Acer Aspire AS1551-5448 11.6-Inch Laptop (Mesh Black)

by Acer

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8 x 11.2 x 1.1 inches ; 3.1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B003N3A86C
• Item model number: AS1551-5448
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,012 in Computers & Accessories (See Top 100 in Computers & Accessories)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 20, 2010

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Acer Aspire 1551: Ultraportable Performance

Weighing just over 3 pounds, the ultra-mobile 11.6-inch Acer Aspire AS1551 notebook PC (model AS1551-5448) offers great performance features in a netbook-sized chassis and weight that lets you travel light. Premium usability features include a full-sized keyboard for more accurate typing and a multi-gesture touchpad that is perfect for scrolling, rotating images, zooming and browsing--all with fingertip convenience. And with up to 5-hours of battery life, you can mobile longer when not connected to an AC outlet.

The ultra-slim Aspire 1551 measures just 1.1 inches thin and weighs 3.1 pounds for light traveling.

The AS1551's full-sized keyboard and multi-gesture trackpad. Click here for a larger image..

With the AMD Athlon II Neo dual-core mobile processor and 4 GB of memory, you'll enjoy the benefits of multi-core processing that does more in less time. And the impressive ATI Radeon HD 4225 Graphics delivers the performance you need to take your high-definition experience to the next level by combining the power of desktop graphics with mobility so you can experience smooth viewing of rich content built from popular sites like Hulu.com or YouTube.

Enjoy the next generation of video playback with the HDMI output, which allows a single cable to transmit uncompressed high-definition video and audio to your digital TV or capable external monitor. Immerse yourself into your entertainment with Dolby Sound Room, delivering spectacular surround sound from any pair of speakers or headphones. Other features include ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking, and an integrated webcam for video chats.

This Aspire laptop comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version).

Note that, because of its size, the Aspire AS1551 doesn't include a DVD drive, but you can connect an optional optical drive to the laptop via a USB port.

Key Features

• 11.6-inch CineCrystal LED-backlit widescreen display with 1366 x 768-pixel resolution (native 720p for high-definition viewing), support for a 16.7 million color depth, and high brightness rating (200-nit).
• 1.5 GHz AMD Athlon II Neo dual-core processor K625 (2 MB L2 cache) provides a full-featured PC experience, exceptional HD entertainment and long battery life rating so you can do more on the go.
• 320 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
• 4 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (1066 MHz; maximum capacity)
• ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics card provides exceptional features, performance and power-efficiencies that enrich what you see and do (256 MB - 1405 MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory).
• Multi-Gesture Touchpad allows you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of websites such as Google Earth. It also enables you to scroll, zoom in and out and flip through web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more. (Learn more)
• Built-in webcam and microphone delivers solid communication to all your family and friends.
• Built-in stereo speakers with Dolby Sound Room, which combines a suite of technologies to deliver truly stunning virtual surround listening from your two laptop speakers, or on headphones for a more immersive private performance.
• Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capability provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers). This laptop uses Acer InviLink Nplify technology that enables multi-stream input or output for faster and more reliable bandwidth, and it also offers Acer SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency.
• Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000)
• Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card (xD)
• Three USB 2.0 ports
• HDMI high-definition audio/video output allows a single cable to transmit uncompressed high-definition video to your digital TV or LCD. It also includes a standard VGA video output.
• Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. And you can watch shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV on Windows Media Center. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium.
• Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade. It's the best way to add features to Windows 7, takes as few as ten minutes, requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process. (Learn more)
• Pre-loaded software includes Microsoft Works SE 9.0 for word processing and spreadsheet work. Enjoy a 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007.
• Up to 5 hours of battery life (6-cell battery)
• Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.0 x 1.1 inches (WxDxH)
• Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Warranty: One-year parts and labor limited warranty with concurrent International Traveler's Warranty
• Energy Star certified

What's in the Box

This package contains the Acer Aspire AS1551-5448 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions

It also comes with the following software: McAfee Internet Security Suite (trial version); Google Toolbar; Acer Recovery Management; Acer GridVista; Microsoft Works; Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Trial (60 days); Norton Online Backup

Learn More

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The Acer Multi-Gesture Touchpad

A Multi-Gesture Touchpad allows you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of websites. The Multi-Gesture Touchpad enables you to scroll, zoom in and out and flip through Web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more.

