Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T

Acer's 11.6-inch Aspire Timeline series has produced a number of strong performers below $600. But how much more could an extra Benjamin buy? The latest model in the line, the TimelineX 1830T, features the new Intel Core i5-430UM processor. This ULV CPU makes Acer's ultraportable one of the most powerful on the market under a grand, while delivering nearly 6 hours of battery life. We also like the textured lid and sleek lines. Is all of that worth $699?

Design

The Aspire TimelineX 1830T looks nearly identical to the Aspire One 721 netbook. It has the same svelte profile (1 to 1.1 inches thin) but weighs a little bit more (2.8 pounds versus 3 pounds). Nevertheless, the 1830T is easy to carry, and its dual-core horsepower is worth the extra few ounces.
We're glad that Acer has ditched the fingerprint-magnet glossy lids for a black matte cover; ours had a pattern on the lid that was reminiscent of diamond plating. Inside, the deck looks like brushed aluminum. As with previous models, the keyboard is matte black, and the bezel is a glossy black.
Thankfully, the 1810T's six-cell battery does not bulge out the back. Instead, it bumps out of the bottom, tilting the system at a slight downward angle towards the user.

Heat

Overall, the 1830T ran slightly warmer than the 1810TZ, but not by much. After playing a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes, the touchpad and the area between the G and H keys was 88 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively, and the middle of the undercarriage got as high as 101 degrees. That last temperature is almost a cause for concern; we consider anything over 100 degrees to be hot.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Like most other Acer notebooks, the 1810T's keyboard has Acer's flat, non-chamfered FineTip keys that have a slightly textured feel. The layout is close to full size, and we appreciate that the right Shift key is large and in the proper place. We were typing at full speed in no time at all.

The touchpad sits flush with the deck, and it's only demarcated by two lines on either side. At 2.6 x 1.5 inches, it's a bit small, and we found ourselves having to swipe more than we'd like to move around the desktop. The accompanying silver buttons proved nice and crisp. However, the build quality of our model was somewhat questionable: while the buttons were aligned correctly on the identical Aspire One 721, we noticed that the left button on the 1830T was slightly higher in the middle.

Display and Sound

The 1830T's 11.6-inch display has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, which is pretty standard for screens this size. That means less scrolling when viewing web pages or documents than when using a netbook, and that you can view high-definition content in 720p. The screen is bright, too. When watching High Fidelity on Hulu, we enjoyed fairly good colors—reds were a little muted—and deep blacks; three people view the screen comfortably sitting side by side. However, the glossy finish created distracting reflections.
The 1810T's speakers, located on the underside of the deck's front lip, were fine for a small notebook (lack of bass notwithstanding), but their placement caused sound to be muffled while the notebook was in our lap. When the notebook was placed on a hard surface, such as a coffee table, music played from Slacker was able to reflect upwards, and was more amplified.
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