The 13.3in Aspire S3 Ultrabook model 391 is an entry-level ultrabook, and while it might not have the performance of more expensive ultrabooks, it's still a great combo for anyone wanting a super-portable with great battery life for common computing tasks. We never tire of saying these machines are great for students because they are affordable and will easily deal with all email, web surfing and Office tasks. They're not too shabby when it comes to graphics too, because of Intel's onboard HD 3000 graphics, although you won't be playing any serious games on them.
PROCESSOR - The engine of the computer
The Aspire S3 has a 2nd Gen Intel Core i3 -2367M (1.3GHz) CPU, an entry-level low-voltage processor that can comfortably handle the basics most people use computers for, but is not ideal for intensive professional applications. Also, this is an older generation chip now, from the "Sandy Bridge " family. Intel has just released a new set of processors nicknamed "Ivy Bridge," which give you more battery life and other benefits but you won't find these yet in Ultrabooks at this price level.
GRAPHICS - What moves the graphics you see on the screen
The Aspire S3 has an integrated graphics solution called Intel HD Graphics 3000. It’s on par with a low-end dedicated graphics card and is sufficient for modern games at the lowest settings, i.e, marginal. But that's not the point, HD 3000 is not for gaming machines but for handling basic graphics tasks.
RAM - The memory in which the computer does its computations
The Aspire S3 has 4GB of RAM, which is enough to run several basic programs at once smoothly and plenty for ensuring fluid overall system performance with Windows 7 Home Premium.
STORAGE - Where the computer stores its data
The Aspire S3 has has a 500GB mechanical hard drive, which is reasonably large for an affordable laptop. But it also comes with a tiny 20GB solid state drive for rapid resume and starting of programs. Not only does this combo of mechanical and SSD keep the price down (since large SSDs are very expensive) but with the smaller SSD it provides many of the performance benefits of SSD-only systems.
SCREEN - The pixels you see
The Aspire S3 has a 13.3in (1,366 x 768 resolution) gloss screen. The viewing angles and colour vibrancy are about average.
PORTABILITY - How easy it is to carry around
The Aspire S3 has exceptional portability, because it weighs 1.4kg and is 17.5mm thick. These dimensions mean it can be slid into a bag or case and you'll barely notice it among all your other folders and magazines.
Forget what makers say. Our experience with these Acers (and most Ultrabooks) is that they give you around 4 hours of battery life with moderate usage.