Deal Seeking Mom

Back-to-School Giveaway: Acer Aspire Timeline Laptop (Valued at $899!)

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Acer Aspire Timeline Laptop Notebook

This fantastic giveaway is the last of my Back-to-School giveaways, but be sure to check out all of the current giveaways for other great prizes that are still available!

I think Moms and kids alike (or anyone else for that matter) will love this Acer Aspire Timeline Laptop. It’s part of a new category of laptops called “thin and light,” and this particular model boasts 8+ hours of battery life. I can attest to the battery life personally, as I left the house with mine on at 8:45 this morning and it’s still going strong at 3:45 in the afternoon.

After using this laptop for a week, I’m very impressed with it. Priced as low as $769.99, it rivals my far more expensive Sony Vaio in speed and definitely is far more convenient to tote around.

I just want to take a moment to share some of my favorite features from a mom’s perspective:

  • The first thing I noticed is that the power cord is formed at a right angle. I was ecstatic about this because we have an older Toshiba laptop that the kids use. Its cord just comes straight out of the back, and we’ve had to replace it 7+ times because the wires break at the base of the plug and the computer won’t charge. So yay for user-friendly power cords!
  • Keys that are easy to replace are big in my book. Yes, I purposefully popped one off just to see how easy it was to replace, and I’m happy to report that it snapped back on super easy, unlike my old Dell laptop that used to have me in tears trying to replace a key. Plus, the former transcriptionist in me loves the feel of the keys when typing. They are very smooth and give just enough resistance.
  • The long battery life is another feature I love. I mean, who wouldn’t? I can follow my kids around the house with my laptop, take it in the car, and look up a recipe while I’m cooking dinner all in one charge.
  • I can multitask with ease thanks to the Intel Core 2 Duo processor. I’m not quite techie enough to explain just how this wonderful piece of technology works, but I know that it allows me to run multiple programs at the same time without bogging down the system as a whole. This means that I can run Firefox, Tweetdeck, Paint Shop, Skype, and more without lags while working. What mom couldn’t use a little boost while multitasking? Do note that running several processing intensive programs in tandem can decrease the length of time before you need to recharge the battery.
  • This particular model has a HUGE hard drive. At 500GB, I won’t be running out of space any time soon, even with a large iTunes collection and several hundred digital photos stored on it currently. I’m not an expert, but I’ve noticed software getting larger over the years, so a large hard drive will be important for longevity.

A few things on it that I’m not crazy about:

  • No CD drive – this makes it a little difficult to install some software, but I understand the need to forgo one to keep the thin and light feel. And of course, USB CD drives are fairly inexpensive if that’s a necessity for you.
  • Touch-sensitive buttons – I wish they would have put a sticker on the computer to point out the row of touch-sensitive buttons above the keyboard. My curious toddler swiped his hand across them turning off the WiFi, and I spent a good 30 minutes trying to figure out how to turn it back on. Cool technology, but dangerous with kids around.
  • Mouse button is stiff – the mouse button is a little awkwardly placed and is slightly stiff. Maybe this is something that I just need a little time to get used too, but it’s definitely not my optimal setup.
  • Glossy screen – I’ve found that most systems come with glossy screens, but the anti-glare screen that my old Dell had was one of the only features that I loved. It makes working outside so much easier, and I enjoy taking the kids outside and letting them play while answering a few emails.

Overall none of the things that I was less than pleased with would be deal breakers when looking for a computer in this category. It may not be ideal as a complete desktop replacement laptop, but it’s perfect for a mom, dad, student, etc. who needs access to the Internet, email, word processing software and the like on the go and at home.

One very lucky Deal Seeking Mom reader will win an Acer Aspire Timeline AS3810T-6775 Laptop:

  • 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 Processor
  • 4096MB Dual-Channel DDR3 1066MHz Memory
  • 80 GB Solid State Drive
  • Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit (SP1)
  • Over 8 Hours of Battery Life (6-Cell 5600 mAh)
  • 13.3-inch HD CineCrystal LED-backlit Display

To enter, leave a comment and tell me what features you look for in a laptop. Is portability and weight most important, or are you looking for something with high performance to replace your home desktop?

