Acer Aspire TimelineX AS4830T

Acer Aspire TimelineX AS4830T-6841

The Acer Aspire TimelineX AS4830T-6841's pleasing aesthetics and powerful Core i5 processor are reason enough to consider it for your next mainstream laptop; its nine-plus hour battery life sweetens the deal. Available at Costco for $649.99, this durable 14-inch laptop has a lot going for it but it comes up short in terms of features. The TimelineX AS4830T-6841 uses the same design as the 15-inch TimelineX 5830TG-6402 ($799.99 direct, 3.5 stars); its sturdy aluminum lid is done up in a nice cobalt-blue finish and contains a polished Acer logo in its center. Like the Dell Inspiron 14z ($750 direct, 4 stars), the TimelineX weighs 4.5 pounds. It measures just 1.2 inches at its thickest point and is an easy-to-shoulder travel companion. Comparatively, the Asus U46E-BAL5 ($699.99 list, 4.5 stars) weighs 4.9 pounds and Samsung QX411-W01 ($799.99 list, 4 stars) comes in at 5.1 pounds. The AS4830T-6841 uses a sealed 6-cell battery, so it wouldn't be considered user replaceable, which may be a deal breaker for some users. There's no room for a dedicated number pad on the brushed silver keyboard deck, but the chiclet-style keyboard offers decent sized keys that are easy to type on.