Acer Aspire 1 is a laptop that comes with a Windows 10 Operating System, and a wide display, powered by a Celeron Dual Core processor. The Acer Aspire 1 is a line of netbooks, released by Acer Inc.
Designed to give you a double dose of productivity, Aspire 1 is your go-to gadget for everyday surfing and browsing the Internet, business and personal use, gaming, and entertainment. It is designed to offer increased quality and speed. Now, your display is clearer, your gaming experience is top-notch. Apps load and launch faster, and you get fast and improved performance in terms of graphic content.
The Intel Celeron N4000 Processor ensures you get all the above features, with the added benefit of smooth and uninterrupted screen time.
About the Brand: Acer Inc
Known for offering a well-rounded and wide range of variety to their customers, Acer Inc, and subsequently, the hardware that they manufacture is sturdy, solid, and can be relied upon for powerful and consistent performance. Acer provides its customers with a variety of affordable prices to choose from on their products, to meet every budget and every technological requirement.
Packed with innovative features that are constantly updated, Acer products are used for a variety of purposes including gaming, entertainment, business, as well as for personal use. This Taiwan-based company is well-reputed for producing desktops, PCs, laptops, tablets, storage devices, VR devices, servers, smartphones, peripherals, and displays.
Acer’s selection of laptops combines admirable display, powerful hardware, and well-developed software in one sleek product. The Acer Aspire 1 is one such laptop if you’re in the market for a compact and nifty gadget to meet your specifications.
While many of the features that this laptop offers are controlled and managed by the CPU of choice, previous models were based on the Intel Atoms, following which, later models, fitted with AMD chips, were introduced, and newer versions of Atom were adopted.
The Acer Aspire, the first of its kind in a line of laptops launched by Acer Inc. is actually manufactured by Quanta Computers, which phased out as Acer’s suppliers, partnering to preload the eSobi News Center in this laptop.
Who’s It For?
The ideal customers include students and those looking to use the laptop for business.
- As the first of its line, the Acer Aspire 1 has since seen many updates and changes to its operating system, hardware, software, and other technology that went into creating it. So, if you’re in the market and looking for a sturdy and reliable laptop for your personal use, then the Acer Aspire 1 is a good fit for you.
- It is easy to launch and set up, and you do not have to be too tech-savvy to know how to use this device. So, if you’re a beginner and this is the first time using a laptop, then you’re covered.
- If you need something affordable and within a budget, perhaps a device for your family room, where your kids can surf the internet for anything related to school work, or you want to watch a few videos, then the Acer Aspire 1 has got you covered. It is a user-friendly and secure device for adults and children alike.
This is not suitable for:
- It is, however, not the laptop you’re looking for if you require a long battery life, as this model only possesses an average battery backup. You can’t forget the charger and adapter at home if you’re taking this to class or work for the day.
- Similarly, if you’re an aspiring writer who is constantly tapping away at the keyboard, then you might find that the keys are too wobbly for you to get optimal comfort while using them. But, you will get used to it, once you’ve worked on the laptop for some time and have familiarised yourself with how the keys are arranged.
- Let’s face it, if you’re looking for something high end, with a lot of features, flashy software updates, comes with oodles of in-built or expandable storage, you’re probably better off buying something more suited to your specifications on the higher end of the spectrum in terms of cost and performance. The Acer Aspire 1 is a sturdy and reliable laptop slash notebook. It’s like a solid bowl of tomato soup, with a side of grilled cheese, not filet mignon.
What We Like About the Acer Aspire 1
What we absolutely love about the Acer Aspire 1 is just how compact and fundamentally user-friendly it is to use. You’ll definitely love how easy it is it launch and get started on working through your daily tasks and schedule.
Reviews and comments about the Acer Aspire 1 highlight the following features of the laptop as some of its best qualities:
- Good for everyday use
- Sold at competitive prices
- Great value for money
- Durable and functional
- Comes with full HD image and display
- Includes a pre-existing one-year subscription to MS Office
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What We Don’t Like About Acer Aspire 1
No product is universally liked, and to be honest, a device with absolutely no negative reviews, criticism, or complaints definitely comes across as fishy.
So, while the reviews were largely positive and highlighted the compatibility of the Acer Aspire 1, there were obviously customers who bought the laptop and believed that it could have offered better features in certain areas:
- Poor battery life and below-average backup battery
- While it is okay for playing light games, it is not compatible with heavy or advanced gaming
- It does not come with adequate internal storage
- No CD drive or slot to be found in this model of the laptop
Now that we’ve been through what the average customer has to say about the Acer Aspire 1, here is a condensed list of the pros and cons for you to read through and consider, based on the devise function, performance, and productivity.
