Acer Aspire S7-392-9890 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Ultrabook (1.8 GHz Intel Core i7-4500U Processor, 8GB DDR3L, 256GB SSD, Windows 8) Crystal White

Last Updated December 09, 2013 [Windows 8.1 review]==============================Reason for purchase:==============================Been waiting almost a year now for Haswell to come out after leaks were given online, and it meets and exceeds my expectation through and through. I was looking for a replacement for my 3-year old Acer TimelineX laptop and decided I'm not going to go cheap when it came to buying a laptop since I was tired of flimsy screen that feel like they'll break if pressed in the middle. It was either the Acer S7, the Asus Zenbook Infinity, or Samsung Ativ Book Plus HD for my replacement laptop. Chose the S7 over the Zenbook Infinity and Ativ Book for 3 reasons:1) This is Acer's third iteration of the S7 compared to Asus Zenbook Infinity which will be it's first. First generations for new designs usually have more kinks/issues that I'm trying to avoid when I'm paying over $1000+ for a laptop, you'd expect it to be flawless to an extent.2) Owned an Acer and Asus laptop before, and Acer always knew what they were doing when it came to power efficiency versus Asus which for some reason or another has issues with power consumption levels. (this is from my experience)3) Samsung decided not to increase the max ram amount to 8GB, which is shame since ram is crucial in multitasking especially for apps on windows 8======Pros:======--Battery Life!: just doing regular task like checking emails and browsing online at 70% brightness I was able to get 8-9 hours! which is amazing, this is why I waited for Haswell =) (assuming if you have 99% battery at start)--Boot Time: Switching from an HDD on windows 7 to an SSD on windows 8 was mind blowing, from 2-4 minutes to only 2-4 seconds just made me love this laptop more than I already do. Albeit windows 8 is cheating a bit with their hybrid shutdown design, overall this is what I was expecting.--Design: thin and light, ergonomic to feel albeit I was expecting a smoother finish on the edges but overall I don't know if there is another laptop that looks this good.--Case: I was surprised that Acer included a leather case that really makes this laptop look like a fashion statement a plus for me, one less thing to buy =)======Cons:======--No adapters: I was surprised that Acer didn't include an ethernet dongle like they did with previous versions of this laptop which was disappointing since I need it for when I use the laptop at work--Bloatware: this is typical but Acer like any other company included sponsored apps and their own homebrew apps of their own.--Speakers: speakers are located on sides of the laptop near the bottom so the sound comes out muffled but I'm a headphone type person so this doesn't bother me much.====================================Answers to questions asked/ Updates====================================--Fan: the fan doesn't make a peep even on huge overload of online gaming which was surprising but the laptop does heat up at the rear end of laptop (hinge area) if you block the vents on the bottom.=====================Update: July 18, 2013 (Day 3 with Laptop)=====================--Cooling: when the manufacturer said to avoid blocking the vents they meant it, the laptop started to get moderately hot. Although granted I was running a lot of adobe software (photoshop, illustrator, dreamweaver, fireworks, etc...) the laptop fan didn't make any noise which was good. Just needed to remember that this isn't a desktop.--Vent location: air enters and exits on the back bottom vents that stretches across the entire back (below the hinge side).--SSD Space: 195GB are available after you remove most of the bloatware.--Battery During Heavy Use: When I was running the laptop with Adobe Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and fireworks I was able to get to 6hours and 13 minutes of constant runtime which was awesome to me as a website developer on the go.--Battery life (100% brightness): around 7 hours if at 99% full battery (please note the S7 comes with an automatic sensor like your smartphone to adjust brightness so the battery will last longer, automatically on by default)=====================Updated: July 19, 2013 (Day 4 with Laptop)=====================--Changed from 4 to 5 stars, decided 1 star off for speakers didn't make sense when it's an ultrabook and I use my headphones most of the time.--Updated some of my statements on battery life, this was after bloatware was removed and I had Kaspersky 2013 and skydrive desktop app always running in the background, automatic updates and scans does drain the battery faster (no breaks)--Automatic Brightness: to turn off automatic brightness control panel->Edit Plan Setting-> Change Advance Power Setting (clickable text)->Display(header)-> Enable Adaptive Brightness-> choose off or on--Battery Life (w/ automatic Brightness off): at 100% brightness the battery lasted at ~6-7 hours just browsing the web, watching videos ~5/6 depending if your running videos on 1080p or 720p.--Touchpad: very responsive and customizable, recommend you adjust everything on the touchpad so you get the most out of the multi-gestures--Screen Resolution: spending a couple hours watching videos on this laptop was superb and I can't imagine switching. Colors were crisp and clear, a huge gap in clarity from my old laptop's resolution (720p)--Keyboard Layout: a bit weird at first but the organization is pretty convenient where all the hotkeys are easier to reach and alot faster than a tradition keyboard.