The TouchPad can also be disabled with a one-touch button, eliminating accidental cursor movement with palms and wrists when using an external mouse.

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to.

And with Windows Anytime Upgrade, you'll be able to add new features to your PC in as little as 10 minutes. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process, it requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings

Product Description

Acer Aspire AS1551-5448 Notebook comes with these specs: AMD Athlon II Neo Dual-Core Mobile Processor K625, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), 11.6" HD Widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit Display, AMD 880G Chipset, 4096MB DDR3 Memory, ATI Radeon HD 4225 Graphics with 384MB of dedicated system memory, 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive, Built-In Webcam 1.3MP (1280 x 1024), Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader, High-Definition Audio Support, Dolby Sound Room, 802.11b/g/n WiFi CERTIFIED, Gigabit Ethernet, 3 - USB 2.0 Ports, HDMI Port, Multi-gesture Touchpad, 6-cell Li-ion Battery (4400 mAh), up to 5 Hours of Battery Life, 3.09 lbs. | 1.4 kg (system unit only), AC Power Adapter, AC Power Cord, Wireless Setup Card, Registration/ Limited Warranty Card, McAfee Internet Security Suite (60-day trial)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The pros are in the comments of this review, here are the major cons, July 5, 2010

By 

M. Goldshteyn (Glenview, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Acer Aspire AS1551-5448 11.6-Inch Laptop (Mesh Black) (Personal Computers)

This review applies to both the 721 and the 1551 (I own the 1551, but the cons mentioned are common to both)

Vertical Viewing Angle
----------------------
One MAJOR shortcoming of these Acers (AO721/AO1551) is the vertical viewing angle. In fact if you look at a black, but still backlit screen, at the optimal viewing height/angle, you will see that the only part that is actually black is a horizontal stripe which is about 1/3rd of the vertical height of the screen. Above and below this stripe (i.e., the upper and lower thirds of the screen) are basically a dark gray. As you move your head up and down and/or tilt the screen, the image changes brightness dramatically in the vertical direction. Fortunatelly, the horizontal viewing angle is pretty good, but you almost have to tilt the thing perfectly to maximize vertical viewing and brightness falloff. I can see this happening with a 24-27" LCD screen at small viewing distances, but with a tiny laptop screen that measures approx. 5 5/8" vertically, this is plain embarassing for a 2010 run of LCD panels. In my opinion, one star should be taken off for Acer taking the cheap route with something as important as the screen. Fortunatelly, at 200 nits the screen is relatively bright at its maximum brightness, giving one some consolation to the non-uniforum vertical brightness issue.

Cheap Plastic Hinge Arms that Hold the LCD Panel
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Not much to say here. The arms are hollow molded plastic and do not seem sturdy at all. As you open and close the panel, there is some give, and one constantly fears that these things will break in a year. A friend of mine has an older model Acer netbook whose swivel arms and mechanism feels much more sturdy. I'm going to take off a half-star here, for Acer saving a whopping $2 on something this important, and not using aluminum hinge arms, opting for hollow molded plastic instead.

Bloatware
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Seriously Acer, how much bloatware needs to be installed on an Ultra-Portable? Couldn't you just supply all the crap on a cheap 4GB MiniSD memory card or something (since these things do not contain optical disc readers) and let the user choose whether or not they were interested in all the apps most users won't even use. I won't go into too many details here about each installed app, but let me just say that it took at least a good 45 mins to an hour to uninstall all the junk (involving at least a good handful of required restarts for good measure). Some of the device drivers were as much as nine months old, as well. I realize that nearly all laptops and netbooks come with some bloatware, but I think that the amount included on these is way over the top. Half a star off for the trouble of uninstalling the junk and replacing very outdated drivers.

Inability to Adjust Brightness after Putting Laptop to Sleep
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The title says it all. Put the laptop to sleep, wake it up and you will no longer be able to adjust screen brightness until the next reboot. I won't subtract any more stars here, because this may be fixed with a future BIOS, but it is a royal pain in the neck for now.

