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Battery Life
The 37 Wh battery does not provide the hoped-for record times. In idle the 11.6-inch notebook lasts 5:55 hours. Since this is possible only with minimum brightness and inactive WLAN, it is far from realistic. The WLAN surfing test is far more practical. After 3:22 hours the HSTNN-LB0W battery was empty, but then it needed almost three hours in order to recharge.
This is not good, under two hours charging time, considering the lower capacity, should be enough. The short runtime has the same cause: The battery capacity of 37 Wh is too weak. With 48 Wh, the 11.6-inch notebook could have managed five hours. And the customers would have surely tolerated a battery sticking out.
In comparison, the APU subnotebooks are better, mainly because their manufacturer has equipped them with batteries with larger capacity. The 8:45 hours of the Samsung 305U1A (11.6-inch, 66 Wh) in WLAN test now seem almost gigantic. A Lenovo ThinkPad X130e (62 Wh) is also very good with 7:07 hours. But a Sony Vaio VPC-YB3V1E/S with a lower capacity battery also manages 3:55 hours.
Due to the lack of a DVD drive, we played a low resolution AVI film, whereby the battery lasted for 3:44 hours. Under load, the runtime drops below two hours, especially under graphics load (Furmark 1:30 hours). Under CPU load (Prime95) the time was 1:52 hours (identical with the Battery Eater Classic).
Case
After evaluating two of the less expensive models with AMD's Trinity APU (g7-2053sg with A6-4400M and g7-2051sg with A10-4600M) in the last few weeks, we decided to take a look at the most powerful member of the series - the g7-2007sg. This model retails for over 700 Euro and features a speedy Intel Core i7-3612QM, 8 GB RAM, and a 750 GB hard drive. The Radeon HD 7670M should offer enough performance for gaming, although the card might have some issues with the native resolution of the 17-inch display (1600 x 900 pixels).
Of course, other manufacturers offer models competing in the same bracket. Possible alternatives are the Lenovo G780, Dell Inspiron 17R-SE , and the Acer Aspire V3-771G (depending on the configuration). Let's see if HP's model is able to differentiate itself from its competition.
The chassis of the Pavilion g7-2007sg is made of black plastic and is identical to the the AMD version. Unfortunately, that's not a plus point: the highly reflective and rather cheap looking piano finish is a dirt magnet and requires frequent cleaning. Rigidity and overall sturdiness could use some improvement as well: both the display and the base unit don't resist twisting forces well and protest with an occasional creaking sound. Two positive aspects are the fairly low weight of under 3 kilogram (6.61 pounds) and the - at least for our test sample - decent build quality.
Connectivity
The ACER Apire One 756 is, except for details such as Bluetooth 4.0 instead of 3.0, as well equipped as the Aspire One 752 subnotebook. In addition to the standard USB 2.0 ports, we find an HDMI and a VGA D-Sub port. The microphone jack had to suffer a cut back and it is now combined with the headphone jack. This is ideal for headsets with a multi-polar combo connector. If you want to use separate microphone and headphones, you must first get a hold of the clumsy Y-adapter.
Communication
The rest of the interfaces are the standard minimum and can also be found in a netbook. The Ethernet connector (RJ45, Gigabit LAN) is obligatory, despite the fact that most users have already forgotten that the Internet can be used via cable. The Atheros AR5BWB222 Wireless Network Adapter supports Draft N and also incorporates the Bluetooth 4.0 module. For transfers of large data in the home network, we recommend the RJ45 cable and gigabit switch.
Keyboard
We did not enjoy the keyboard at all. The feedback when typing and when gliding hands over it is vague and undifferentiated. The reasons are the unclear tactile feedback, soft stroke, and low key drop.
The keys are not tightly spaced any more (see Aspire One 722) and have a large gap, which should provide a comfortable typing experience. Practically, there is too much space, and the finger navigation seems difficult. The reason: Because the keys are completely flat and not concave, there is almost no tactile difference. The only truly positive aspect of the keyboard is the generous layout with a clear caption.
Touchpad
The cursor movement on the desktop is precise; the smooth and relatively large surface is sensitive up to the edges. The ClickPad V8.1 supports the usual multi-touch gestures (minimize, maximize, scroll, rotate). The two mouse buttons are located left and right at the front, under the surface.