PROS
- A basic yet user-friendly model
- Best suited for all types of users and especially compatible for beginners
- Sturdy and consistent performance
- Comes with a full range of useful slots
- Works efficiently with Precision Touchpad
- Commendable visual clarity and display
- Improved graphic performance
- Multi-tasking is made easier with up to 4GB of single-channel DDR4 memory
- Filters out eye-straining blue light to improve comfort and vision capacity
CONS
- Poor battery life
- Comes with limited internal storage and hard disk capacity. Subsequently, a chunk of the space is taken up by the Operating system and pre-installed software
- Limited gaming features
- The average quality of frontal display in a built-in webcam.
- Poor webcam clarity
What’s Included?
Now we get to the best part of buying a laptop. It’s time for the unboxing. When you pop open the carefully- packaged Acer Aspire 1, here’s what you’ll find inside.
- The Acer Aspire 1 Laptop
- Power adaptor to plug into the laptop
- An extension cord that plugs into the power adaptor on one end and the socket on the other end
- A one year warranty
- A variety of manuals that include an information pamphlet, a software update manual, a recovery DVD, and an Application Manual
Apart from the above contents, you might have to additionally purchase:
- The sleeve or pouch to put your Acer Aspire into. These are easily available to order on Amazon. Make sure you order a sleeve that is the correct size for your Acer Aspire 1’s 15.6-inch display
- Additional memory and storage- external or cloud.
- Mouse- wireless or otherwise.
Overview Of Features
We’ve had our first glimpse of the Acer Aspire 1, had our little unboxing ceremony, and looked through all that was inside. Now, let’s take a closer look at the features, and pay attention to the finer details so we can really understand just what the Acer Aspire 1 has to offer.
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General Model Information
Model BO7YN7F9XFSeries -Aspire 1Item model number- Aspire 1
Processor
Processor Brand/ Manufacturer – IntelProcessor type – CeleronProcessor Model N4000Processor speed- 1.10 GHzProcessor core – Dual-core
CPU and Hardware
CPU Model Manufacturer – IntelCPU Speed – 2.6 GHzHardware platform – PCHard Drive Interface Serial ATA-600
Memory
Standard Memory: 4 GB Memory Technology: DDR4 SDRAM Memory Card Reader: No
Storage
Optical Drive Type: No Memory Capacity of 64 GB
Software
Operating System – Windows 10Operating System Architecture – 64 bit
Display Graphics
Graphics Memory Accessibility: SharedDisplay Screen Type: LCDDisplay Screen Technology: ComfyViewScreen Mode: HDBacklight Technology: LEDScreen Resolution: 1366 x 768
Battery and power
Power Source – Battery-powered number of Cells: 2-cell Battery Chemistry: Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)Battery Capacity: 4810 mAh Maximum battery life – 6.50 Hour
Port and Slot Features
Number of USB 3.0 port – 1SD card slot – YesHDMI port – YesEthernet port – YesHeadphone/mic combo jackNumber of USB 2.0 ports – 2DC Power Jack
Physical Characteristics
Dimensions – 9.90 inch x 14.30inch x 4.50 inchWeight (Approximate): 3.40 lb15.6 inc display/screen size
Network Communication
Ethernet Technology: Gigabit EthernetBluetooth Standard: Bluetooth
Other features
Warranty – 1 yearLockport – Kensington Lockport
Let’s take a look at the features in detail:
Eye-Catching Design
The Acer Aspire 1 comes in a sleek, stylish, yet sturdy design that is built to withstand everyday use. The FHD resolution gives users an unhindered and true-life-colored, 15.6-inch display, with a narrow bezel design. The chassis is not just attractive to look at but is great to feel and touch.
If you are looking for a variety of colors, however, you’ll be disappointed to know that the Acer Aspire 1 only comes in black.
The brushed aluminum finish on the lid, along with the silver Acer Logo in the center is a nice touch to finish off this outer look of the laptop. It is definitely a sleek-looking device, especially at the rate it is sold at and manages to up the ante in terms of external design and overall image. It also comes with a stepped platform on the back that elevates the screen.
Let’s talk about the dimensions. The Acer Aspire 1 weighs just under 3.5 pounds at 3.4 pounds. It is nowhere as near as heavy as other models in this range like the Inspiron 15 3000 which is way over 5 pounds. Aspire 1 is as slim as the HP Stream at 14.30 inches x 9.90 inches x 4.50 inches.
Performance
There is much that one can appreciate about the performance of the Acer Aspire 1. It comes with a dual-core processor and 4GB of RAM. While it is not a hard-core gaming device, it does provide an adequate gaming experience.
