Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-C1YA, 14" Full HD, Intel Celeron N4000, 4GB DDR4, 64GB eMMC, Office 365 Personal, Windows 10 Home in S mode

Comment

0:00 0:00 This video is not intended for all audiences. What date were you born? January February March April May June July August September October November December 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 1905 1904 1903 1902 1901 1900 Submit Adobe Flash Player is required to watch this video. Install Flash Player Video review posting soon! I review a lot of laptops at or around the $200 price point and its nice to see how far things have come. This is a solid offering from Acer that lines up nicely with a similar laptop from HP (The Stream 14) with the same basic internal configuration (N4000 dual core Intel processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage). The Acers advantages here is that it has a 1080p display vs. a 720p on the Stream 14. It also has a built-in hard wired ethernet port for connecting up to the network. But the Stream has better battery life. Performance is solid for basic tasks like web browsing, email, Word, Excel, etc. It has a nice snappy feel to it. Games are not so great given the lower end fanless processor inside. So things like Fortnite and other recent games will be too slow to enjoy on this device. For those looking to run Linux I found the compatibility here to be better than the Stream 14. Ubuntu 18.04 ran properly with all of the onboard networking, wireless, display, and audio drivers working properly. The Stream 14s Wifi did not work with the same version of Ubuntu. Overall this is one of the nicer low cost laptops Acer has put together recently. More detail will be in the attached video.

Show more

Comment

This laptop is a great buy that fits nicely between "cheap" and "too cheap". Youre obviously not going to be playing graphics intensive games on this. Thats not what its for. If youre looking for a solid internet/email/office apps laptop that is light weight, has decent battery life, is surprisingly speedy, and is cheap, this is it. I personally use mine for programming classes and meetups. It runs Visual Studio Code with a dozen Chrome pages and LibreOffice open no problem. If you want to watch some YouTube or Netflix, it does that nicely too. Ive never noticed any video lags or stuttering. Most apps open up in about 5 to 7 seconds. Chrome opens in less than 5 usually. I also have Linux (Ubuntu 18) running in dual boot. The only problem I have faced with running Linux is that you have to put the touch pad into Basic mode in the BIOS before using Linux as it doesnt support the touch pad in Advanced mode. Advanced mode allows the touch pad to use advanced gestures like pinching and three finger swipes. I dont really miss it in Linux honestly as I dont usually use those gestures much in Windows. As many have mentioned, the biggest draw back to this laptop is the screen quality and the storage space. If you find that 64GBs isnt enough for you, this problem can easily be solved by an external SD card, USB drive, or cloud storage. One issue with the SD card reader is that the SD card sticks out about 5/8 of an inch. This would mean youd probably want to remove it before storing the laptop in a bag. Another option is to buy a Micro SD card and a Shortening Micro SD Card Adapter. These are used in some models of MacBooks and in Raspberry PIs. This would make it so the card sticks out only about 1/4 of an inch, which would make a better permanent space solution. I have not personally done this yet, but I have read that it works. As for the screen, theres not much you can do there. It is obvious this is the area that Acer decided to make the most cuts, and I cant say that was a bad decision. Since graphics is not going to be an important task on this machine, the screen is going to be adequate for most tasks. Really the only time that I notice it is when Im trying to share the screen with someone next to me. There simply isnt enough of a viewing angle for a second person to get the best view. But when Im engrossed in coding, or browsing the internet, I dont notice the screen that much. This laptop comes loaded with Windows 10 Home S. The "S" means that it comes in what Microsoft calls "S Mode." S Mode simply means that you can only use Microsoft approved apps from the Microsoft store. In order to run third party apps like Chrome, or LibreOffice, you have to switch out of S Mode. This is a permanent change. Once out of S Mode, you cant go back, although I dont suspect most people will care. You will then have a regular version of Windows 10 Home for free. This is a quick and easy switch, and Im guessing most people would be better off doing this right when you get your laptop. If you need Windows 10 Pro, you will need to purchase the upgrade from the Microsoft Store, which is $99 at the time of this review (11/9/18). The bottom line is, you have to make sacrifices somewhere when you are this far down on the price spectrum. Its really about what is going to fit your needs the most.

Show more

Comment

I havent owned a new laptop since I bought my Asus 6 years ago. I am comparing this little gem with that monster. This is smaller and lighter. The battery life so far much surpasses what I was used to. This Acer has a much more user-friendly keypad and touchpad, and the display and sound are much improved as well. The internet speed is faster and the response to new tasks is quick. The set-up was pretty easy. Nice to have Office included for the first year, therefore saving $60+ out of the gate. I was used to Windows 10 and the s mode does not seem to be a problem as I just use Edge to access what I need without downloading the apps, ie google photos, etc. I did not need anything with bells and whistles and therefore did not want to spend a lot of money - just something better for word processing, social media, emailing, etc. That is exactly what I found.

Show more

Comment

For around $250, this thing is worth it. I’m running an el gato game capture card on it that’s recording gameplay, I have multiple tabs open, playing music on YouTube from one of them, and I’m downloading mp4 from the game capture all at once. It’s not slowing down or lagging at all right now. I approve.

Show more

Comment

This laptop only has 60GB of storage. That is awfully low. Keep that in mind b-4 buying. Also keep in mind that Acer tech support is HORRIBLE. I could not plug my HDMI cable into my Acer laptop HDMI port. I had received a document from Amazon with a phone number for 24/7 Acer tech support exclusive for Amazon customers. I called five times. Three times I was disconnected. One time, the incompetent Acer rep told me my laptop had no HDMI connected. When I read to her the specs, she hung up. The next Acer rep told me to send in the computer (brand new) for repair. Amazons tech rep. solved the problem. Thank you Amazon. Acer? - Never again.

