User Review

I got it at such a steal at Costco for they ended up giving me a $90.00 credit. What I like is the keyboard (much more tactile), the weight, quick downloads, the size 14″ screen is perfect for me, it’s energy efficient, the battery life (though I have not really seen how long it will run but at least 6 hours, the camera (I checked out HP and their software and it was terrible for there is more control here. Oh yes and this model has a 500 giga bite hard drive which is quite nice. Still learning what Windows 7 can do for I am no computer geek.

The main drawback for me is the speakers they are small and tinny so if you really enjoy listening to music through the speakers or watch movies find another model or wear headphones. Otherwise, great laptop and loved the price.
Review by : J. Coe // From : Greater LA // Date : 2009-11-14

Amazing laptop. Long battery life. I went from an older 14 inch Acer to this one. Twice the CPU speed, less than 1/3 the power usage. It’s quiet, cool, light and runs a great OS with 64bits. You can get a machine smaller, lighter, or faster but nobody has beaten this package. Also, it looks great. Sophisticated and clean no shiny plastic that shows every fingerprint and scratch. The keyboard seemed a bit strange at first but I’m up to full speed on it after about an hour.

This model has a dual core CPU. Don’t bother with the older Acer Timelines with the 2700 or 3500 single cores. That was just a warm up until the real stuff came out from Intel.

I like this machine so much, I’m thinking about spending another $300 on a solid state drive.

The only negative I found is the crapware that comes installed and having to waste an hour or more uninstalling software.
Review by : Doug Lifer // From : San Francisco // Date : 2009-10-31

I ordered the Acer Timeline 4810TZ-4508 to replace my two-year old Lenovo Thinkpad T61, and I love it!

Getting started was very easy. It only took me about two hours to register Windows 7 Home Premium, upgrade to Windows 7 Professional (through the Anytime Upgrade feature), create factory default backup discs, remove some bloatware, and install some of my favorite programs. After reading some of the reviews of the older models, I was worried about the prospect of flashing the BIOS or updating the VGA/LAN drivers, but my computer has worked fine without those updates. I suspect that Acer may have fixed those problems for this model, since it’s a new release with Windows 7.

Although the processor is ostensibly slower than the Intel Core 2 Duo processor in my T61, I had to underclock the T61 because it tended to overheat and shut down. With this Timeline, I’m able to run the processor at full speed without any heating or cooling problems. The computer is surprisingly zippy. I found that I was able to listen to music, convert tracks on iTunes, surf the web, and install programs all at the same time, without any noticeable lag in performance. Full screen streaming video on [...] and [...] also looked fantastic, without any jerkiness or skipping. (In fact, video playback was better than on my Thinkpad which, notwitstanding the faster processor, had less RAM and a slower video card.) The screen is very bright, and even at the dimmest setting, I was surprised with how much clearer it was than my old Thinkpad. It is a glossy screen, however, which means that it looks great indoors but is very difficult to use outdoors. I have found the glare a bit distracting, but not a deal-breaker. I don’t play computer games, so I can’t say anything about its performance in that regard.

Of course, one of the main reasons I purchased the Timeline was for portability, and it really doesn’t disappoint. The laptop is noticeably thinner and lighter than my T61 – I think the total weight is about 4 lbs. and it’s just over an inch thick. Acer wasn’t kidding about the battery life: I spent 4.5 hours today at Starbucks surfing the web, listening to music, and using Microsoft Word with the screen at medium brightness, and still had 45% battery by the end. I am sure that I could get about 8-9 hours of total battery life, if I minimized all the settings. After fighting for power outlets and worrying about tripping over power cords with my Thinkpad, this is a refreshing change.

Coming from using the T61’s fantastic keyboard, I was kind of nervous about this chiclet-style design, but I easily got used to it. The keys give a lot of tactile feedback, and they are well-enough spaced that you don’t hint the wrong keys. The touchpad, however, is a bit difficult to use, and I’m still getting used to the stiffness of the touchpad button.

Overall, this is a fantastic computer, and a great value at the price. I think if you are considering the different 14 inch models, the 4810TZ-4508 has some advantages over the cheaper/older models: more RAM, faster processor, 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium, and newer drivers.

Review by : M. Wang // From : San Diego, CA United States // Date : 2009-10-31

I’ve owned 7 laptops from Toshiba, Dell, HP, and a few others over the last 12 years and this one is the best I have owned by far. The battery life is outstanding however not the 8 hours Acer advertises. It averages closer to 5 hours which is still excellent. Performance wise, it is only average but its light weight and the advantage of not worrying about running out of power while working away from an outlet more than make up for it. I have only had this laptop for a week but I am very happy with my purchase. Being the best laptop I have owned to date, it makes me smile to know that it has also been the least expensive. I recommend it wholeheartedly. I bought my wife an Acer netbook last X-mas and she loved it so I gave Acer a try when it came time to replace my Dell. My only problem now is my wife now wants my Timeline laptop because it is as slim as her netbook but with a bigger screen.
Review by : Ben from SGV // From : // Date : 2009-10-29