On the M3 the realistic Wi-Fi test finishes after 5:57 h. Again, the competitors cannot score here (V5-471G: 2:26 h, S400: 3:18 h). Websites are opened in 40-second intervals during the Wi-Fi test. Thereby the energy profile is active, and the display brightness is set to about 150 cd/m². With a single charge the M3 reaches a DVD playback time of 4:52 h. The V5-471G (2:44 h) scores way below. The DVD test is performed with the energy profile enabled (or a higher profile, if the DVD is not playing smoothly), maximum screen brightness and wireless functions deactivated.
It is not surprising that the M3 reaches the longest run times, since it has the battery with the highest capacity (Aspire M3: 54 Wh, Aspire V5-471G: 37 Wh, Lenovo: 32 Wh).
Case
When Acer's Aspire Timeline Ultra notebooks made their first appearance at CES, these 14- and 15-inch laptops seemed like little more than the successors to Acer's TimelineX series. Thin-and-light laptops, complete with optical drive and some likely reasonable prices. While there's no mistaking that DVD burner and mainstream screen size, we now know a few things we didn't then: the 15-inch version you see up there packs NVIDIA's next-gen Kepler graphics... and Acer's calling it an Ultrabook.
Acer's branding that there Ultra M3 as an Ultrabook because it's less than 20mm (.8 inches) thin, but given that 15-inch display, numpad, optical drive and graphical horsepower, it's hard to think of this as anything other than a mainstream laptop.
The Aspire M3 certainly looks splendid. This is thanks to the thin case and charcoal-gray aluminum elements (top side of the base unit and rear of the lid). The bottom side of the base unit consists of a matte black plastic. The frame of the screen is made out of plastic too and has the color of the aluminum elements. The cases of the Aspire V5-471G and the IdeaPad S400 are made entirely out of plastic.
The base unit leaves a good impression in terms of stability. The wrist rest does not give in upon pressure. Nonetheless, there are some weak spots too: on the left of the keyboard above the DVD-writer, the surface gives in a little bit upon pressure. Also, between the keyboard and the touchpad one can press in the upper side of the base unit a bit. Torsional rigidity does not raise any concerns: one can only twist the base unit a little bit and needs to put in some force for that. The cover can be twisted a bit more. Moreover, pressure on the rear of the cover leads to changes on the screen. The hinges keep the cover fixed in place with little bobbing. In addition, they also allow opening the cover with just one hand.
Connectivity
The thin cases of the three devices in comparison offer little space for ports. The Acer Aspire M3 comes with a minimum of interfaces. The necessary inputs are available on all three notebooks. The S400 and the Aspire M3 are very similar in that respect. The Aspire V5-471G is the only one with a VGA output. This is realized via a breakout cable that can be plugged in. Such a solution would have been desirable for the M3 as well, since in business one still uses a lot of projectors with VGA input. Furthermore, all three notebooks are equipped with at least one USB-3.0. The majority of the ports of the M3 are positioned at its backside. Hence, there cannot be any disturbing cables to the left and right of the device, with the exception of an optional audio cable.
Keyboard
Touchpad
As a mouse replacement there is a Synaptics multitouch ClickPad built in. ClickPads do not have dedicated mouse buttons. The whole pad is one button. It recognizes whether the left or right button is being pressed through the position of the finger on the lower end of the pad. The pad offers a lot of space for gesture inputs with its size of 9.7 x 6.6 cm (~3.8 x 2.6 inches). Individual gestures can be turned on or off via the configuration menu. The smooth surface of the pad makes it easy for the fingers to slide. The pad has short vertical travel and a clearly audible and sensible pressure point.
Display
The contrast (325:1) and the black value (0.61 cd/m²) of the display are about standard in this price range. The values of the V5-471G (306:1, 0.66 cd/m²) are similar again, since both computers have the same display model. Again the IdeaPad (146:1, 1.14 cd/m²) performs worse than its competitors do. The sRGB and the AdobeRGB color space cannot be displayed by the M3.
We measured the display in its delivery state and found mostly strong DeltaE-2000 deviations (gray-scale and colors). There is a clear blue cast visible in color saturation, the Cyan and Magenta values deviate a lot from what they should be. Therefore, the display yields strong DeltaE-2000 deviations of 10-15.
The brightness of the display would be sufficient for outdoor use. However, the glossy surface makes this endeavor almost impossible. The only place where it could be possible to use outdoors might be in shadowy spots.
In terms of viewing angle stability, the display matches the expectations of the low price: picture quality quickly suffers given a change of the vertical viewing angle. Horizontally the viewing angle is much higher.
Speakers
The stereo speakers of the Aspire M3 are located at the bottom of the device. The speakers sound a little thin and metallic. Language is clearly understandable. People who are using the device in Windows can improve the quality of the sound significantly with the Dolby Advanced Audio software (on the driver-DVD). Then the sound impression is clearer and more powerful. Alternatively, one can always connect external speakers or headphones.
Verdict
The Aspire M3 scores with good performance and excellent battery life. It also offers an appealing and robust case. Moreover, the M3 is very mobile with its light weight and small size. In addition, the keyboard proved its quality. This is a good notebook for people looking for a cheap, mobile and durable notebook. Only the low-contrast display diminishes a bit the good overall impression of this notebook. If you are looking for a cheap and thin 14-inch gaming notebook, then the Aspire V5-471G is right for you. It is capable of playing many of the current 3D-games on medium quality with the native resolution of (1366x768 pixels). However, one has to accept a big impact on the battery run time. The IdeaPad S400 is interesting for all users who want to have a notebook with low noise and low energy consumption.
More info: laptop-batteries.com.au, laptop-battery.org.uk, battery-store.eu
