It looks like a netbook, but the Acer Aspire 1810T doesn’t act like one. In fact, this 11-inch ultraportable offers very good performance for its size, while still offering all-day battery life. That’s because this machine is loaded with a relatively powerful dual-core Intel Ulta-Low Voltage (ULV) processor—not the meager Atom CPU. The $599 asking price is somewhat steep compared to netbooks, but those looking for something with considerably more gusto—and nearly 9 hours of battery life—can’t go wrong with this system.
Design
From the outside, the Acer Aspire 1810T is almost identical in looks to the Acer Aspire One 751h netbook; at 11.2 x 8.0 x 1.2 inches and 3.2 pounds, it’s practically the same size and weight. It has a glossy, sapphire blue lid with Acer’s metal logo impressed in the lower corner of the lid, which picks up fingerprints fairly easily. This same color extends to the deck, which is offset by the matte black keyboard and glossy black bezel.
One key difference between the 751h and the 1810T is that the latter’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.
Keyboard and Touchpad
Like most other new Acer notebooks, the 1810T’s keyboard has flat, non-chamfered plastic keys that have a slightly textured feel. The layout is 92 percent of full size—larger than that found on the HP Mini 311—and we appreciate that the large right Shift key is in the proper place. We were typing at full speed in no time at all.
The touchpad sits flush with the deck, and is only demarcated by two lines on either side. At 2.6 x 1.5 inches, it’s decently sized, and slightly larger than the 751h’s 2.5 x 1.6-inch touchpad; we liked that it offered little resistance as we moved our finger across it. (Toshiba’s mini NB205 still offers the largest touchpad around, at 3.1 x 1.6 inches.) The two accompanying silver buttons proved nice and crisp, an improvement over the 751h’s single bar.
Display and Sound
Like other notebooks with 11.6-inch displays, the 1810T’s has a resolution of 1366 x 768. Those extra vertical pixels mean less scrolling when viewing Web pages or documents, and that you can view high-definition content in 1080p.
The screen is quite bright. When we watched an episode of The Simpsons on Hulu, we enjoyed pleasant colors and good viewing angles even from oblique side views; it was as if we were watching the show on our TV. While the glossy finish limited our view to the front, we were still able to make out the clip when we dipped the lid forward slightly.
The 1810T’s speakers, located on the underside of the front lip, were fine for a small notebook, but their placement caused sound to be muffled while the system was in our lap; when the notebook was placed on a hard surface, such as a coffee table, sound was more amplified as it reflected upward.
Ports and Webcam
On the right side of the 1810T is an Ethernet port, a Kensington lock slot, two USB ports, headphone and mic ports, and a 5-in-1 memory card reader. On the left-hand side is a VGA port, a third USB port, and HDMI output (something the Atom-powered 751h lacks). Underneath the front lip are well-concealed switches to activate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The 1.3-megapixel webcam mounted above the display was acceptable; colors, such as a dark green shirt, were reproduced well in a video call over Skype. Our caller also said that the image was sufficiently lighted, and that motion blur only became an issue if we waved our hand vigorously.
