Consumer Reports

Hi,
I'm new to the notebook world and am still in the research stage. I noticed that Consumer Reports has reviewed notebooks but they did not include any by Acer. Does anyone know why they were omitted?

Thanks!

 

Well, it isn't hard to think of a few reason. Ha, ha, ha......

Anyway, Consumer Reports tends to have very peculiar and imprecise testing criteria for electronics. If a brand is omitted, it doesn't mean very much.

As far as Acer, it's a brand you buy if you're more concerned about saving $10-15 over a comparable HP or Dell. You get what you pay for.

My advice is to pay for quality. If you're the sort of person who subscribes to Consumer Reports, you probably care about quality, support and reliability. Do yourself a favor and buy a business quality notebook with full support and a standard 3 year warranty. Read the E6410 review.

Of course, you could also buy a sub-$300 notebook on Black Friday. You get what you pay for, which is true of any brand, including Acer.

 

Price difference is much more significant between comparable models- you can save up to $200 on a mid range machine with dedicated graphics.
On top of that Acer has no quality problems as long as you compare similar lines of notebooks. They've switched to metal chassis with the launch of TimeLineX and we're yet to see quality problems on their part.
In case of Dell and HP you're not paying for quality, you're paying for support.
Acer offers no driver updates (BIOS updates are available though) and no support phone-line. Their service is OK but support is nonexistent.

As for reviews I'd recommend websites that specialize in notebook reviews like NBR or notebookcheck & notebookjournal rather than people who test everything from refrigerators to mobile phones.

 

They're afraid of getting writer's cramp .

Bronsky

 

Acer is like Linux.
Pros get their way around it, n00bs curse and swear.
Pricing is similar...

 

Acer is good, if you buy a good one. You can't expect a $500 notebook to be as high quality as a $1500 one.

But, I've had lots of luck with Asus, and they're priced about the same as acers.

 

Is it really "you get what you pay for"?

There are exceptions to those rules.

If you're a Consumer Reports reader, or a reader of
other electronics/computer review websites and magazines,
then you must be a meticulate and knowledgeable consumer.

Acer is a brand that is comparable to quality and performance
with Dell and HP. There is a difference in support, I agree with downloads
that you're paying for Dell/HP support. But I've
read stories of poor Dell/HP quality and support also.

The price difference is just $10-$15?
In the lower end or older models, that is possible.
But if you're planning to purchase a model with the latest
hardware, there is a major difference.

An example is the Acer 4820TG with the specs of a 14" screen (1366x768 resolution),
i5-460m CPU, and HD 5650 GPU. With similar specs, the price difference is more like
$200 or more (unless there's a sale or coupons, etc.)
for a Dell (XPS 14) or an HP (DV6 / Envy 14).
The hardware performance and quality is comparable to a Dell or HP.

So something cheaper, like an Acer, doesn't necessarily mean it's lesser
in performance or quality.

 

Thanks for all the helpful feedback. I've spent some more time on NBR's site looking at feedback. My budget is small and my needs are pretty modest, so I will definitely keep Acer as an option. I'm also looking at an Asus, which looks pretty nice so far.

 

Value can really vary from model to model, so asking about specific machines is a good idea.