.