Acer Aspire S3-951-6646 13.3-Inch Ultrabook

by Acer

• Intel Core i5 Processor 1.6GHz
• 4GB DDR3 RAM
• 320GB 5400RPM Hard Drive
• 13.3-Inch Screen, Intel HD Graphics 3000
• Windows 7 Home Premium, 6 hours Battery Life

Product Description

Amazon.com

First we reduced the size, then we reduced the price. Introducing the Acer S3 Ultrabook, the PC that will have you instantly powered on and connected to the Web in no time- and at a price you can afford! The ultrathin 13.3" design weighs in at just under 3lbs and is only .5" thin while packing powerful 2nd gen Intel® Core™ i5 processor performance. All the best new experiences in a streamlined design, changing your mobile-computing way of life!

Key Features

• 13.3" HD Widescreen CineCrystal™ LED-backlit Display: (1366 x 768) resolution; 16:9 aspect ratio
• 2nd generation Intel® Core™ i5-2467M Processor 1.6GHz
• Intel® HD Graphics 3000 with 128MB of dedicated system memory
• 320GB SATA Hard Drive
• 20GB SSD Drive
• 2-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™
• Bluetooth® 4.0+HS
• 1.3MP HD Webcam(1280 x 1024)
• Dolby® Home Theater® v4 audio enhancement
• Two Built-in Acer 3DSonic stereo speakers
• 2- USB 2.0 Ports
• 1- HDMI™ Portwith HDCP Support
• 3-cell Lithium polymer Battery
• Up to 6-hours battery life
• 2.98 lbs. system unit only

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Powerful Mobility in an Instant

The S3 Ultrabook weighs in at just under 3 lbs and measures only 0.5" thin! Comfortably carry it under your arm or simply slip it into a backpack or tote bag. This pure, uncluttered design not only looks good- but enhances your everyday computing experience. Every single detail has been carefully selected to give you the very best, from the large multitouch touchpad for seamless interaction to the essential ports you need. The 13.3" widescreen LED-backlit display delivers a true cinematic view with16:9 aspect ratio so you can enjoy surfing the Web, streaming your favorite shows, social networking and more- all in stunning HD! Built with the energy-efficient 2nd generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processor, the S3 Ultrabook adapts to your needs and wakes up in a flash! It delivers extra performance when you need it, along with sharper, richer visuals for enhanced multimedia enjoyment.

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Connect in an Instant

Acer Instant On resumes your computing session in less than 2 seconds(1) and from deep sleep in 6 seconds(1), thanks to the 20GB SSD drive that stores the current PC state just as you left it. Pop back on your PC and any Websites, emails or docs you had open are instantly restored - no more waiting! Acer Green Instant Connect reconnects you to the Internet within seconds(3)! The Acer Aspire S3 remembers previous Wi-Fi spots you've used so that when they are in range, it instantly connects you to the Internet without any fuss or extra steps! Quickly access Instant Messaging, Internet services and email after system resume. Low power consumption through Acer Hybrid Standby Technology enables up to 50 days(2) of standby power and up to 6 hours of continuous usage and work confidently knowing you'll always be powered on and ready to go. Enjoy wireless freedom to roam with integrated 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and simplify your digital world eliminating cables with Bluetooth® wireless technology. (1)Time based on testing with the following applications open: Internet Explorer® 9 (Internet search and email web pages), PowerPoint® viewer (file size 68 MB) and Excel® (file size 108 MB) of Microsoft® Office® 2010 Starter, and logged in to Windows Live® Messenger 2011. (2) The notebook enters Deep Sleep after 75 minutes in Sleep mode, or after the period set by the user. In this mode, battery life lasts up to 50 days if the battery is fully charged when the notebook goes to Sleep. (3) In about 2.5 seconds with previously used access points. Time based on testing with the following applications open: Internet Explorer® 9 (Internet search and email web pages), PowerPoint® viewer (file size 68 MB) and Excel® (file size 108 MB) of Microsoft® Office® 2010 Starter, and logged in to Windows Live® Messenger 2011.

