Acer Aspire 5742-6814

Acer Aspire 5742 (6814)

Quick: What's the most popular size notebook? What's the most popular price? If you guessed 15 inches and $500, you'd be right on both counts. The Acer Aspire 5742 hits both of those sweet spots, and, while compromises must be made when you're talking about a budget system, this notebook largely satisfies. While its specs (Core i3 CPU, 1366 x 768 display, 320GB hard drive) won't blow anyone away, they're good enough for the vast majority of people who just need a notebook to surf the web, do office work, watch video, and stay on top of their social networking feeds.Both the lid and the deck of the Aspire 5742 is a matte black that resists fingerprints well. It has grid-like indentations patterned to look like diamond plating. Looks-wise, it's on a par with less expensive Toshiba Satellites, such as the L or C series, but not as attractive as the pricier Samsung SF510 ($629), which has a distinctive wave design, ivory lid, and chocolate brown interior.As with most budget notebooks, the 5742 is otherwise unadorned with stylized accents or special buttons. Above the keyboard is a nondescript speaker grille; on the left is a power button and status lights for the hard drive and Wi-Fi.