Acer Aim Schedule Extra M3 Complete Review: A True 15-inch Ultrabook

Review Summary:

If you are in the market for an ultrabook with a large screen, excellent video editing and gaming performance, and a premium fit and finish then the Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M3 deserves serious consideration.

Pros

• Unbelievable graphics performance
• Thin and light yet well built
• Good keyboard and large touchpad

Cons

• Bad location for power button
• All ports are in back
• Nasty hot spot on the bottom

One simple problem has been unpleasant us since the appearance of the ultrabook type of slim, Intel-based top quality netbooks last year: Ultrabooks don't really produce top quality efficiency. Acer wishes to change that with the new Aim Schedule Extra M3; the first 15-inch ultrabook with high-performance NVIDIA GeForce 640M design within. Can a thin-and-light ultrabook really offer you "ultra" performance?

Build & Design

At first look the Acer Aim Schedule Extra M3 looks like a basic wide screen laptop computer with a slim information, but take a nearer look and you'll see the all-metal external covering a very well-equipped ultrabook with many slots and a nice key pad. While the 15-inch impact and 20mm width of the case makes this the biggest "ultrabook" we've analyzed to date, that dimension provides just enough room for a tray-loading visual drive and some highly effective inner elements. It's reasonable to indicate that the unique idea for "ultrabooks" was top quality slim netbooks depending on the 11-inch and 13-inch Apple MacBook Air, but it's also reasonable to indicate that many people like larger displays and full-sized controls ... and 15-inch netbooks remain the most popular laptop computer computer dimension in terms of sales here in the United Declares.

The mineral magnesium metal lid and case provide Extra M3 the advantage of lightweight and the longevity of steel development. The matte-black complete looks professional and clean while the chiclet-style key pad and large touch pad give this ultrabook more customer charm. As opposed to some slim and lighting netbooks with steel covers, the display lid on the Extra M3 is amazingly powerful and should records protection for the display when you're visiting. As for the case itself, Acer loaded as many elements within as possible so the M3 seems powerful when you pick it up; there are no poor areas or empty appears to be when you tap your fingers and hands on laptops computer computer.
A serious, rather terrible drawback in the style of the Extra M3 is the place of the energy option. For some reason that destinations me, someone at Acer determined to place the energy option on the top side side of laptops computer. Not only that, but the top side side is set at an angle down a little bit and the energy option is a delicate pressure-activated change ... significance that if you use the M3 as a "laptop" you can accidentally media the energy option with your lap just by pushing down strongly on the palmrest.

I wish someone at Acer is examining this. Whoever is accountable for the keeping this energy option needs to be relocated to a different office at Acer. Anyone who believes it is an excellent option to put a pressure-activated energy option on the top side side of a computer should not be developing netbooks.

On a more content observe, the Extra M3 is amazingly easy to update in comparison to other ultrabooks. Most current ultrabooks have enclosed case styles that avoid you from improving components like RAM or the disk generate. The M3 features a practical access section on the end where you can substitute out important components like the RAM, Wi-Fi card, disk generate or the optionally available mSATA SSD. This gives the M3 a unique advantage over the competitors since it means you can update elements over time.
Screen and Speakers

The 15.6-inch bright display is one Acer's "CineCrystal" shows with LED backlighting. There is just one screen excellent at a lot of length of this writing; a rather ineffective 1366x768. However, the bright external on this screen isn't as a sign as some of the bright shows we've seen on other ultrabooks ... importance you won't have to fight with serious glare and glare as much. Still, a lcd option would have been a recognized operate to help with visibility outside under sunlight. The colors don't appear far too over packed at conventional adjustments and evaluation is very frequent.

Screen and Speakers
The 15.6-inch glossy display is one Acer's "CineCrystal" screens with LED backlighting. There is just one screen resolution at the time of this writing; a rather unimpressive 1366x768. However, the glossy surface on this screen isn't as reflective as some of the glossy screens we've seen on other ultrabooks ... meaning you won't have to struggle with harsh glare and reflections as much. Still, a matte screen option would have been a welcomed feature to help with visibility outdoors under direct sunlight. The colors don't appear overly saturated at default settings and contrast is pretty average.


As with all TN panels, the viewing angles on the M3's screen are pretty average: The screen looks great when viewed from straight on or from a modest horizontal angle, but the colors appear washed out when viewed from above and colors look inverted when viewed from below. We would love it if every ultrabook featured an IPS display with near perfect colors at all viewing angles, but the higher cost probably isn't something the average consumer wants to pay. As long as you tilt the screen so your eyes are parallel to the screen you'll probably think the screen looks great.

When it comes to audio, The Ultra M3 features stereo speakers with Dolby Home Theater branding located on the bottom front edge of the chassis. The speakers are large enough to produce high volume with good clarity but the location means you can muffle the sound if you use the M3 on your lap and you're wearing thick clothing. On the other hand, the metal chassis is so thin that sound passes up through the palmrests even if you block the speakers on the bottom.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The full-size chiclet-style keyboard is a simple layout with a dedicated number pad and no LED backlighting. The individual keys are matte black with silver trim around the keyboard tray. The matte black keys are surrounded by the aluminum frame of the notebook. There are also dedicated home, page up, page down and end keys located above the number pad. The keyboard tray is quite firm with more than adequate support structure. There is no flex or keyboard bounce when typing with firm pressure. The individual keys have a short throw (the distance between pressed and unpressed) and the key action itself is very quiet; you won't disturb others while typing in a quiet office or classroom.
The ELAN touchpad is actually a massive "clickpad" (a touchpad surface which lets you press down anywhere to produce a click). There are no dedicated left and right mouse buttons but the clickpad has shallow feedback when pressed. The only complaint we have about this touchpad is that it sometimes has trouble understanding the difference between a left click and a right click unless you press down on the extreme left or extreme right bottom corner of the clickpad.