Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T Review
The Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T is powered by an Intel Core i5-430UM processor. This next-generation ULV processor makes the laptop one of the best on the market below the greats. Additionally, the 1830T offers a decent 6-hour battery life.
Aspire TimelineX 1830T Specifications
Processor: 1.2GHz Core i5-430UM
Operating system: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
RAM: 4 GB / 4 GB
Storage: 500GB / 5400rpm
Display: 11.6-inch screen with 1366 × 768 pixels
Design
The Aspire TimelineX 1830T is just 1.1 inches thick and weighs around 3 pounds. In terms of looks, the 1830T isn’t much different from the Aspire One 721 netbook. It’s a bit heavier, though, but that powerful dual-core processor justifies those extra ounces.
The laptop has a matte lid that hides fingerprints. It ships with a 6-cell battery that sticks out of the system, tilting the machine at a slight angle.
Hot
The 1830T heats up while performing certain tasks. Still no cause for concern. However, it is not recommended to leave the machine on your lap for long periods.
Keyboard and touch panel
The keyboard is almost full size. It’s easy to use. The keys provide good tactile feedback and you will be able to reach your normal typing speed in no time. The silver touchpad buttons are nice and sharp, but the touchpad could have been a bit larger.
Monitor
The 1830T has an 11.6-inch screen with 1366 x 768 pixels. The screen is brilliant. The colors are vivid. Viewing angles are good too. But the bright screen causes distracting reflections.
Ports and webcam
Port selection is successful. There are 3 USB ports, an Ethernet port, a Kensington lock slot, headphone and microphone, VGA port, an HDMI output, and a 5-in-1 memory card reader. No eSATA or FireWire. The supported connectivity options are WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0 + HS. There is also a 1.3 megapixel webcam.
Performance
The TimelineX 1830T has a 1.2GHz Intel Core i5-430UM processor and 4GB of RAM. This new generation of ULV processors offers significantly better performance than its previous generation. In fact, the 1830T offers commendable performance in many benchmarks. However, boot times are medium. The 500GB 5400rpm hard drive takes 1 minute and 20 seconds to start up in Windows 7 Home Premium. But this delay is probably due to the trial software that comes preloaded with the laptop.
Graphics performance
The 1830T does not have discrete graphics. However, the Intel HD GPU with 128MB of memory offers reasonably good graphics performance. The laptop also has an HDMI port for transferring video to an HDTV.
Battery duration
The Core i5 version of the laptop has a decent 6-hour battery life.
Verdict
The TimelineX 1830T is one of the best ultraportable notebooks on the market. It looks great, offers good performance, and has a respectable battery life. But at $ 699, it’s certainly not cheap. So if you’re on a budget, you might want to consider the $ 599 Core i3 version of the 1830T. Alternatively, you can buy the $ 499 Eee PC 1201PN which offers comparable graphics performance but less processing power and endurance.