Acer Aspire S7-392 (Haswell) Owners Lounge

Just got my S7 a few days ago. Figured I'd give my short thoughts for anyone still debating on getting one and looking through the forum.
Looks great, feels great, starts up quick, cover looks nice too, and very quiet (fan wise).
Now the bad. I must say, it's mostly all in the keyboard for me, I HATE that the Caps key is so small. It seriously slows me down because I miss it or I hit the "`, ~" button. Along those lines, nothing tells me when the Caps is on, there is no popup nor light anywhere on the computer. I sometimes have to type in the username when entering a password to see if the caps is on or not. Next, they moved the Ctrl button on the far left, bottom row. I didn't notice how comfortable I was with the original placement of that button until it's not there. Ctrl T, A, B, C, H, X, V all take longer for me than they used to. Lastly, this is less important for me but maybe not for others, no dedicated Function keys. I didn't really think it would be a big deal to me because I barely use them, but apparently I do use F5 and F12 more than I thought I did. There appears to be space for dedicated Function Keys, which would've also allowed for a bigger Caps key...

There are a couple of other things but they weren't that big to me and I think I can probably adjust. Sometimes when typing, I'll hit something that brings the sidebar up, or the windows menu up (not hitting the Windows key). I have also felt the laptop get a little warm, but it wasn't extremely hot and it was only once. And then there is Windows 8... but perhaps the October upgrade will fix several issues. Many have mentioned the space bar issue. I will say that I don't experience it too much. Perhaps I don't notice it bcuz I'm dreading ending a sentence and having to press the Caps key. I bought this computer because I needed it for school. The Caps key REALLY bothers me. The Ctrl key placement irks me too. It slows me down and there's a possibility that I will be sending it back. But it does look nice, runs smoothly, the touchscreen is nice, and it starts up quickly. So try to test the keyboard before you buy it, especially if you're going to be typing much.

 

i see the screen bleed in the right corner as well. not too worried myself since, like it was said up there, it cant be replicated elsewhere. My biggest issue with the laptop though is the KEYBOARD. Even though it was an improvement from the older s7 391, i do feel that the keys are just too flat. I normally hit the Enter key at the edge closest to my pinky and it would occasionally get stuck, so I've adjusted to hitting it in the center. I've basically had to adjust to the keyboard a lot. Do you guys think i should try to return my model because of my Enter key issue?

 

I'm getting a quoted 2 hours 16 minutes at 50% brightness and 68% battery. Is this just being calculated wrong or do I have a defective battery? I'll be doing testing tomorrow, but just want to know if this happens often. It certainly did t with my last windows 8 laptop.

 

You don't have a defective battery. You guys have to realize that remaining time is constantly re-calculated based on your current power draw. If you leave the notebook idle remaining time will increase while if you do anything CPU interactive it will decrease only to jump up again once you stop.

This means that only battery tests that are worth something are full battery tests that are consistent. There's no point dong a mixed test- you either work/browse the net OR you watch a movie/youtube videos. If you do some of everything you'll end up with a result that means nothing to anyone but you on this particular day.

Notice how notebookcheck makes their battery tests- they provide numbers for idle, Internet via Wi-Fi, movie and full load. With all those you can figure out if it's enough for you. Partial numbers and mixed-usage are pretty useless.

 

Can anybody please weigh an S7 on a scale with good precision?
Also how is the visibility outdoor under the sun and in the shade? How high do you need to keep the brightness and is the glossy screen a problem?

I do work outdoor quite often and this is important to me. I have a matte screen now and at 50/60% brightness is ok to work outside.

thanks

 

I wasn't able to even work inside with a window over my shoulder. There is that much glare.

Anyway I'm sending mine back. It's developed some more problems. Now I can't even get Civilization to load up(DirectX11 render error) and it frequently freezes up when simply browsing the web.

 

Well I was only browsing with 2 tabs open. Even if one of those tabs was streaming, the battery shouldn't die in less then 2 hours.

 

Thanks but this is the 391 version, not the Haswell 392 version.

 

It shouldn't unless there was something else wrong. It's always worth checking CPU usage in process manager- it might not be a battery problem but a process using too much CPU. I've had a situation like this not so long ago- something that should have been closed was in fact stuck using one core all the time- it wasn't enough to slow down the notebook so I didn't notice until I was on battery and it kept draining too fast.

I'm not saying this notebook has a good battery life but that you guys have to properly test it- I haven't seen a good test so far so it's up to you to come up with a reliable number.

 

Cpu wasnt being used at all besides chrome, memory usage low, and keboard light off or lowest settings. I'll give it 2 more charge cycles before I ask for a refund.

 

Has anyone experience with a lock for this laptop?

I have found the following lock online but cannot identify on videos and pictures if the gap between screen and body of the laptop is wide enough for one of the metal parts of this lock option.