--Backlit Keyboard: awesome feature that only enhanced the laptop, the brightness is adjustable/turns on automatically when it gets dark which was convenient--Webcam: resolution is at .9megapixel which is pretty low but the sensors on the webcam are top notch especially at night, I thought SONY were the only ones with night sensors for their webcams but Acer actually implemented their own variation or they outsourced w/ sony which is awesome. I was able to see my face clearly in a pitch black room no lighting except the laptop screen.=====================Updated: July 21, 2013 (Day 6 with Laptop)=====================--Wireless Signal: the Intel Dual-band 7260 + Bluetooth 4.0 for some reason started to act up by dropping signals in 5 bar areas, fixed issue by uninstalling the driver, and reinstalling the driver available from Acer's Support page.--To download driver: go to Acer US -> click on "Support" tab -> click "Driver & Manuals" icon w/ wrench & hammer -> type "Aspire S7-392" in search by model text box & search (looks like nothing loaded but bottom of the page changed with list of drivers) -> look for "Wireless LAN Driver" -> click "Download" -> extract file using Winrar or Z-zip -> click "Drivers" folder -> click "win8" folder -> double click "DPInst64.exe" to install the driver (do this after driver is uninstalled and make sure Intel PROSet/Wireless software is NOT installed on the computer)--To uninstall the driver: go to control panel -> Network and Sharing Center -> Change Adaptor Settings (left menu) -> right-click network card icon -> properties -> click "Configure" -> click "Driver" tab -> click "uninstall" driver=====================Updated: July 22, 2013 (Day 7 with Laptop)=====================--Updated Wireless Card issue from previous update.--SSD Drive Info: 2X 128GB SSD (Formatted in Raid 0) from Kingston using Intel Trimming Technology=====================Updated: July 31, 2013 (Day 16 with Laptop)=====================--Updated Reason for Purchase, Touchpad comment, Wireless Card Comment & Cooling Comment--Screen Protector: unnecessary since touch-screen is scratch resistant--Maintenance: used Philips SVC1116F/27 LCD, LED and Plasma Screen Cleaner to clean both sides of the laptop once or twice a weeks to make the glass clean and clear =)--Touchpad Software: Synaptic v8.1 Clickpad multi-gesture touchpad, similar to the apple touchpad.--Warranty: Amazon sells the version with a 2-year limited Warranty--Screen Resolution: Amazon sells the 1920X1080 version, the 2560x1440 isn't sold in the United States--Dolby Home Theatre v4: at first I thought this was just the speaker version but it's actually an audio software built into the laptop that allows you to easily change the amplitude and clarity of sound for both the speakers and headphones, you can also save customized settings in the extra slots a plus for me since I'm an audiophile =)--Ram: 8GB of ram is a necessity for any ultrabook and Acer finally understood that, no more memory dump issues since there's enough ram for running all my programs at once =)=====================Updated: August 5, 2013 (Day 21 with Laptop)=====================--After 3 weeks with the laptop, I'm glad I purchased this machine, never have to wait for the laptop to start-up since it's instant, working with adobe software (illustrator, photoshop, dreamweaver, etc...) hasn't been more seamless, and the build of the laptop couldn't be better, solid aluminum at its finest =)--Only complaint now is the power button which should have been placed on the keyboard side of the laptop. Having the button on the side is really not smart since grabbing the laptop on its side can result in accidental pressing (happened to me a couple times), easy fix though is to change the properties of the button to do nothing, it'll still turn on the laptop when it's shutdown :)--To change button properties: go to "Control Panel" -> click "Power Options" (icon with battery & plug) -> on left side menu click "Choose what the power buttons do" -> change the setting for "When I press the power button" to desired setting for both columns (Battery and when plugged) -> click "Save Changes"=====================Updated: August 14, 2013 (Day 30 with Laptop)=====================--A month has past since I got the laptop and I have to say I don't regret being one of the first few people who bought this laptop when it came out at retail price $1649. At first I had wireless issues but found out last week it was my router that kept dropping the signal on me, fixed it with the ASUS RT-N66U Dual-Band Wireless-N900 Gigabit Router. Now I'm developing programs and websites faster than ever. My old laptop would crash on me every other day so having a laptop that probably won't ever crash on me is huge relief also.--One thing I do recommend that everyone get with this laptop is a cooling stand such as the Cooler Master NotePal ErgoStand II - Adjustable Laptop Cooling Stand with LED Light Strip for three reasons.----1) Although the twin fan 2nd generation is whisper quiet that does come with a cost as the hinge area does get somewhat hot.----2) Laptops are faster when they are cooled so your benefiting by making the computer consistently fast =)----3) Having a laptop stand helps with posture and fatigue so you aren't constantly bending your neck and back :)=====================Updated: September 15, 2013 (Day 61 with Laptop)=====================--2 whole months have passed and I'm still loving the laptop as I did the first time I received it. You really can't beat instant startup after shutting down, I've come to rely on this feature too much lol. I haven't had any recent issues, everything has been running so smoothly. The wireless issue hasn't occurred at all after switching routers which I'm thankful for.