Show more

Comment

If you are in the market for a laptop for basic surfing and email needs (which most phones can do), or for mostly word processing, then this device may be a good option for you. Anything beyond that may end with you quickly running into issues with storage space and speed. The laptop does not use a standard HDD or SSD - instead it uses an eMMC chip. These tend to run faster than standard Hard Disc Drives but are nowhere near the speed and performance of an SSD. There are some questions about how many rewrites they can take before failing but, with the rate at which most people replace laptops, this is probably not a huge issue. The biggest thing that surprised me is that you get basically 40 GB of storage (64 GB before windows 10 eats up 24 GB). 40 GB is really small for a new laptop. You can, of course, use external drives, etc but adding new programs will eat into the storage space on your basic drive. Windows 10 S means that you can only install windows software from the app store. This will likely be very frustrating for your average teen but if you need a laptop for a child who wont break down in tears at the thought of being limited from the latest popular app or game, then this may not be a problem. This also means that games like Minecraft will need to be the windows 10 version to work on this laptop. The limitations of windows 10 S also mean you cannot run chrome which will be hugely frustrating if that is what you are used to. I like Acer and have a chromebook and a laptop from this manufacturer that work very well. Like them, the keyboard layout works very well for me. I have included a picture of the keyboard so that you can see the layout. There are some keyboard layouts that I simply cannot get used to and not having an intuitive layout can be a deal breaker. This laptop, though, is a very basic entry level student laptop which seems to be trying to compete with chromebooks. At the current price point, even if you are sold on windows, I think one can easily find a more powerful device with more storage for a comparable price. You get a years subscription to Office 365 - which I personally dont like because you need to keep paying for a yearly subscription once you get used to it. If you want to install free LibreOffice or OpenOffice you will need to get rid of Windows 10 S and switch up to plain windows 10. Bottom line, this may work for you if you have very specific needs that will not be changing. Personally, I would pay a little bit extra to get a stronger laptop with more storage space.

Show more

Comment

One week after ordering, the laptop still isnt here. Id selected next day delivery because it was important I receive the laptop ASAP. After calling Amazon they did give me a $10 credit, which is the only reason this doesnt get one star. It wasnt until the 3rd call several days later that I got a shipment date. This WAS a good deal, but the delay and loss in productivity cost me much more than $10. If you NEED something fast, get it at a real store, dont rely on Amazon shipping to get it there or for Amazon to offer fair compensation for delays. Their policy is fine for socks and stuff, but not for anything work related. The price of $200 WAS good, if only it would finally get here. I know the laptop well since Ive already had one. It runs fast and came with a direct line to Acer for tech support to make setup hassle free. It comes with Windows 10, but the default is S mode, which sucks. You do get the option to switch modes to standard Windows 10 Home mode, which you should do ASAP. Did I mention Windows 10s sucks? The only diffence Ive noticed between S mode and standard Windows 10 is a crappy App store you must use. If you stick with Windows 10s, software can only be obtained on the windows app store (think androids play store or the Apple store). The Windows store is pricier than Apples and doesnt allow sorting by ratings or cost. The most expensive and lowest rated items come up first, making it a real hassle to find suitable software. I wasted an hour in the Windows App store trying to get a player for my external DVD player, but it only took 5 minutes after I switched out of S mode. The Microsoft Office comes with a 7 day trial, but after that you should switch to free office programs. Do they really expect people to pay $80 a year for Office when they paid only a couple hundred for the laptop? My Lenova tablet I bought for $150 came with free Windows Office, forever. Some suppliers work out good deals with Microsoft, some dont. Battery life is good, and the keyboard works well and is very comfortable. It has the feel of a Macbook at a quarter the cost. Screen has average viewing angle but clarity surpassed my expectations. The memory is only 64 GB, so I needed to beef it up with a 128 GB SD card. Unfortunately the standard SD card jutts way out and is therefore easily damaged. To keep the card inside and outta harms way, I bought the Adafruit Shortening microSD Adapter. I recommend getting this from the start, its only $5. Be smart, save all your docs on the card, so when the laptop dies in 2 or 5 years, you can have all your important docs right away. Theres also cloud service to save your stuff, but then youre depending on wifi. If theres one thing I learned over the years, its laptops, all laptops, break. A lot. Me and my sisters threw in almost $2k for a macbook with an extended warranty for my dad. Apple didnt honor the warranty though, so Dad dropped $600 to fix it when it broke. With this laptop, youll never have to spend more than $200 on a repair. I looked hard for something cheaper than this that wasnt total crap. Nothing under $200 even came close.

Show more

Comment

Hi I got my laptop on Saturday and I set it up but now and then it freeze, is this a new computer This is a gift for my son who is in junior high for his cputer class, now this laptop is giving me problems because it freezes I would like to like to know whats going on with this laptop please. I live in The Bahamas

Show more

Comment

I love it ,Even I dont really need it any more but I decided to keep it ...Very Thin with Smooth Looking , MSOffice One Year

Show more

Comment

This thing is not used friendly! Email does not work. The screen is flooded with adds selling updates. Seems like a shopping device for Microsoft software more than a computer. I hope Acer reads this review. The right and left click works sometimes. My opinion of Amazon is starting to deminish. I wanted a computer to do simple tasks. Due to my lack of a computer engineering degree, this was not it! I cant give this product anything more than 1 star and that is because theres no 0 box to check. How can they get by with selling something this awful?

Show more