There is no noticeable lag while using multiple tabs on Google Chrome. So you can just as easily be watching a video on youtube while having multiple tabs running in the back. Multi-tasking on this device has been made much easier owing to this. If you’re a student and need to make notes or do research on multiple websites and online journals, you will find that it is easy to flit between windows, tabs, and applications while you work. The Acer Aspire is targeted towards students, after all.
The device does tend to warm up just a bit, so make sure you take enough breaks in between your work to rest your eyes and give your laptop just a little time to cool off. This is only an issue if you tend to keep the device on your lap while you work. When you place it on a flat surface like a desk or a table, the rest area does not show any signs of heat.
Battery Life
While the laptop’s battery life is estimated to last for 6.5hours, it leaves much to be desired in terms of the amount of screen time it actually manages to provides in the end-middle- of the day. There are several options available in the market that easily gives you anywhere between 8-10 hours of battery life. So if this is a factor that is very important for you, if you rely heavily on having a lot of battery power all day long, then this device might fall short of your expectations.
Moreover, it takes around 2 hours for the laptop to charge from 0% to 100%, which is, again, much longer than what other laptops take to juice up.
The Acer Aspire 1 is charged with a pin-style adapter. With a two-cell Li-on or Lithium-ion battery and a battery capacity of 4810 mAh, one expects more in the way of battery life in the Acer Aspire 1.
Software
So, the Acer Aspire 1 comes with Windows 10 in S mode, which makes it a great choice for anybody who’s looking for a little extra security. If you’re wondering what exactly that is, it is a version of Windows 10 that is streamlined for security and performance, while maintaining the usual and familiar Windows 10 experience. To increase security, this only permits apps found in the Microsoft Store, by limiting third-party apps.
You also require Microsoft Edge for safe surfing. Not a fan of this particular model? No worries, you can just revert to the original Windows 10 Home, in short, simple steps. Besides Windows 10, a few more apps, games, and software are already pre-installed into the system. These include Candy Crush, Amazon, and Fitbit, to name a few.
Taking up too much of the already limited space? Don’t worry, they can all be uninstalled.
Another amazing feature is that it comes with one entire year of free Office 365.
Not sure how to go about this? Just call customer service and they will help get you set up.
Storage and Memory
I’ll be honest with you…you will find certain storage restrictions that you will have to deal with in this model.
Of the 64 GB of storage, the OS and other preinstalled software eat up all but 41.6GB, leaving you with just the bare minimum, with no way to extend your storage. The storage and RAM are fitted in the motherboard, making it impossible to add an internal drive. This means you are stuck with the existing RAM and RAM speed of 2400 MHz, and will not have any room to get additional storage.
There’s no memory card slot either, so if you need more space for files, you’ll need an external drive or cloud storage.
However, its 64GB eMMC flash storage ensures that Windows launches and boots up relatively quickly when you compare it with the older, slow-spinning hard drives you often find in lower-end laptops.
Port and Connectivity
If you remember reading the product’s features overview a little while ago, you will have noticed a variety of USB ports run along either side of the device, on the left and the right.
- The Ethernet port enables you to plug in an Ethernet cable. This will help you get access to faster internet speed and connectivity. Now, you won’t have to deal with weak wireless connections.
- A USB 3.O port to facilitate faster transfer of data available on the other side
- Next is a slot for an SD card However, you should know that this will be problematic as the card juts outs, should you be needing to expand the laptop’s available storage with an SD card.
- The device also has a slot for an HDMI output port that will deliver 4K at 30FPS.
- There is also a two-in-one jack that can be used to connect headphones or speakers. While these are relatively slow, you can still connect them to compatible devices, and do not require high connectivity.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
The device is equipped to connect to any Wireless network. You can make the most of this and connect to multiple wireless networks at your will.
This laptop comes with access to Bluetooth (4.1) Connection. You can use this to easily connect to different wireless devices: a wireless mouse or earphones, perhaps.
Keyboard
The keyboard is a FineTip keyboard with an independent Standard Numeric Keypad. Built a little larger and spread a little wider across, the keyboard needs to be reworked for better utility.
However, there have been some issues reported by users who complain that they have to get used to the arrangement of the keys. How the keys are arranged, as well as the keys you will find next to the Space Key and Enter Key are going to take a little working around and getting adapted to. The keys have also been reported to be a little wobbly, but they’ll get the work done. Spending a few hours on the device should be more than enough to work out this little glitch.
However, the overall experience of using the keyboard in the Acer Aspire 1, compared to some of the other Acer laptops.
Touchpad
The Acer Aspire 1 comes with a touchpad, but this too has been reported to be only average. It does, however, use Windows precision to support gestures better.