Update: Thanks to some workaround tips from <cnagra> on the MS forums along with some of my own experimentation with this particular model, I now have a workaround. The workaround is to set your "Choose what closing the lid does" action in the Control Panel / Power Options to "Do nothing." Unfortunately, that means that you will now have to manually put the display to sleep prior to closing the lid. This is a pain, but in my opinion it's a good idea in any case, because you will cause less vibration while the hard drive is still active (i.e., still spinning), putting the laptop to sleep prior to closing the lid. What this whole two step (Step 1. Press Fn-F4 to enter Sleep Mode and wait for completion / Step 2. Close the lid) process buys you is this:

- Putting the laptop to sleep will still cause the "inability to adjust brightness" issue
- However, you can get your brightness controls back, without a reboot, by following this procedure:

"WITHOUT putting the laptop to sleep, close the lid and reopen it several seconds later."

Since closing the lid is set to "Do Nothing" this seems to be a no-op (i.e., a pointless non-operation). However, this seems to re-enable the keyboard brightness control, although the cool pop-up that tells you the current brightness level will no longer pop-up until the next reboot. The keyboard brightness adjustment controls will once again be functional, though.

I realize that this whole process is a royal pain in the rectum, so you may not want to go through the trouble unless you actually have a need to adjust screen brightness frequently after putting the laptop to sleep.

Laptop Cannot be Used Comfortably on Lap Without a Lap Mat
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If you try to use it on your lap (e.g., on a plane, train, bus, toilet seat, whereveer you would normally use a laptop on your lap) it will rock back and forth when you use the lower portion of the laptop (i.e., the Acer Pad and the mouse buttons). I am talking about a significant amount of rock (picture a rocking chair) which basically makes it unusable, or perhaps usable if you want to be uncomfortable and destroy the hard drive in short order. I won't subtract stars, because I am uncertain if other similarly sized laptops share this problem. I would recommend a lap mat if you need to use your laptop on your lap. Targus make a good one (Lap Chill Mat).

Laptop Takes a Long Time to Charge
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I am talking hours while in a sleep state here. No stars off, but it is a pain.

UPDATE: Many more technical details are available in the comments section below this review.
UPDATE 2: In retrospect, after upgrading the HD on the unit and looking at the crap other manufactures have put out in recent weeks, I have decided that I may have been a little harsh in giving this product three stars, so I've bumped my rating up to four stars.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Long term review with updates, August 14, 2010

By 

PJ - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Acer Aspire AS1551-5448 11.6-Inch Laptop (Mesh Black) (Personal Computers)

6 MONTH UPDATE: Batteries are available at acer site.

3 MONTH UPDATE: Before you purchase this, please be aware that I have unsuccessfully located a manufacturer that sells replacement batteries for the Acer 1551.

2 MONTH UPDATE: A couple complaints to add to my original review: 1) I would like the battery to recharge a bit quicker than it currently does. Also, while the overall noise from the laptop is low, fan noise is not an issue, I am a bit bothered by the high frequency noise coming from the motherboard. It's a common problem for laptops, especially ones without good sound insulating material (plastic vs aluminium). Unlike say Apple Macbooks which use aluminium bodies, and do well to dampen motherboard noises. It's highly likely that older laptop users wont hear the high frequency noise as our ears tend to lose the ability to hear higher frequencies as we age. But as soon as I focus on the noise, I cant help but notice it. This is only an issue in very quiet rooms.
I'm a student who travels with his laptop daily. These are my impressions after a few weeks of heavy use:

Strengths:
- Bright screen, I generally have brightness set below 50%
- Fast: the dual core AMD processor with ATI graphics is light years ahead of netbooks and comparable to full-sized laptops.
- Good amount of ram 4GB, and a nice large hard drive - 320 GB
- The screen is big enough to have 2 windows open side by side but small enough to be highly portable
- 3 USB ports
- good key resistance, relatively quiet keyboard
- excellent design: love the matte, soft plastic lid (not a fingerprint magnet) screen bezel isn't too glossy, slim and relatively lightweight - as portable as my dell mini 9
- i particularly love this feature: the screen can be adjusted to be nearly parallel with the keyboard. Why is this important? Well you can place the laptop on your lap and not have to contort your body to see the screen.
- HDMI out: As everyone has stated, this laptop has no trouble playing 720p HD videos. I routinely use HDMI to play HD videos to my 32in LCD. Absolutely no difference between this and my custom PC which had a 2.8Ghz i5 and ATI Radeon HD 5870 (a $400 Graphics card)