Furthermore, a left click is registered even if the pad is pressed in the middle or top area. The higher up we go, the harder it is to click. The short stroke does take away some of the enjoyment from the really practical input concept. It took some getting used to, but after a short time we could click an object with one finger (press somewhere on the ClickPad and hold) and move it with another. When the hidden mouse button is used, the cursor can be moved to the bottom through the sensitive surface. The handling can be adjusted to the individual taste in the mouse settings. If you do not like too much multi-touch gestures, you can switch them off separately. (HP WD548AA Battery)
Display
The 11.6-inch (29.46 cm) display made by the Taiwanese manufacturer CMO (Typ N116BGE-L41) has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. This HD resolution has been the standard for this form factor for many years and there are no alternatives. The 16:9 panel is not anti-glare. Acer has not given up the glossy type (see also One 722/725), despite the fact that most rivals come up with matte screens (Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E130/E135, Samsung 305U1A, ASUS Zenbook Prime UX21A-K1010V and aslo TravelMate B113-M). Acer's CineCrystal ensures for visually contrasting colours. The measured contrast ratio, though, is only 208:1, which is normal for this price range.
The colour space, which we compare to the AdobeRGB, sRGB, and the premium panel of the Asus UX31A (FHD IPS, 13.3-inch), is very small. The rivals cannot offer anything better for under 1000 Euro, be it a sub-notebook or a laptop. The colour space reproduction is only important for professional image editing. But this target group would not choose the low-performance 11.6-inch notebook, but rather a workstation.
The brightness of 217 cd/m² suffices for indoor use, but is not enough to effectively counter the daylight reflections. Even with a matte panel, a minimum of 250 cd/m² are needed in order to easily read the desktop. But instead, we are disturbed by reflections, while we are checking our e-mails with coffee and cake. The desktop is cloaked in darkness under bright daylight, which makes reading a torture.
The LED panel distributes its brightness evenly, which gives an average illumination of 88%. On battery power, the brightness is not diminished, unless the user has specified so in the corresponding energy profiles. The Aspire One 756 does not have a light sensor for adaptive luminance adjustment.
The horizontal viewing angles are very tight. Only up to 45 degrees from the central position are the colours and structure unaltered. After that, the colours are inverted and we see the so-called ghost images. If we tilt our head back (vertically), things look even worse. Writing is readable only up to 30 degrees. But the colour inversion begins at 10 degrees. When multiple people gather in front of the Aspire One 756, then the top viewers have the worst position. The so-called IPS panels, which offer viewing angles of almost 90 degrees to each side, show that this can be improved (e.g. Asus UX31A).
Loudspeakers
Our acoustic expectations of the 11.6-inch device were not very high. And they shouldn't be, since the two stereo loudspeakers, located under the palm rests, can only meet the minimum level of quality. The highs-heavy sound is painful to the ear. The highest volume can still be reached, without rasping sound from the small membranes. The connection of external speakers through either the 3.5 mm jack or the HDMI output is obligatory for music fans. (HP HSTNN-OB0X batteries)
Verdict
Acer has ended the absolute domination of Accelerated Processing Units in the price range below 400 Euro . The statement of course exaggerates the situation, since it neglects the still existing devices with Intel Atom. In fact, with the Aspire One 756 Acer brings on the market, through the integrated low-voltage Pentium, a real alternative to the APU notebooks. Unfortunately, the more powerful Pentium is only an option using the AC adapter. Acer has installed a weak battery (37 Wh). Thus the E-450/E-1800 subnotebooks remain at the top in terms of battery life.
As if this was not enough, the disadvantages continue with the flexible chassis and overall weak input devices. The high heat emission under load, the glossy and too dark display, and the charging time of nearly three hours, round everything up.
Overall the test shows: The Pentium 987 is a real alternative to the slow APUs and Atom processors in the low-cost range. Unless the potential customers care too much about the display or the battery life, a Pentium 11.6-inch notebook for 349 Euro is a better investment, than an Atom N2600 or N550 for 250 to 290 Euro. Before we actually test the Celeron 877, we can only recommend the Pentium 987. Overall the notebook is not for the casual gamers, who should take a look at an ultrabook with the HD Graphics 4000. APU notebooks are also a poor choice for the same target group.
More info: laptop-batteries.com.au , laptop-battery.org.uk , battery-store.eu
