Acer Aspire AS5050-5954 Budget Notebook Computer System

The Bottom Line
Acer's Aspire 5050 laptop is a fairly standard budget notebook offering on the market. It does provide a smaller and lighter profile than the average, but its performance and features are pretty much middle of the road. By not updating the platform with some newer features though, costs are low making it a more affordable laptop option.

Pros

* More Compact Design
* Generally Less Expensive Than Similarly Equipped Notebooks

Cons

* Lacks FireWire Port
* Uses Older PC Card Slot Vs. Newer ExpressCard Slot

Description

* AMD Athlon 64 X2 TK-53 Dual Core Mobile Processor
* 1GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Memory
* 120GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
* 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
* 14.1" WXGA (1280x800) LCD Display and Radeon Xpress 1100 Integrated Graphics
* v.92 56Kbps Modem, 10/100 Ethernet and 802.11b/g Wireless
* Three USB 2.0, Type II PC Card, 5-in-1 Media Card Reader
* 13.4" x 9.9" x 1.4" @ 5.3 lbs.
* Vista Home Premium, PowerDVD, CD-Maker, Norton Anti-Virus

Guide Review - Acer Aspire AS5050-5954 Budget Notebook Computer System

10/8/07 – Most budget notebooks tend to be either 15.4 or 17-inch models. Acer's Aspire 5050 uses a more compact 14.1-inch screen that gives it a more portable size and weight. This makes the system a good selection for someone who wants a low cost system that they will be traveling frequently with.

In terms of performance and features, the Aspire 5050 falls in the middle of the pack for budget laptops. It is based around the AMD Athlon 64 X2 TK-53 dual core mobile processor. This is a bit slower than the more common TK-55 processor model, but the difference is not noticed by most people. The 1GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 memory is standard and should let the Vista Home Premium operating system run alright as long as there aren't too many applications open.

Storage is a bit better than average. Most budget notebooks tend to use 80GB hard drives. Acer installed a 120GB 5400rpm drive into the Aspire 5050 that provides it with 50% more storage than the average budget laptop. A standard dual layer DVD burner is also included that lets it playback or record CDs and DVDs.

If there is one area that the Aspire 5050 really needs improvement, it is in the connectivity. The system has three USB ports, but fails to include any FireWire ports. This means that system can't easily connect to most digital camcorders. It also uses the older Type II PC Card slot rather than the newer ExpressCard for expansion.

The upside to all of this is that the Acer Aspire 5050 tends to have a price below many newer budget systems on the market, making it a decent choice for those on a tight budget.