Acer Aspire S3 Review

Ultrabooks, the super-thin laptops developed to specifications laid down by Intel, are now available. Among the first wave is Acer’s Aspire S3.

The company’s Timeline products have been among the best ultraportables for several years, offering an affordable alternative to those who couldn’t swing a MacBook – or an Asus U series. Acer’s focus on value has not been abandoned here, either, as the S3 retails at just $900, undercutting competitors by at least $100.


That buys you an Intel Core i5 processor – but it’s an ultra-portable variant clocked at 1.6GHz rather than a standard part locked at 2GHz or above. Don’t let that fool you into thinking this is not a powerful machine, however, because all the other components are impressive. There’s the same Intel HD graphics found in this processor’s more powerful siblings, 4GB of RAM, and both a 320GB standard hard drive and a 20GB solid-state drive (SSD).