Acer Timeline Ultra m5?

[kDrum]

I couldn't find anything about this laptop recent on this forum - does anybody have/is looking at the Timeline Ultra M5? It seems very attractive for its price, essentially the same as something like a Vizio laptop for less, assuming you're willing to make sacrifices in screen etc. Does anybody own this, and if so, what do you think about it?

For anybody curious, this model/this notebook: http://www.amazon.com/Acer-TimelineU...+Timeline+U+M5

[vacaloca]

Here are the specs as per Acer:
Acer Support: Specifications

I had a 4830TG and upgraded to the M5-481TG. Acer's chat support is a joke, they don't know what they're talking about and I couldn't talk to anyone useful.

My own questions were:

Q1: User replaceable battery? - Internal as in 4830TG series, same battery as in Acer Aspire M3 ultrabook.
Q2: 2GB RAM soldered on motherboard? presumably, although I did not remove motherboard completely, there is 1 DDR3 slot with a 2GB DIMM, which supports an 8GB DIMM
Q3: 500 GB hard drive form-factor - SATA 2.5", WD Scorpio Blue - WDC WD5000LPVT-22G33T0
Q4: Backlit keypad? - Yes, Fn+F9 triggers it
Q5: HDMI analog support? - Nope, tried HDMI->VGA cable and doesn't detect display. I got this little converter and I'm amazed at what it does, has worked on 4 different monitors flawlessly!
Q6: 20GB SSD form factor - mSATA mini PCIe, same as the one in Acer Aspire S3 ultrabook
Q7: A/C adapter has a right-angle or straight connection to laptop? right-angle connection. LITEON PA-1650-69, output: 19V DC, 3.42A, 65W max, either blocks vents slightly or ports a bit.
Q8: Optical drive form-factor/model/manufacturer - 9.5mm height, HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GU61N

Dimemsions for comparison between 4830TG and M5-481TG:

M5-481TG: 340 (W) x 245 (D) x 20.7/20.7 (H) mm
  4830TG: 339 (W) x 239 (D) x 22.6/29.9 (H) mm

[Bronsky]

I would wait to see what the Gigabyte U2442N looks like and the price is before I would buy one of these. From its specs, the U2442N looks like a more worthy successor to the TimelineX series with full powered CPU, GT650M GPU option, HD+ display and Thunderbolt port.

[vacaloca]

Thanks for the info on the Gigabyte U2442N. The 2GB GT650M, 1600x900 display and native VGA output is nice, but for the dual vents you sacrifice the optical drive, which I wanted to keep. That and my eyesight is a bit meh, I'm stretching it with the 1366x768 on the current 4830TG... *rolls eyes*

I don't see a Thunderbolt port on the Gigabyte 2442N, just HDMI. Something I'm missing?

Specs link:
GIGABYTE - Notebook / Slate & Device - Notebook & Netbook - U series - U2442N

I already have a 256GB SSD and a 9.5mm Blu-ray burner on the 4830TG, so assuming the form factor is the same (pretty sure of it) I will reuse both in the M5-481TG.

[kDrum]

Well I don't want to wait forever. Does anybody even know when the U2442n comes out? And from what I saw, prices are 1k+, which seems like it isn't even in the same range of the Timeline.

[Bronsky]

Well I don't want to wait forever. Does anybody even know when the U2442n comes out? And from what I saw, prices are 1k+, which seems like it isn't even in the same range of the Timeline.

The Gigabyte was in stock in Taiwan. The few notebooks they had at PCHome sold out right away. Price is $1,200. http://shopping.pchome.com.tw/DHAV0V-A64336387 PCHome will ship to the US. Don't know if Gigabyte's warranty is international. Should not be long before this comes to the US. But you guys are right, the Acer is 40% less.

[kDrum]

Yeah, there is a reason the Acer is worse than the gigabyte, they aren't even the same price range :P

If gigabyte can make a 900$ laptop I would definitely consider it. Have to decide between the Acer (price) and the vizio (better peripherals/inputs) now.

[vacaloca]

Well, I bit on the M5-481TG. (see next posts for details)

[kDrum]

Oh cool. Please do make a review!

Can you do something like Furmark stress test for temps, battery life, screen data (subjective or otherwise) keyboard/trackpad feel and maybe some games?

Also... boot time!

(All of this is optional, just what I'm hoping for.)

[vacaloca]

Oh cool. Please do make a review!

Can you do something like Furmark stress test for temps, battery life, screen data (subjective or otherwise) keyboard/trackpad feel and maybe some games?

Also... boot time!

(All of this is optional, just what I'm hoping for.)

haha, furmark/prime95 i'll def do. Maybe try sims 3 since the gf plays that, maybe another game of choice. I'll keep it stock, then test with the crucial m4 256gb ssd i have. Most of the rest is suggestive, but i will try to compare against my 4830tg.

My purpose is to have a mobile kepler platform, since i'm working on some cuda code as part of phd research, and would be nice to not have to remote into desktop or be glued to it.