Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T Review
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The Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T is powered by an Intel Core i5-430UM processor. This new generation ULV processor makes the notebook one of the best performers on the market under a grand. What’s more, the 1830T delivers a decent 6 hours of battery life.
Aspire TimelineX 1830T specs
Processor: 1.2GHz Core i5-430UM
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
RAM: 4GB/4GB
Storage: 500GB/5,400rpm
Display: 11.6 inch display with 1366×768 pixels
Design
The Aspire TimelineX 1830T measures just 1.1 inches in thickness and weighs around 3 pounds. In terms of looks the 1830T isn’t much different from the Aspire One 721 netbook. It is, however, a bit heavier but that powerful dual core processor does justify those extra ounces.
The notebook features a matte lid which hides fingerprints. It ships with a 6-cell battery which bulges out of the system, tilting the machine at a slight angle.
Heat
The 1830T does get warm while performing certain tasks. There is still no cause for concern. However, putting the machine on your lap for extended periods certainly isn’t recommended.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard is nearly full size. It is easy to use. The keys provide nice tactile feedback and you will be able to achieve your normal typing speed within no time. The silver touchpad buttons are nice and crisp, but the touch surface could have been a little larger.
Display
The 1830T has an 11.6 inch display with 1366 x 768 pixels. The display is bright. Colors are vivid. Viewing angles are also good. But the glossy display does cause distracting reflections.
Ports and Webcam
Port selection is satisfactory. There are 3 USB ports, an Ethernet port, a Kensington lock slot, headphone and mic, VGA port, an HDMI output and a 5-in-1 memory card reader. No eSATA or FireWire. 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 offer significantly better performance than their previous generation. In fact, the 1830T delivers commendable performance in many benchmark tests. However, boot times are average. The 500 GB, 5400rpm hard drive takes 1 minute and 20 seconds to boot into Windows 7 Home Premium. But this delay is probably due to the trialware that comes pre-loaded with the notebook.
Graphics Performance
The 1830T doesn’t have discrete graphics. However, the Intel HD GPU with 128MB memory delivers reasonably good graphics performance. The notebook also has an HDMI port for transferring video to an HDTV.
Battery life
The Core i5 version of the notebook gets a decent 6 hours of battery life.
Verdict
The TimelineX 1830T is one of the best ultraportable notebooks on the market. It has great looks, offers good performance and gets respectable battery life. But at $699, it certainly isn’t cheap. So if you are on a budget, you may 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.