--Availability: Based on the trend for the past 2 months, Amazon usually receives a new shipment every week (on a Sunday normally). When they do run out they post an estimated "3 to 4 weeks" shipping but this is a worst case scenario if there were too many orders placed (probably the holidays is when this is true).=====================Updated: October 17, 2013 (Day 93 with Laptop)=====================--Windows 8.1 update was simple, updated through the Microsoft App Store Icon. Should be the first icon you see when you open the app, if you don't see it please update your computer to the latest windows 8 update then go back to the Store App Icon.--Update is ~3.6GB and took ~10-15mins to install, make sure power adaptor is plugged in and don't have any external usb or dongles hooked up otherwise the update will not install, learned the hard way =(--One thing I noticed, got ~5-10GB in space back from the OS since Windows 8.1 is way smaller than Windows 8--Defragmenting actually started to trim the SSD compared on Windows 8--Customizing startup to launch with Desktop Mode was easy, just need to adjust a setting on the Taskbar properties under "Navigation"--Hibernate mode issue of sometimes turning back on by itself got fixed--Drivers seem to work a lot better mainly wifi, got better signal than usual in most areas--Battery life increased a tad ~10-20min since apps are more efficient/ updated=====================Updated: November 17, 2013 (Day 123 with Laptop Windows 8.1)========--If brightness setting doesn't work, it's an indication that there is an update and you will have to restart the computer to get brightness setting back. It's annoying sometimes but it does make sure your system is always up to date.--Acer also released an updated version of the wireless card driver for Win 8.1, so now all wifi issues are non-existent. If you experience any wifi issues, manually download and update the driver from Acers support page.--I've been quiet vocal on how the speakers for the S7 has been the downside to the machine but after updating to Win 8.1 and reinstalling the realtek audio driver from Acer's support page. The speakers now sound a lot clearer and crisper, but maybe this is because of my cooling stand also but the sound is literally surround sound when I change the sound mode on the Dolby Home Theatre to Movie mode. (You can change the sound profile by going the Dolby Home Theater program in the minimized icons on the taskbar)=====================Updated: December 09, 2013 (Day 145 with Laptop Windows 8.1)========--After a couple weeks with the improved speaker software, I've figured that in order to get the surround sound feel you have to put the volume at minimum %80 or higher otherwise the sound will sound muffled like it did before but otherwise, you feel immersed in the movie or videos you watch with this laptop. One reason I figured was that ~80% the audio software starts to mega amplifies the sound in a good way making the speakers sound clearer than they were before. I don't exactly how but they did the amplifying but it made me love this laptop even more :D================================================Will update regularly or as questions are asked================================================

Received in August and it did worked perfectly until the 10/07/2013. Then it died , Hard Drive failure. It has been since with Acer.I can't find out when I will get it back , calling only gave me the follow statement from the rep. We take 7 to 10 business days. If after that you don't receive it back we will try to find out what is the issue.Well got an email today that the repair was done. But no shipping notification yet.So service is bad , if you need to be without the computer for 2 weeks at least.As I said very good until it died. But I had hard drive failures before , but never like this , like a lamp bulb. It simply turned off. Gone.Nothing I could do to try to recover files or boot it in safe mode, something. It just stopped .I'm not happy with it and not happy with the service. Specially with the communication and the information that is available.It looks good in the beginning because you receive an email that they received the laptop and it is going to be diagnosed by a technician and repaired. Then a status page you can access , and that is it , they don't update the status and you can't find out about it until is done. In my case today. But still I don't have a clue when I will get the laptop back. Something to consider when you buy it.Update 10/18/2013Got an email today from Acer that it was shipped today but 3 days business type of shipment , so I will receive it only on tuesday of next week , again it shows the disconnection that the service has with the customer.I need it for tomorrow , not for tuesday. Was even willing to pay for the freight but I guess they don't care. Incredible that a company like Acer does not care about they customers.Update10/30/2013- My computer was left on overnight and in the morning I was greeted with a blue screen again telling me there was no drive to boot , no system. Tried to recover from an usb recovery but since the drive was not there there was nothing to recover to.Called first level Acer ,as usual he listen to the story and told me I had to send it in again( They are there just to ship your unit). I said no and he escalated to 2nd level. The guy a bit more knowledgeable ask me to enter in the bios , after many tries I was able to enter with the USB drive , but he was surprised that there was 2 Kingston sad drives , he said it was suppose to be just one. I told in that as far as I know there are two sad drives 128 gig each in raid 0. He said that it was a remote possibility but there was no other way , I had to send it in( I can see they don't know much about the product). This time they pay ground shipping 4 business days and expedite