Acer Aspire S5-391-9880 Pro Reviews

Unfortunately, the Acer S5 isn't the savior that we've been waiting for. Even with a budget exceeding Intel's $1,000 target, the S5 is a victim of compromise like so many others. Intel's i7-3517U processor, 4GB of RAM, the ridiculously-fast SSDs in RAID0 and a variety of connectivity options all score extremely high in my book. I'm able to look past the lack of discrete graphics but the low-quality TN display, lack of a backlit keyboard and heavy use of plastic at this price point all keep the S5 from truly shining. That's not to say that this is a bad computer by any means; it just falls short of what manufacturers have promised ultrabooks can be. I'm still waiting for someone to deliver the total package.

The Acer Aspire S5-391-9880 is a terrific-looking laptop, but it's a mixed bag that doesn't fully justify its premium price.

The Acer Aspire S5 is an odd duck. It is extremely thin and provides excellent performance in some areas. We’re unaware of another Ultrabook that can match the Acer Aspire S5’s hard-drive performance, and most Ultrabooks also will be dusted by its Core i7-3517U processor. But then we look at the price. Whoa, $1,399 is a lot of dough – and the S5’s design comes nowhere close to supporting it. Similarly priced competitors such as the 13.3-inch MacBook Air, HP Envy 14 Spectre and ASUS Zenbook are in another league. Even Acer’s less expensive Aspire M5 is a better computer. Matters are made worse by the S5’s lackluster battery life and absolutely average display. A 1366 x 768 panel of middling quality has no business in a laptop this expensive. That fault alone is enough to dismiss the S5 from any recommendation. Nothing about the S5 justifies the price disparity between it and the Aspire M5, and nothing makes it competitive with other expensive Ultrabooks. Look elsewhere if you have money burning a hole in your pocket.

In short, this ultrabook is one of if not THE thinnest notebook you’re ever going to want to own, and with a look and feel like this, you’ll have a great time picking one up. The pricing is a bit concerning when compared to other ultrabooks on the market right now that can do essentially all of the same things this one can at just a bit larger a cost in the actual physical size department. But consider this: you get what you pay for, and if your aim is to grab a thinnest-in-class yet high-quality notebook with power enough to play top-quality games and work all day long on web and local-based type-heavy tasks on Windows, you’ve got the best there is right here.

Batman aside, the Acer Aspire S5 will appeal to two groups of people: those who want the slimmest ultrabook—at 0.6x12.8x8.9 inches, this thing out-flattens even the MacBook Air—and those who want the swiftest. For the former, or as an executive status symbol, the S5 has no real competition except for the Samsung Series 9. For the latter, it's the fastest ultrabook Computer Shopper has tested. For other competition, however, particularly ultrabooks with higher-res screens, there are a number of choices—some with lower prices—ranging from the Asus ZenBook Prime UX31A to the HP Envy 14 Spectre to Lenovo's forthcoming ThinkPad X1 Carbon. And among 1,366x768 alternatives, Toshiba's Portege Z935 manages to weigh a fraction less than the Acer and still find room for Ethernet and VGA ports. We're not saying any of the above is an easy winner over the Aspire S5, but the S5 doesn't cakewalk over them, either. It's an ultrabook to tempt specialized tastes.