Acer Timeline X 4820T Review

Acer Timeline X 4820T

This slim laptop has decent processing power and is ideal for surfing the net and watching movies

Pros: Powerful Core i3 processor upgrade from earlier model, thin frame and lightweight, screen great for watching HD movies, comfortable keyboard and multi-touch touch-pad, good battery life

Cons: Screen hinge is a little weak, a little expensive

Expert Review :

Now, Acer has renewed the Timeline series with the Timeline X 4820T laptop, which we have for review today. The most interesting change in the 4820T is the upgrade to a regular laptop-grade Core i3 330M processor. However, what's more interesting is that Acer still prints the same "8 hour" battery life claim like they did with the Timeline 4810TZ. In our tests, the 4810TZ did manage to survive for 5-6 hours of real world usage, which was a good show by itself. Other than a change in design, the rest of the internal specs are the same. So, will the Core i3 processor end up wrecking the Timeline X's high battery life claim

? Let's find out.

 

Design and Build : 

The Timeline X 4820T has gone through some cosmetic changes and looks different than the 4810TZ. The lid has a brushed metallic finish. On the inside too the grey-black combination is applied rather nicely; the color tone suggesting that the laptop is cut out for business professionals.

On the inside it retains the same 14-inch, 1366 x 768 pixel LCD screen. Text is fairly readable, but there was a slight reddish tint observed when the brightness was toned down. But on the other hand movies, especially 1080p HD ones looked awesome on it. One will definitely enjoy watching hi-def content on this laptop. The brightness is fairly high too. The webcam also delivers good cl
arity in a well-lit room.  

 Benchmarks :

We're obviously pitting it against the Acer Timeline 4810TZ; the predecessor with the lower-voltage Pentium Dual-core U4100 processor. We'll also compare it to the recently tested Dell Inspiron 14R, another 14-inch laptop that's a lot more bulkier than this. But it runs the faster Core i5 processor and is paired with the ATI Radeon 5470 graphics. 

Real World Performance : 

As you saw in the graphs before, the Timeline X 4820T delivers a considerably better performance than the 4810TZ on every count. The difference can be felt slightly even while doing day-to-day tasks; everything works smooth and swiftly. The laptop did not have any trouble handling HD content; 1080p videos played back smoothly and looked beautiful on the screen. But Intel's HD graphics can only go so far; gaming is honestly not an option. Maybe a light weight one like Counter Strike or anything before NFS Most Wanted should run; on medium settings of course.  

Price :

The Timeline X 4820T sells for Rs. 40,000. It's priced a little above the Timeline 4810TZ that comes for Rs.34,000. But you're getting two things in the bargain; a Core i3 processor that is now able to run your programs a little faster and a nicer looking design. The battery life is also better than what you'd get from a typical 14-inch laptop. 

If you're looking for a slim laptop to surf the net, watch movies, but feel that you should have decent processing power on demand, then the Timeline X is your perfect match. Acer has one-upped itself by providing a good mix of performance, usability and battery life with the 4820T.


We feel Rs. 35,000 will be sweet price tag for the Timeline X 4820T.


PS: If you are considering to game on your laptop, then this laptop is not for you.