"Weaknesses". I use the term loosely because most of these weaknesses are simply tradeoffs for a strength or the weakness is very minor (almost nitpicky) compared to the strengths I've listed:

- Battery. Yeah, its not going to get 6 hours of use. I averaged 3.5-4 hours with occasional WIFI on and brightness ~ %40. But keep in mind that this is a very fast laptop with good specs. You're making a tradeoff to be able to play HD videos or have quick multitasking.
- Vertical viewing angle. The relatively small vertical viewing angle is outweighed by the ability to adjust the vertical angle so much by adjusting the screen (almost flat/parallel with the keyboard)
- the default settings for gamma and contrast are not quite optimal. It's a bit too high and gives a slightly washed out view. Easily adjustable using ATI's control center.
- Software: First thing you'll want to do is uninstall unnecessary software and trial-based software.
- No restoration CDs: Again this isn't really a complaint, I dont use CDs/DVDs anymore when installing operating systems. One good solution that I have already tried is using Windows 7's built in backup software. Plug in a usb hard drive and create a restore IMAGE of your computer. You'll still need to create a recovery disc if you dont already have a Windows 7 install DVD on a USB stick. But dont bother paying $20 for Acer to mail you a restoration CD. Creating a backup image is quicker (i restored my hard drive within 15 minutes and already removed the bloatware before creating the image)
- The multitouch feature on the trackpad is worthless. No excuses here. it simply sucks. I hope its merely a software issue that updated drivers can address. I have disabled multitouch on mine. I don't miss it, especially since I have a really nice mouse that I keep in my backpack. Scroll wheels on mice are far better than multitouch in my opinion.

Final conclusion: I am a happy customer. I prefer the extra processing power over battery life since power outlets are so readily available. The 11.6 size seems to be a sweet spot for ultraportability, coupled with 4 GB ram, 320 HD, and dual core AMD, it feels like a fully powered laptop in a small body.

Price wise you'll want to compare this $550 laptop with others of similar price (there are many many options). You'll notice that you can get a larger laptop with a bigger screen for the same price. It does seem expensive at first glance. But you do get more RAM than you ever need and a big hard drive for a laptop. Coupled with discrete graphics and a dual core processor. Most other laptops use the new i3 or i5 which have integrated graphics and do not play HD videos as well. The price premium is also related to this laptop's slim form factor. The irony is smaller gadgets sometimes cost more than comparable, but larger ones.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better and better with each use, July 30, 2010

By 

Logan5 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Acer Aspire AS1551-5448 11.6-Inch Laptop (Mesh Black) (Personal Computers)

I did a lot of research and comparisons to other devices out there.

Cost wise this out performs others of the same price range with some of it's unique features.

It is a netbook but it has a dual core processor. Not as powerful as most dual core desktops but each is 1.5 ghz which is pretty nice. It also has a built in video card for extra performance.

I never had a laptop before and was reluctant to buy, not having a great need for one. This has really surprised me. At first, I thought it was okay, but the more I use it the more I like it. Also, talking to people with netbooks and laptops, this out performs any netbook I've seen and can do everything a laptop can and even outperforms a good number of laptops out there.

The reason for it, is the dual core processors, a real video card instead of an 'onboard' card, and 4 gigs of ram, and a 5 1/2 hour battery. I can actually play call of duty modern warfare 2 with good frame rates (720x480 works best) and starcraft 2 (1366x768). Some other really interesting features are the HDMI cable. I hooked this up to our big screen TVs and was amazed at the quality and some of the neat things you can do with that. You can use Office programs, surf the net, or play a game on there, very nice!

Overall, for something that fits into backpacks, and duffle bags easily, this is quite zippy. It can do any of the business work I need with ease, and it can play any of the cutting edge games that are out there as well. It's a good balance with features to make it all work.