Acer Aspire V5-571-6869 Notebook Intel Core i5 3317U(1.70GHz) 15.6" 6GB Memory 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi Intel HD Graphics 4000

Pros: Intel Core i5
6GB Memory
500GB HDD

Cons: None so far

Pros: very capable, great for everyday computing, fast cpu, lots of RAM, boots quicker than expected, affordable.

Cons: mediocre quality, sound could be better, screen is like a mirror almost impossible to use on a bright day or bright lighting have to angle screen to get a decent view, keyboard looks cheap, plastic everywhere, black finish easily gets fingerprints/smudges, might break into pieces if dropped so handle with care be careful, 6 dvds to create re-install back-up and hours to burn, battery life only 4 cell.

Other Thoughts: can the battery be upgraded to a 6 cell replacement?

Pros: Good processor, lots of RAM, runs many programs at a time.

Cons: Video card could be better, but suits for many games.

Pros: fast, light-weight, slim design, affordable and quick shipping from newegg. battery life is acceptable. pricing and features plus fast cpu makes up for the lack of material quality and workmanship. this is my 2nd acer laptop and my old aspire has better quality material. nonetheless, i am satisfied with the purchase.

Cons: material is made of cheap plastic, don't drop it! keyboard/keys are uneven. I got the enter key by the numeric keys almost ready to come off. i think i even got an opened box, the sticker seal looks like it has been peeled off and put back carefully. wanted to RMA it but needed the laptop for school and i don't want to go through the hassle going through the return process, so i just have to live with it. the finish is a fingerprint magnet, make sure you have clean hands if you want to keep it smudge free... that or invest in a lot of cleaning wipes and time.

Other Thoughts: good balance of features... affordable performance packaged cheaply... you get what you paid for so quit your whining!

Pros: The Core i5 CPU is one of biggest draws of this machine no doubt, and it delivers. So far I've test driven Office, the Adobe suite, and encoded a couple test videos using WLMM, and everything seems very snappy and responsive.

6GB of dual-channel RAM with decent latency (9-9-9-24) means you wont have to worry about running multiple applications, there's enough breathing room there for just about anything. As far as the display, the resolution leaves something to be desired, but I knew what I was getting. Viewing angles are quite forgiving compared with the last three budget laptops I've used.

Noise is not much of an issue either, the system cooling fan runs with a low hum that is noticeable but not overpowering or annoying.

Don't expect this to play the latest 3D intensive games on maximum settings using the Intel 4000 graphics. However basic games and 3D games that are not so demanding perform surprisingly well. On many budget laptops the CPU can be a big bottleneck for games - not a problem here.

A pair of USB 2.0 ports, a USB 3.0 port, HDMI, and VGA/LAN don't limit your peripheral options. Transfer speeds on the USB 3.0 port are definitely a noticeable jump from the 2.0 ports, providing you are connecting a USB 3.0-capable device.

The dedicated numpad is a great feature for a laptop in the 1" size. If you're accustomed to a full-sized keyboard you may feel a bit cramped until you get used to the key sizes (the numpad keys are slightly narrower than the rest, but not overly so).

Cons: First and foremost, the keyboard Acer... the keyboard. If I have one gripe with this machine right now, this is it. If you press a key along the edge or on the corner, while the tactile feedback may tell you the keystroke was good, sometimes the letters or numbers just don't show up. As you can imagine, this can also translate into gaming as well. You must press the keys squarely and purposefully for them to register. It may not sound like a big deal, but it is an annoyance to be sure. This keyboard may just take a little getting used to, but so far I'm not all that impressed.

USB ports are very close together. If you are connecting multiple USB devices, they may not all fit depending on how slim/fat their connectors are.

LAN/VGA are combined into a single port, with an included adapter into which you can connect an ethernet cable or VGA cable - while this may sound clever and "nifty" you need to carry this adapter with you at all times if you spontaneously need to connect either. In my opinion, this was a poor design decision on Acer's part.

The microphone/speaker 3.5mm port. If you have a headset that uses separate speaker/mic plugs, or if you use a standalone mic along with a set of dedicated speakers - won't work. It is a combined audio jack which takes a single plug. The product details seem to indicate that they are separate, but that is not the case.

Speakers are nothing to write home about, but I never expected much based off the specs and price point. With many laptops the speakers are nestled somewhere next to the keyboard, however with this machine the speakers are on the bottom of the chassis. Sound quality and volume are good, but if you rest the laptop on a bed or carpet, sound could get a bit muffled.

This is not necessarily a con, however the touchpad on this machine is in the Mac style, meaning the left- and right-click buttons are integrated into the touchpad surface, not separate buttons beneath the touchpad. Depending on your previous devices, this may be perfectly fine or require a small amount of acclimation. Personally I don't mind it so far.

Other Thoughts: All things considered, a very nice machine for the sale price. Solid processing power, enough RAM for all your programs to get along, decent graphics power, all in a fairly lightweight and attractive looking package. The keyboard and other cons I mentioned warrant bring it down to a 4/5 for me.

In the search for a good budget laptop, no machine will ever be perfect, but this one is definitely worth it if the shortcoming aren't a major part of the decision process.

Pros: This third generation Ivy Bridge is very fast, even at the reduced speeds of that this lap top has, and it turbos to 2.6. I haven't tested the 4000 series video card, but per reviews, low-end graphics games should do just fine. I have a 2000 series Intel graphic chip, and it performed much better then I expected.

Cons: Speakers work, but I would not write home about them. This laptop comes with only a 4 cell battery; time will tell if this machine should have come with a longer-life 6 cell battery. Based on the reduced processor speed (1.7), the battery should outlast a core i3 which runs faster.

Other Thoughts: I have a Sandy bridge quad core on my desktop, but for ordinary tasks, this dual core does the trick. You will need 6 DVD's to create back-up discs, so have them ready when you turn this on for the first time.