Windows 8 works great with touchscreens. For this reason, the Taiwanese company Acer has opted for this system in its Aspire V5 Touch. Apparently, it is a traditional laptop, with its keyboard and trackpad , but the way of handling it has changed. And the fact is, the large touch panel perfectly complements the handling of the equipment and offers you new facilities. Depending on the use we want to give it, we can have a Windows 7 computer , with its mouse and keyboard. But for certain functions we will have a large touch screen with an operating system adapted to this type of monitor.

It is also a powerful computer, well designed and light, although without going into the impossible measures of the Ultrabook . A device that works for everything in general, with two screen sizes to adapt to different uses. Below, we thoroughly review all the features of the Acer Aspire V5 Touch.

Design and display

The model has two different screen sizes to choose from. The smallest model has a 14-inch diagonal screen. The other model has a 15.6-inch screen.

Despite the variety of possible configurations, the screen resolution is a constant in both models . They feature a widescreen format 16: 9 with a resolution of  1366 x 768 pixels . It is a more than enough value for what we usually do with a laptop , and adjusted to the type of screen it has. The screen of all models is, as we have indicated, tactile in nature . It has the ability to detect up to ten fingers simultaneously on the screen, so there is no problem in executing all the gestures that the operating system or an application requires to function.

The general design of the equipment is close to the very thin forms of the Ultrabook , although it is out of this category for some details. It has a thickness of between 21 and 23 millimeters, depending on which model and screen configuration we choose. It is a very low value, which draws attention if we are not used to seeing this type of equipment . However, it is not the thinnest on the market, as we found a large number of Ultrabooks a few millimeters thinner. In any case, the price of these equipment is much more competitive than that of the Ultrabook . The weight is around two kilos, also depending on the configuration we choose. It's a good value, although as with thickness, not too surprising.

Processor and memory

One of the strengths of this team is that it has a single and excellent processor for the entire range. Specifically, the  Intel i7 Dual Core at 2 Ghz.

When it comes to RAM, the situation is similar to that of processors: different capacities for different needs . The lowest value that we can choose is 4 GB, associated with the least powerful processors, while the highest in the range have up to 8 GB . They are adequate values ​​and adapted to the different processors with which they have to work.

Internal storage also moves on a relatively large range depending on the model. All hard disk models are of the Seria ATA type, and their capacity ranges from 320 GB in the humbler model to 1 TB in the superior model . Storage is one of the issues that differentiates these teams from Ultrabooks, since they have preferred to keep traditional hard drives instead of having the new solid memory drives SSD, faster but with less capacity.

Operating system and applications

The fact that the screen of these computers is touch is a consequence of the operating system they use. Windows 8 is intended to operate primarily with your fingers. Its main interface is a succession of different colored rectangles that provide direct access to the most common applications. It's a path that Microsoft took on Windows Phone 7 mobile phones , and has extended to computers and tablets since it introduced Windows 8.

However, the change from Windows 7 to Windows 8 may be too radical for some users. For this reason, Win 8 has the possibility of recovering the previous interface to function as a traditional laptop. It's a lifesaver for less change-loving users. In addition, the "regression" to Win 7 is not only in the form, but also in the content. And it is that Win 8 is completely compatible with all the applications (programs) that we used previously.

Microsoft wanted to provide the launch of its latest operating system with an application store to match. The intention is that it will have about 100,000 titles last February, but for the moment things are going a bit slower and we can currently find about 45,000. Windows 8 was met with mixed reviews and somewhat poor sales. The system is very innovative, but you have some time to shoot to decide if it is a success or a failure.

Connectivity and peripherals

As in any computer today, the chapter on connectivity must begin with the Internet connection. In addition to the usual connection via WiFi, the devices have a special function called  Acer Instant Connect. Thanks to this, the computer is able to be connected to the Internet in just 2.5 seconds.

In the chapter on physical connections, we find three USB ports, one of which has 3.0 technology, up to ten times faster compared to the previous generation. It also has an HDMI port. Thanks to this port, we can connect the computer to another screen, maintaining the Full HD resolution and sending the audio through the same cable. It is especially practical if we want to use the equipment as a video player connected to a television.

The Acer Aspire V5s also have an optical DVD reader , as well as a 1.3 megapixel front camera, mainly aimed at video conferences.

Autonomy and prices

The battery life offered by the manufacturer speaks of an autonomy of around five hours of use. However, it must be taken into account that we are talking about a wide range of teams with different capacities. In addition, the battery life depends a lot on the type of use we give the equipment.

Price is one of its strengths. You can get this powerful computer from 499 euros.

Data sheet

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