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Enjoy More in an Instant

Listen to movies or music in vibrant theater-like sound with Dolby® Home Theater® v4. Enjoy powerful beats or smooth melodies over the S3 Ultrabook PC speakers, headphones or a home theater system. Experience your media and gaming the way you were supposed to thanks to Intel® HD Graphics 3000 delivering crystal-clear images and brilliant color for stunning life-like visuals. Connect your S3 Ultrabook to an external monitor, projector or TV through a single cable using the HDMI™ port for big-screen enjoyment! Share your favorite HD media with friends and family! Acer Clear.fi™ allows you to manage, store, share, and enjoy media between any Clear.fi enabled devices, in any room throughout your home. Advanced 1.3 Megapixel HD Webcam provides high pixel density for amazing video image quality and 24 frames per second! Chat with friends and family in crystal-clear viewing or snap still pictures all in HD!

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Product Description

Acer Aspire S3-951-6646 Notebook comes with these specs: 2nd Generation Intel Core i5-2467M Processor 1.6GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.3GHz, Windows 7 Home Premium, 13.3" HD Widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit Display, Mobile Intel UM67 Express Chipset, 4096MB DDR3 1066MHz Memory, Intel HD Graphics 3000, 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive, Built-In HD 1.3MP Webcam, 2-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader, Dolby Home Theater v4 Audio Enhancement, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED, Bluetooth 4.0+HS, 2 - USB 2.0 Ports, 1 - HDMI Port, 3-cell Lithium Polymer Battery (3280mAh), Up to 6 hours of battery life, 2.98 lbs. | 1.4 kg (system unit only), AC Power Adapter, AC Power Cord, Wireless Setup Card, Registration/ Limited Warranty Card, Microsoft Office Starter 2010, McAfee Internet Security Suite (60-day insert)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

283 of 293 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very identical to a macbook air but with windows 7! November 10, 2011

By DRK_TECH

I'm an IT professional and VERY picky when it comes to my laptop. I read the reviews on this and was mixed between the good and bad on here, so I decided to visit a Microsoft Store and check it out on my own. I immediately was amazed how thin and light this was just like a MacBook Air (which I used and had before). I compared this to the Samsung series 9 laptop and although yes I wish it had a non-glossy screen it still beats it in price tag and performance.

Pros:
-Laptop does not show any traces of fingerprints (which annoyed me with other laptops)
-Screen is very crisp and clear. Yes, its glossy but its a "comfortable glossy" like the macbook air
-Keys are very responsive and comfortable. You do have to press a bit more but I easily got used to it.
-The touchpad is the best I've ever used on any Windows laptop. Very smooth and responsive like a macbook.
-Great performance as it has the i5 processor
-Super fast bootup and screen on/off time
-Simple and basic in terms of ports (2) USB and HDMI which are positioned perfectly in the back. I see no need for laptops to have tons of ports on the sides and back adding bulk to it.
-For this price its a steal compared to what other manufacturers are charging.

Cons:
-The up/down/left/right keys are tiny, but eventually you get used to it
-Battery life is not as long as MacBook Air but its still descent for an ultrabook.
-Yes, its true that the click button below the touchpad you have to press very hard (mostly for a right click), however if you go into mouse settings and just enable "single tap" and set up "double tap" as a pop up menu, you will have no need to press down on pad at all.... This has such amazing trackpad drivers that I can glide through pages and screens with no effort.

Overall, don't let the Acer name or price fool you, this laptop is a gem and best design, performance and feel I have ever seen outside of Apple. I bought mine from a Microsoft Store which has the Microsoft Signature service (basically they re-load the OS with no bloatware). If your in the market for a Windows 7 thin, fast and on the go laptop, this is the one for you! Read more ›

61 of 65 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excelent!! November 2, 2011

By Sol Botindari

Amazon Verified Purchase

I had this ultrabook for a week now and I can say it's amazing so far. It's thin, light, fast and comfortable. It looks good, it's quiet and cool (I mean temperature). Before I bought this I read all the reviews available online. I completely understand the reviewers have to criticize something but for me this computer works perfectly well. For example, many people say that the keys are too short. In my opinion the keys are comfy. The screen is not the best, but it's very good. This is not a gamer computer; it's for the ones that need to carry it from one place to the other. Taking into account its size and weight, I couldn't expect more from this machine. I come from a ThinkPad that is a heavy duty. I can see this computer is not as strong as the ThinkPad, but it's on a different league if you take into account the price you pay for one of the smallest computers available.
The Core i5 it's powerful enough for the tasks I perform (Web, Excel, Word, some Photoshop). The SSD for "instant on" works as magic. You open the computer and its right there asking for your password (if you setup one). Battery life seems to be good although I can imagine it will suffer in the long term as I'm not able to remove the battery when it's plugged in. On normal use (internet, mail, and few YouTube videos) you get between 4 and 5 hours. I haven't tried playing a movie yet, but I guess you'll get enough power to watch it all the way.