on the way back , plus 7 to 10 days to fix it. So again I will be without it for at least 2 weeks and god knows if it is not going to come back with the same problem. He said he escalated the issue in repairs and they will really test the unit ( Mean they really don't test much on level one) I took one star for this issue but I feel they deserve a zero. Representative was very polite , even though I was very angry and for that I commend him. but the quality of this unit and the service is much lower then any other computer I ever had. Lost everything in the first time and I can see I will lose all my data again this time. I have a backup but it will take days to restore it since I made sure I restore only data so not to bring to the machine any problem in the settings.I'm very disappointed with the quality of the unit and the repair center. Also you can't find out the status of the repair , only when it arrives and after they ship it back to you.Not acceptable, Please take this review into account when you decide to purchase this unit.I will update when I receive the unit back in 2 weeks. So frustrating.11/08/2013 updateReceived the unit back after 9 days , incredible. I called Acer probably 6 times , finally received a call back from David in corporate customers relations. He just apologized for all the headaches. Better then nothing. I lost all my data again and had this time the SSD replaced. So let's hope the issue is resolved , I will update this tread in 2 weeks so I will know better if this time the problem is fixed.At the same time my daughter had a problem with her Macbook pro and had apple care , they took the unit at the store and called me every day to update on the status , the repair took 3 days , and she had the keyboard and touch pad replaced. What is important was the speed of the repair , and the incredible communication apple had with me. A good example of how to handle customers. If only they made touch screen laptops.If you buy this unit , that I have to say is great when it works and you doný have any problems with it you are lucky and should be very happy. But if something goes wrong be prepared for the pain.Update 11/20/2013Computer is going to die again , David is MIA and I feel that it was a big mistake buying this model and brand.I was greeted yesterday by the same errors and blue screen , then it started to work again. Called customers relations and this time spoke with Diane , she said David was in and she will make sure he call me back. Actually he did called me back yesterday after a week and I'm trying to get strength to call him back and listen to him telling me they need the unit for repair. The support phone, you will talk to someone in India first , they don't even know this unit has 2 ssd drives in Raid 0 , they keep saying that it is just one SSD with 256 gb ( Second level support in the USA tells the same story), so it does not give a lot of confidence because you know they don't know what they are talking about. Now I will call David , he will tell me that I need to send the the unit again and we will keep doing this until I get tired and move on to another brand notebook. Don't know even if I want a new unit from them ( Diane said it will not happen) since I will have to start over again for the third time. Here is the warning , don't buy it for many reasons ( The ability to lose an wifi connection is one) All the ssd problems and the horrible support , really horrible. I can understand that there are issues with hardware , but when you talk to the technicians you will understand my frustration.Update 11/30/2013Unit died as expected , ssd failure , and spoke with David and Diane from corporate customer care ( Care) . David agreed on sending me a new unit with the same specs , I did received it after 2 days and it came in a brown box , but it does look new , all the setup went with no error messages and I believe my problem is resolved. I doubt that I will have the same issue. Maybe a different one but not the same issue.All is ok , just I'm really frustrated that it took them so much to come to the decision that I needed a new machine. And the level of service they have , level 1 ( In India I think) and level 2 is horrible , much lower then anything else I know. Dell , Apple , HP , Sony. They deserve the title of worse technical service. At least at corporate after a lot of calling and talking I got a new machine. But I had to fight for it.I have to admit that as a solution I'm happy , I just think that they had to reach this conclusion much sooner.As for the Original unit I believe that they just reloaded the software in it 2 times and I think the issue was the ssd controller not the ssd itself , also believe that they never changed it the ssd , but now it is the past.If you are going to buy this unit I still think it is a fast good looking light and modern laptop , very light and well constructed. But if you are not lucky and you get a bad unit be prepared for a ride. Hope this is the end for me on this issue. Hopefully I will enjoy the computer from now on.Update 12/20/2013LAst one for sure.Machine died again , the replacement , same way as the other. SSD failure. So many things that can be. I asked Acer for a refund , they offered a replacement. I called Amazon since I purchased here and they are kind enough to take it back. Will return it tomorrow. And buy something else , not an Acer , never again. Spoke with tech support first level and second level , then corporate customer service. All for them to say the only option was a replacement unit. , they cant give me a refund even after 4 failures and 2 units.Shame on Acer.Don't buy Acer because one day you will need real service and you will not have it.I'm out. Sad story specially for me.