Product Review: Acer Aspire Laptop Computer

After spending a few laborious weeks researching and studying up on the latest laptop computers, I am now able to pronounce myself a proud laptop owner. The sense of accomplishment and triumph that I feel after having successfully navigated the confusing world of laptop computers is almost beyond description. I have never been the most technologically advanced guy around. Whenever I am in need of some type of electronic or technological help or advice, I just do what comes naturally to me: I ask more knowledgeable friends for help! The technical aspects of things have never really interested me. I'm much better at operating something once it is put together and functional. I really don't care to know how something works; I just want it to work well and be easy to operate. If something breaks or is confusing for me to figure out, I just place a few well-directed phone calls and help is on the way. But I vowed to do things differently in my quest to find the right laptop - my first laptop, by the way. I was going to handle the entire assignment myself; no help from anyone. All research and, ultimately, the selection, was going to be done by me.

I have to admit to feeling more than a little overwhelmed at the start of my laptop hunt. I really didn't know where to start. I actually started off very simple by going to the various electronics stores and just eying the various laptops; trying to get a feel for how I would like my laptop to look and feel; how the keyboard was arranged, and how the overall layout was put together. This is something that would not have been possible if I had elected to purchase a laptop on-line, without first inspecting the exact model of laptop prior to purchasing online. I have heard horror stories about people who have purchased laptops online for great deals only to be disappointed with the laptop keyboard or overall layout of the computer upon arrival. I made it an absolute requirement that I would have to be comfortable with the laptop keyboard and overall layout of the laptop, no matter what the price.

I then dove head first into learning the technical aspects of the various laptop computers. I learned about all of the important things that an aspiring laptop owner should know, things like gigabytes, memory, RAM, processor speed, e.t.c. I basically put myself through a crash course on what makes a laptop tick. So now, instead of looking at a laptop computer and wondering what all those crazy numbers and specifications mean, I pretty much know what it all means. By becoming literate in computer specifications, I assured that I would be able to select a laptop that had enough speed, power, and memory for my intended tasks. And this same computer knowledge would prevent me from purchasing a more expensive computer that was equipped with too many extras that I would never use. In addition to having to actually speak the laptop jargon, I had to answer a few basic questions that all would-be laptop owners should ask themselves: What am I planning on using the laptop for? Do I need it for gaming? Do I plan on storing a lot of data - pictures, songs, video's, e.t.c. Or, as in my case, is my intended use going to revolve around typing papers for school and surfing the Internet? By determining what your needs are you will be in a better position to choose a laptop that is geared for your intended use. Many of the high-end laptops are equipped with gobs of memory and extra features that you may have no use for. So, more expensive is not necessarily better from a purely functional point of view.

In the end, I chose a laptop that had a good blend of speed, memory, and price. I purchased an Acer Aspire laptop with an Intel Duo Core processor and a standard 15.4 inch wide screen. My laptop came equipped with a 160 gigabyte hard drive and 2 gigabytes of RAM. This is more memory than I will probably ever need for school and for my writing, but it was a sale item with a generous rebate, so I jumped at the offer. In addition to the technical aspect of my new Acer laptop, I was really impressed with the keyboard layout and the overall workmanship of the laptop. From what I understand, Acer hasn't been involved in the laptop game as long as many of the more established brands like Toshiba, HP, or Dell, but over the course of my research, the general consensus seemed to be that Acer made a quality product. I actually read a ton of customer reviews online about the exact same model of laptop that I purchased, and the majority of those reviews were more than favorable.

So, in the end, I am glad that I took my time to research various laptop computers before plunging in and buying one. I used to have this vision of me just walking into a store and buying the first laptop that the salesman recommended. Thankfully, I fought the urge to purchase on a whim, and I feel confident that my work and pre-planning have paid off in a quality laptop. So far, after three solid days of use, my laptop is working beautifully. And I expect that trend to continue!