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Every reader has four methods available to enter this contest. Choose one each of any combination of method one, two, three, or four for up to a total of 4 entries!!!

Methods of entry:

1. Leave a comment. Tell me what features are most important to you when shopping for a new laptop!

2. Add Deal Seeking Mom to your blogroll or add my badge to your sidebar. Make sure to come back and leave the link to your site in a separate comment!

3. Join the new Deal Seeking Mom Forums to chat about your great finds, special coupon codes, and chances to win exclusive giveaways. Leave a separate comment letting me know you’ve joined or that you’re already a registered user!

4. Subscribe to my feed via RSS or email. You must confirm your email subscription for it to be a valid entry! Leave a separate comment letting me know you have done so. If you’re already a subscriber, simply leave a separate comment letting me know you’re already subscribed. Lovin’ my subscribers! You guys make this all possible.

Prize:
(1) Acer Aspire Timeline AS3810T-6775 (ARV $899), as described above

This giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, 9/2. I’ll use Random.org to select the winning comment. Winner will be notified by email on and listed on my Giveaway Winners page. Good luck!

While you’re in a contest entering mood, don’t forget to check out the Giveaway Gathering for a variety of contests being hosted on Deal Seeking Mom readers’ blogs!

Note: As the sponsor of this giveaway, Intel provided me with a laptop to review the latest features as well as a second laptop to give away to a Deal Seeking Mom reader.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. sarah

    Battery life and speed are the two most important for me! If I use my laptop for any period of time I have to keep it pluged in.

  4. Alison Scudder

    I like a large screen, wireless access, and speed. I would love to have a laptop to use instead of the desktop. I need something portable!!

  5. KellyH

    I’ve never had a laptop, but I think the long battery life would be one of the biggest pluses.

    Thanks!
    KellyH

  8. Denise

    The things I look for most in a computer are speed, portability, and a laptop that doesn’t run hot. The laptop we have runs so hot that I’m afraid it’s going to damage the table it sits on, and it will probably result in a short life.

  9. Melanie

    I had to do a double take when I read your post…..my oldest child just started college and we were shopping for laptops last week. Of course, then the other two kids started asking for computers as well. Anyway, Acer is an awesome laptop, so I have been told. We are looking for good processor speed and battery life since my daughter will be using it at college all day. You can read the store reviews all day long, but it’s nice to hear of someone you “know” using the laptop and pointing out it’s pro’s and con’s. It would be great to win this and I know our daughter would put it to good use. And, the thin design is an added plus. I would definitely be cool mom to her! Thanks for the opportunity!

  12. Debbi

    The features in a laptop most important to me are storage and weight. This would be wonderful. Thank you for giving us this opportunity.

  13. Sara A.

    I’d love a computer with a long battery life that also doesn’t overheat quickly. I had to give my old laptop “breaks” in order to avoid the overheating, so that’s a big one in my book.

  15. Stormy Winslow

    What a great giveaway. I love that this laptop is so light and portable – that, and the battery life! EXCELLENT

  19. debi welbon

    I like to have the larger screen so I don’t have to squint to see what I am working on and I do like to have alot of speed so I can get things done quickly.

  22. kimberly

    I look for portability and speed in my laptop – and it honestly doesn’t hurt if it’s a little cute too!

  27. Heather S

    I think having enough memory is important with all the new apps that require alot of memory. I also look for lightweight laptops for travelling.

  29. Grace Johnson

    We homeschool so we would love to win a laptop of any type so we can take it whereever in the house to do research or do some school work on the computer.

  30. Theresa

    Great giveaway!
    I think the memory is important, along with weight and cooling ability. Our current laptop gets so hot when it’s on your lap that it makes you sweat!