Webcam
Acer’s webcam is just functional, and for the competitive price that the laptop is sold at, it would seem there were compromises made on the quality of the webcam in the Acer Aspire 1 model. The quality you get from the pictures and videos leaves much to be desired, perhaps even for the price that it is sold at. Users have complained of the grainy and hazy quality of the pictures and videos.
If you regularly need to use a webcam to attend daily business meetings or keep in touch with your family via Skype, you might consider buying a laptop with better photo and webcam quality. Or, you can always chip in a little extra- if you’re otherwise happy with this laptop- and spend a little more on buying a better quality webcam.
Speakers
Another flaw in the Acer Aspire 1 that will hopefully be reworked and corrected in the next version is the rather unfortunate placement of the speakers. The laptop’s two speakers are placed at the bottom of the device, with one on either side. When you place the laptop on your lap, or even place it on any surface, for that matter, any sound emitted will be muffled and unclear. This is rather a poor choice of location, a design flaw.
Talking about sound quality, while it is not optimal, it is more than adequate to watch videos, play movies, or listen to music.
The Verdict
We’ve been through just about all the features, quirks, pros, and cons of the Acer Aspire 1. Let’s sum up what we’ve read real quick.
A summary of the pros, cons, and features of the Acer Aspire 1:
1. It is a reliable, user-friendly, and sturdy laptop.2. It is available at an affordable price and is a veritable bargain for the features it provides.3. Storage is limited and there is no way to add additional storage by way of an SD card. You will need to invest in an external storage drive or cloud storage.4. The device’s speakers are located under the laptop, and cause sound quality to drop, and be muffled.5. Good LED display with FHD resolution. Acer’s Blue-Light Shield technology helps filter out eye-straining blue light.6. The device has Bluetooth and Wireless connectivity.7. Battery life can be improved. A lot.8. Multi-tasking is made easy on the Acer Aspire 1.9. It is designed to meet the needs of students and business people but is a great choice for personal use, or as a beginner’s laptop.10. It comes with multiple ports and slots for USB, HDMI, or Ethernet connectivity.
So, in short, would I buy the Acer Aspire 1?
Well, if there’s anything to take away from this Acer Aspire 1 review, it is that the laptop has a decent build and is sturdy and dependable, while managing to look sleek and trendy, especially given the rate at which it is sold. The materials used to manufacture this laptop do not make this feel like a basic or entry-level device. The texture of the hard back-the top of the laptop- is groovy and looks impressive. It looks great and it feels great. It is not too heavy and is just light enough that lugging it around doesn’t feel like a chore.
Like other products that Acer releases, the Acer Aspire 1 is high on features, but low on price, and very budget-friendly. It gets the job done, if what you’re looking for is to browse or surf the internet, work on documents and PDFs, consume online content, read E-books, or watch movies, listen to music and play basic games. It is not too savvy, nor will it go above and beyond what you’re expecting. But again, the Acer Aspire 1 will not break your bank, and in addition to that, it will check most of the boxes you are looking to cross.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Can you buy this online on Amazon? A: Yes, you can. You can also find it on other online shopping platforms, but it is best to check out Acer’s website or walk into the nearest electronics store, where you will be assisted.
Q: Does the Acer Aspire 1 come with a warranty? A: Yes, it comes with a one-year warranty. You can also download the warranty that applies to your Acer product and even extend it. Go ahead and check out this website for more information regarding the warranty on your product:
https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/warranty-information
Q: I need to have my device repaired. How do I log a request with Acer?A: The following link contains the procedure and the application to log in to your request for repair:
https://customerselfcare.acer.com/CS2/#/
Q: Can I play high-definition games in the Acer Aspire 1? A: It will depend on the hardware requirements, as well as the storage capacity of the game in question. For example, if you want to install a game like EA Games’ The Sims, this will require a lot of space, and will significantly slow your laptop’s speed and performance. Playing games online, however, should not be an issue. Games like Fortnite or Call of Duty, however, are not compatible with this device.
Q: Does the product come with a mouse included?A: No, you will have to buy a mouse separately. The device is equipped with Bluetooth, should you wish to connect it to a wireless mouse. There is also a USB 2.0 port to connect the mouse if it is wired.
Q: Does this product come with free delivery? A: If you’re ordering this on Amazon, and are a Prime member, then yes. Otherwise, you must check with your provider.
Q: What happens if the charger and/or the adapter no longer work. Will it be replaced? A: No, unfortunately, you will have to replace both the charger wire and the adapter, whichever needs to be replaced, on your own. You can find a suitable product on Amazon, or at any electronic store. Just make sure you’re ordering the right charger with the right pin to fit your laptop.