39 of 43 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars I'm really enjoying it so far November 26, 2011

By Charlie

So, I won this thing on the Acer A Day Give Away. (So - I might be a little biased, cause they just gave me a free computer.)

I was sort of in the market for a new laptop, and I really was not looking for a ultrabook. I'm more of a big clunky machine with a big screen and all the bells and whistles type of guy.
Imagine my surprise when I got this thing and have found that I really, really like it. I don't have an issue with the noise, nor do I mind the lack of CD drive. I think the start up time is fast, and the laptop overall is a great little machine. It feels really sturdy to me, despite the light weight. I really like that it does not get hot... like, at all. I had it running on battery power for nearly 4 hours the other day, shut it off, and felt the underside. It was tepid.
I read reviews before I got the laptop that the keys were an issue. Some people complained about the keys not having the right amount of heft, which caused them to miss keys, or were unable to hit the arrow keys. Again, I like big things. Big keyboards included. That said. I don't have an issue, at all with the keyboard. I've not had any problems with the arrow keys. In fact, my only issue so far is that there are no dedicated function keys. There are function keys, but they're not dedicated (That is - I'd like to have a volume control, playback controls for video, etc.)
I'm a big fan of the multitouch trackpad. I love that I can use gestures to make stuff happen. Took me a while to figure out how to use them correctly, but now that I have, I'm enjoying it.... My only complaint is that you cannot create your own gestures, and can only use a predefined list of finger motions to trigger a predefined list of actions -- at least, using the stock software (I do not know of alternate software at the moment).
Beyond that, it came with a lot of bloatware. Easily fixed, but a minor annoyance.

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Edit: Exactly one year to the day after I received this thing, the trackpad stopped functioning properly and I cannot penetrate ACER's paywall to their warranty support. Absolutely no one has helped me with this. They're being very, very unhelpful and that has completely changed my opinion of this product.
I would not buy this computer again, nor would I have any future business dealings with ACER because of their (obviously) well timed product failures, and refusal to help their customers. Read more ›

39 of 44 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Defective Hardware -- Be Wary! February 18, 2012

By Alex

Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought the laptop for $799 on Amazon.com around Jan 2012. After it arrived, it worked OKAY. The track pad was not nearly as responsive as in a larger laptop, or in a MacBook Air, but no big deal. I can adjust to that, and I did. But there were significantly worse problems.

First problem - Defective Wireless Card. (See also, e.g., the 2-star review by "The Inveterate Scofflaw 'J'"). On random occasions, perhaps once every one to three hours of use time, the wireless adapter just goes out. *POOF* No, it is not that I went out of network range, etc. Rather, the computer acts as if I had manually disabled the wireless, and there is nothing that can be done to bring it back. Rebooting will work, and I realized later that putting the computer to sleep, which takes much less time, will also cure the nuisance. So I have had to do that, usually once every several hours, randomly, whenever the wireless card craps out on me. This was not a big deal, as it usually takes no more than 10-15 seconds total to put the computer to sleep and wake it up. The quick sleep-awake response, to be fair, is a nice aspect of this computer.

Second problem - Defective Hard Drive. (See also, e.g., the 1-star review by "frank"). About one month after getting this computer, I was using it on the train when all of the sudden I got a blue screen. Upon reboot, I keep getting an error message and windows will not boot. I google the error message, and learned that it was indicative of hard drive failure, and that other people whose laptops sustained a physical impact have had that message. My computer never fell. As a result of this, I shipped the computer in to Acer, and they ended up replacing the hard drive (just as I figured). So all my data was lost.... Not a big deal, I only had it for a month, but still, but be warned!

My computer arrives in two weeks or so, and the invoice says that a new hard drive was installed. So far so good, but one day later, the computer starts doing clicking sounds randomly, and then I get a blue screen. Upon reboot, the clicking sounds (which are annoying an scary, think about fingernails on chalkboard) continue and I get an error message about have no boot drive.

Conclusion: This computer was a bad decision, and the problems discussed herein are likely a product of Acer trying to use sub-par technology in an ultra-thin laptop. MacBook Air laptops, for example, all have solid state drives -- no disk drives. I think having an actual disk drive in such a thin computer is asking for trouble. Similar issues may have been with the poor contact between the wireless card and the mainboard.

At any rate, I am happy that Amazon.com has a very easy return policy for defective computers. Read more ›