It's hard to believe that Ultrabooks cropped up a little less than a year ago. Since the first models hit the market, the Ultrabook moniker—originally created to denote a thin, light laptop using a low-voltage Intel processor and a fast solid-state drive—has come to encompass just about any laptop that is thinner or lighter than usual.
Acer's Aspire Timeline M5-481TG is one such computer. Acer officially refers to it as an Ultrabook, but its 14" screen and 4.3 pound weight definitely push the limits of the term. That said, the M5 uses the extra size and weight to its advantage, packing a dedicated graphics processor and a DVD burner into a relatively thin-and-light frame. It's not the fastest gaming notebook on the market, and it's definitely not the thinnest and lightest. But can this laptop's specs make it a solid all-rounder, or does the approach simply produce a chunky, compromised Ultrabook?
| Specs at a glance: Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M5-481TG | |
|---|---|
| Screen | 1366x768 at 14" (112 ppi) |
| OS | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
| CPU | 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U (Turbo boost up to 2.6GHz) |
| RAM | 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 (officially supports up to 6GB, reports say it can support 10GB) |
| GPU | 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M LE and Intel HD Graphics 4000 (switchable) |
| HDD | 2.5” 5400RPM 500GB hard drive, 20GB SSD |
| Networking | Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Ports | 2x USB 3.0, HDMI, card reader, headphones |
| Size | 13.4" x 0.8" x 9.6" |
| Weight | 4.30 lbs |
| Battery | 3-cell 4850 mAh Li-ion |
| Price as reviewed | $779.99 |
| Other perks | Webcam, backlit keyboard, DVD burner, 1 year warranty |
Design and build quality
The M5 is constructed entirely from plastic—the lid, display bezel, and top case are all dark gray and have a faux-brushed metal look, while the bottom of the laptop is a black, textured matte plastic. There's a bit of flexing in the top case, especially in the lid, but the laptop has a nice dense feel to it and doesn't feel overly cheap in spite of its construction. The M5 is of a uniform, 0.8" thickness throughout, with none of the tapering seen in many Ultrabooks, and the laptop's lid sits flush with its slightly raised LCD hinge when closed. The hinge itself feels sturdy, but not so stiff that you can't open the laptop without holding the bottom down.
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from Ars Technica http://arstechnica.com