Product page:
PNY

Video with explanation:
PNY ThinkSafe Portable MacBook Locking system - YouTube


The reason why this is relevant for me is that I will write my thesis next year what I will do in the library most of the time. So, I need an option to lock my laptop while I go to the restroom or receive a call and go out.
It does not have to be totally secure but it should be deterrent.

 

Does anybody else have more feedback on outdoor visibility and weight?

 

it doesnt matter disassembly is same.. only cpu is haswel

 

I can give you impressions this weekend, but why are you concerned about the weight? It seems like most review sites have reported the same information at just under 3 pounds.

 

It is just under 3 pounds and very manageable in my opinion. I tote is around all day and it's fine. Outdoor visibility might be an issue for you because of the glossy screen. I have tried using it outdoors and it can work if you max the brightness out. Definitely kiss that 6-7 hour battery life goodbye though if you choose to do so. Pretty sure I barely got 3 hours trying to use it under those conditions.

 

Does anyone know anything about the Acer Converter Port?

Is that a mini-DP compatible port that can output 1440p/1600p?

There's a different sized battery now and the port layout is different. The procedure might be similar but the parts are not, unfortunately.

 

I hate waiting for the UPS driver to show. Only a few hours until I see how the S7 performs. I got my computer. I am very happy with it compared to my really old Compaq laptop, that isn't a surprise. I am now just needing to understand Windows 8 and get used to it compared to Windows 7. I am also going to install Office 365 university so I can be all set to go with school and other stuff. Any quick suggestions for this Ultrabook or Windows 8 in general?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

Is WiFi working well on this model? Any problems with the latest drivers?

 

I haven't noticed any issues with wifi in the 24 hours I have had my computer.

 

Mines is still a bit finicky after the driver fix.

 

Windows 8.1 comes out October 16th as a free update to all users through the app store. It should make Windows 8 much more usable.

 

anyone with any key sticking issue? my enter key sticks if it pressed at the corner opposite to the laptop edge AND while scrolling with the left click pressed down, if I scroll long enough that side of the touch pad also sticks! it does eventually release in like 2 seconds. ANYONE? Can I send it back to Microsoft for a repair or swap?

 

Thank you for the info. I didn't know 8.1 was going to be a free update. I don't mind Windows 8 so much. I installed a Windows 7 start button which really helps out. I am getting used to the touch screen but I do wish we had a Fn row. That is something that would have been great to make this laptop superb instead of just great. I am loving it though and typing has been a fairly easy transition for me. I never could get used to my wife's Macbook Pro. This is more of a natural transition for me from my Compaq.

 

After some extended usage today (honestly the first time I've really sat down and needed to do some work on it) I had a few questions:

Does anyone elses scroll pad click while moving within the pad? I noticed while I was trying to hold down the scroll pad from the top to the bottom, the pad tends to "unclick" in the middle. Not really a big issue since the touch screen scrolls and I could use a mouse, but still curious if the build quality is an issue.

I have an odd issue with some keys not registering (which I've heard is normal) and other keys actually double registering. They're not getting stuck at all, but some are just double registering with one keystroke. Has anyone else had this issue?

 

Yeah, the keyboard sucks a lot. I get double spaces from the spacebar a lot, and my enter key sticks. Also, if you press down a key, you feel it click, but the keypress signal doesn't get reported until a little bit more pressure is applied. This is okay if you type heavily, but not if you type light and fast like I do. I've had to increase my typing pressure just to get keys to register (which makes my typing louder and more clack-y). You can test this by very slowly and carefully pressing down a key until it just barely clicks--sometimes you won't get a letter out of that. I think this is also why sometimes people get double keypresses. You can keep the key "clicked/pressed" and alter your finger pressure to output a letter, or nothing. It's pretty silly.

A keypress should output a signal, not a keypress + extra pressure = signal.

To combat the double-press issue, I increased the time I need to hold a key down before it starts repeating. This doesn't work in all cases, because of the pressure issue, but it helps.

 

I haven't had the clicking issue you speak of but occasionally I do have typing errors. Not often however. I quite like the keyboard overall, it just has taken a bit of getting used to. I am needing to keep my laptop further away so I can extend my arms more and make typing more comfortable. Overall I am pleased with the S7.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

Not sure if you have seen this yet. Humorous but relevant.

The Best Windows Ultrabook (So far) | The Wirecutter

 

Is the "Intel Dual Band Wireless-N 7260" the Wi-Fi adapter for this Acer S7-392?

This is actually the Wi-Fi adapter that has poor range and performance issues with Sony Vaio Pro 13.

