For a powerful laptop at a price that’s more than fair, the Acer Aspire AS5755-6699 15.6-Inch Laptop (Glossy Black) is a terrific option to consider. With a 15.6″ HD screen and a 16:9 viewing ratio, it’s more than capable of catering to any of your media needs. A great screen is nothing without great computing, though, and Acer knew that. That’s why it includes 4GB of DDR3 memory and an Intel Core processor. Couple that with a 500GB hard drive for storing as many songs, pictures and videos as you want, and the AS5755 is worth a closer look. Let’s start from the outside.
The Pros
• HD Display. The Aspire AS5755′s display is crystal clear and a joy just to look at. It brings a tremendous amount of color depth, and never seems to stutter even while playing back large video files.
• 500GB Hard Drive. In such a compact notebook, 500GB is a very generous amount of storage. It will be more than enough for the average consumer or student. Most people will never come close to filling it up.
• Well-designed Keyboard and Touchpad. The keyboard is an easily overlooked component of a notebook. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking they’re all the same. The AS5755′s keyboard is an example of a notebook keyboard done right.
• Windows 7 Included. It’s good to see Acer include Windows 7 in the AS5755. It’s all setup and preloaded with some useful software, such as a Microsoft Office Starter Pack. You can take the computer out of the box and be using it within twenty minutes.
The Cons
• Slow hard drive. Sure, 500GB of storage is nice. 5400rpm isn’t quite as nice. It won’t be an issue, though, unless you start to rip full DVDs and Blu-rays to the computer.
Build and Design
The Aspire AS5755′s build is right in line with other notebooks in the Aspire series. Considering that the other Aspires are actually very attractive computers, this isn’t a bad thing at all. The glossy black finish of the notebook looks great in any light while not being easily dirtied. The lid is textured, boosting the Aspire’s portability by making it easier to grip. When opened, the notebook looks as expected. A webcam rests at the top of the screen, with the keyboard and mouse in the usual places. The whole laptop has a very light feel, which is a given considering that the notebook weighs under six pounds. Opening and closing the Aspire AS5755 is a breeze when compared to other computers. There are no hinges that lock the computer closed. Instead, it has a sort of magnetized locking mechanism. As a result, the Aspire AS5755 stays closed when you want it to but is easy to open.
Display & Speakers
As mentioned in the opening paragraph, the display is easily one of the best available for a model at this price point. In fact, it’s one of the best available on nearly any laptop. At 15.6 inches, the display is not too big to lug around but also not so small that using it feels cramped. The display is HD, making it ideal for streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu. With a 16:9 aspect ratio, you can also view content the way it was meant to be seen. The included speakers are stereo with support for high-definition audio. With Dolby Advanced Audio v2 driving the sound, you’ll be able to enjoy crisp audio whether you’re watching a movie or listening to your favorite album.
Ports and Features
Peripherals are a go on the AS5755. It features a USB 3.0 port and two USB 2.0 ports, so you’ll have plenty of space to plug in your accessories. The notebook also sports an HDMI port, letting you connect it to your TV or external monitor for increased viewing space, or to use it as a media hub. While it doesn’t feature a Blu-ray drive, it does have an 8X double-layer DVD drive.
Keyboard and Touchpad
Interacting with the AS5755 is a joy, thanks to the well-built keyboard and intuitive touchpad. The keyboard on the Aspire AS5755 is one of the best you’ll find on a laptop. With flat keys that are raised above the surface with ample space in between them, typing is a breeze. After extensive time using this keyboard, I still feel that it is very reminiscent of the keyboards Apple includes in their MacBooks. The touchpad is similarly equipped for ease of use, with what Acer calls a multi-gesture touchpad being included in the AS5755. Familiar smartphone gestures such as pinch-to-zoom and scrolling with two fingers are present here. Since these are gestures I’ve been using with my phone already, I felt right at home translating them to the PC. Acer did a great job making sure this model was fun to interact with.
Performance
The Aspire AS5755 includes a 2nd generation Intel Core i3 processor. Clocked at 2.2GHz, it’s not the fastest processor you’ll ever use. However, for any basic computing and even some advanced usage such as Photoshop, the AS5755 has more than enough going on under the hood. As an added bonus, it comes with 4GB of DDR3 RAM, making switching between applications and browser tabs a breeze. If you’re planning on editing HD video or other similarly high-volume tasks, you might look elsewhere. The 5400rpm hard drive that Acer included simply isn’t ideal for managing extremely large files. Still, for the average user, the AS5755 will be more than suitable.
Battery Life
Battery life might be the only major pitfall of the AS5755. The notebook ships with a 6-cell battery that’s rated for 4.5 hours of use. Ultimately, how long it lasts is going to depend on the user and the settings. Someone using it for web browsing with a dim brightness will get much better battery life than someone using it for advanced tasks at a high brightness setting. With the included battery and a balanced power setting, it will easily last for a few hours. It just would have been nice to see Acer include a slightly more powerful battery.
Heat and Noise
The AS5755 has a compact, lightweight build. It also does a good job of managing heat. It never runs too hot, and the fan always seems to kick on at the appropriate time. Even with the fan running at full speed, it’s not a distraction. Heat and noise are not an issue with the AS5755.
This is for who?
Anyone who wants a powerful computer at a fair price should consider the Aspire AS5755. It’s the ideal computer for someone who wants to do a moderate amount of computing but still have room to move into gaming, photo editing or something else that’s more CPU-intensive. Anyone who’s on-the-go and wants a portable laptop should also consider the Aspire, as it boasts a great blend of horsepower and portability.
Why should you buy it?
Acer might not be the most iconic brand in the computing world, but they certainly know how to make solid hardware specs at a budget-friendly price. Acer Aspire AS5755-6699 15.6-Inch Laptop (Glossy Black) is a notebook with good looks and a respectable price, and certainly seems built strong enough to last. It’s a great mid-range computer, and the HD display and large hard drive lend themselves to making it a great media hub. It offers tons of features, and similar computers might cost $200 or $300 more. The bottom line is that purchasing the Aspire AS5755 will let you get more power without spending more money.