Mobile Computing News

Photo: Acer

The 17.3-inch Acer Aspire 7740G is a fast, Intel Core i5 laptop with all the makings of a genuine desktop replacement.

Specs

The Acer Aspire 7740G packs a 2.26GHz Intel Core i5 430M processor, with 4GB of DDR-3 RAM. It has ATI’s Mobility Radeon HD 5470 graphics running at 512mb pumping out pixels. It comes with a 640GB Western Digital hard drive humming along at 5400rpm. The 17.3-inch glossy display has a resolution of 1600×900.

Aesthetics and build

The Acer Aspire 7740G is no looker, and oddly enough, that’s what makes it so attractive. It doesn’t have the off putting multi-colour palm rest and keyboard combinations that have become so common place and its black finish, with dark blue on the outside of the laptop works very well. The build is very sturdy and robust, with very little bending when applying pressure to different  corners of the laptop, nor does it cave when applying force to the keyboard and trackpad.

It certainly isn’t for the fashion conscious, but, funnily enough, there are a lot of people who aren’t for that.

Input devices

The keys on the keyboard are spaced well enough that even for users with big fingers, accidently hitting the wrong key is reduced considerably. Unfortunately the byproduct of this intelligent spacing is dust can easily seep through the corners, but that can be dealt with a thorough wipe down. The feedback on the keys is also good, meaning there is very little to complain about with regards to the keys.

The gesture-based touchpad is a disappointment, though. Often times there are notable lags between your input and the feedback on screen and the design, with a dedicated scroll interface on the right-hand side of the trackpad. As for the thin, single button, it makes perfect sense and works very well, too.

The rest

Performance-wise, the Intel Core i5 clearly makes a major difference, with applications booting, switching and running very well. The turbo CPU coupled with the decent graphics card means it can play most contemporary games, but at reduced resolutions. The display is mid-park, with a decent viewing angle, though the gloss may put users off.

Outside of the trackpad let down, there’s very little reason not to recommend the Acer Aspire 7740G