If it is, do you guys experience the same Wi-Fi problem as the Vaio Pro 13 from this thread: Weak WiFi performance of Haswell Sony Vaio Pro with Intel N-7260 + Bluetooth 4.0

 

It doesn't take much searching to DL the RTM of 8.1 right now. However, if you are expecting some magic from it you will be disappointed plus it is still significantly buggy to want to avoid it. I hope they have a whole slew of fixes waiting on October 19th.

 

I must be a lucky one because my wifi has been perfect in my house. I have a split level home and use my laptop most of the time in the basement. That is about 30ft if you drew a straight line to my router without anything in the way. Obviously going through 2 floors and the walls I feel I would see some degradation but I have yet to have an issue.

 

How much better is the i7 or the i5 in the 392 or is the upgrade marginal and not worth the money?

 

It's a marginal upgrade, the only real benefit is a slightly higher clockspeed when all the cores are loaded. They'll both turbo pretty high and you won't notice a difference.

The problem with i5 vs i7 in this form factor is the TDP. Both are limited to 15W, so once they heat up they'll perform about the same anyway.

Basically, spend your money elsewhere like on a larger SSD instead of a "faster" CPU.

 

I don't know how the i5 is but I know the i7 is snappy. I am not complaining about this laptop one bit.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

Anyone know if an extended battery is likely for this laptop?

Also, anyone have an opinion on the Aspire S7 vs. Sony VAIO Pro 13?

Thanks!

 

Don't even consider the Vaio Pro 13 until Sony fixes their humiliating Wi-Fi issues with that laptop. People are literally resorting to USB Wi-Fi adapter just to get a stable and fast connection. See this Sony thread for the Vaio Pro 13's Wi-Fi problems: [New Sony Vaio Pro] Wifi Issue! - Page 59 - Sony Community

 

Looking at reviews and forums people seem to have some serious issues with the Sony. I see people complain about the wifi a lot and fan noise. Personally I only played with the sony for half an hour. The device was very lightweight but the downside to this is how flexible it is. I was really turned off by this.

But reviews for the S7 have been excellent. And as of now many reviewers believe it is the best ultrabook.

 

I have the VAIO Pro currently but for less than 2 weeks so I can still return it. The WiFi was never an issue after doing some updates and I've tried it on many different routers. Safe to say, it's not an issue for me.

The only thing that is an issue for me is battery life which, from reviews, both ultrabooks are pretty equivalent. However, because the VAIO has an extended battery available, I'm leaning towards it. On the flip side, the build and feel of the Aspire is something that value too, but not too sure if it's worth the ~$300 premium.

I guess it's my choice obviously, but it's tough!

 

I would say the difference is you don't need an extended battery for the S7.

 

Hi all - question for other 392 owners out there.

I received the laptop today from Amazon and the touchpad clicking sensation feels odd to me. Curious if anyone else has this issue.

The physical click on the left feels different to the click on the right - it requires significantly more downward pressure and makes a different sound when clicked. It's feels pretty strange and annoying to me - anyone else noticed this?

 

I haven't noticed Amy physical difference with my touchpad. It clicks the same throughout.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

Yea, I'm going for replacement option from Amazon. Fairly frustrating,

 

Mine has inconsistent areas on the touchpad where its harder to push down but I hardly use it. I've been using the touchscreen instead, but now that has been jumping around for no reason.

 

Where can we find the Acer connector port accessories? I saw on their site they had a USB 2, VGA and Ethernet all in one dongle but don't know if its compatible with this laptop.

 

They list that dongle as compatible with the 392: Acer Store: MINI CP CABLE TO VGA/LAN/USB

 

That's great, didn't see that there. Any idea the speed of the LAN connection?

 

I'd guess it's 10/100 (Fast Ethernet), not Gigabit. That seems to be the trend nowadays since there are fewer PCIe lanes for these low power chipsets. It's unfortunate but I'm sure for the same price you could pick up a USB3 to GBE adapter, or just spend a little more and get a USB3 docking station of some sort... I think the fact that this dongle has so much stuff in one port is pretty nice. Much more useful than I thought it'd be, and 12MB/s is fast enough for everything except NAS purposes.

Does anyone know if the port can actually function as a mini DisplayPort though?

 

Well, after a month, I think the internals are very well done, but the keyboard is really just too different for me. I wanted something perfect for its high-end price.

 

I have tested the port out with monoprice.com 'mini DisplayPort to VGA' & 'mini DisplayPort to HDMI' adapters. Both worked fine. As far as I can tell, the port on these acer's is (physically, at least) the same as mini DisplayPort...just with perhaps a few extra contacts to connect/transmit usb 2.0 protocol signals.

 

have you tried outputting to two monitors + laptop screen using this? I believe haswell added that ability

 

Sorry, no. I only got to play around with this particular model for a little while, as a friend--now on the opposite side of the country--recently purchased one.