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Acer 1825PT – video review and some photos

Hey guys, I’ve had a new toy to play with these days, an 11.6 inch Acer 1825PT.

I’ve been eager to get one of these ever since I’ve first seen them a couple of months ago and when they became available in my country, i finally did. Of course, i went for the best equipped version, with SU7300 dual core processor, 4 GB of memory, 320 GB hard-drive, 6 Cell battery and Windows 7 Home Premium.

And although I was reluctant to buy an Acer device , the idea of having an 11.6 incher with a capacitive convertible display for a decent price was stronger.

In these rows below you’re going to see a couple of pictures of the device (I have the black version, but it’s also available in red), but first take a look at the video mini-review I’ve shot earlier today.

As you’ve seen in the clip, the device is pretty much great for the money, however in terms of aesthetics, finishing and attention to those tiny details that matter so much… well, it remains an Acer. But, although my first impression when i got it out of the box was: “Crap, i can’t believe I’ve bought this”, a couple of hours later I was convinced I made a good choice. And I still am.

I’ve decided not to post a more thorough review as this product is only available in Europe and might not interest the majority of you guys. However, I will post the Pros and Cons below.

Pros:

powerful enough for what i need: dual-core SU7300 processor, 4 GB of memory, Intel 4500HD graphics
display is very good: multitouch capacitive 11.6 inch display, 1366 x 768 px resolution
connectivity is good: Wi-Fi N and Bluetooth 2.0
320 GB hard-drive
6 cell battery capable of around 4-6 hours of life during everyday use, based on what you do with it
Windows 7 Home Premium OS by default
doesn’t get too warm or noisy even if used for hours

Cons:

keybord is good but there’s just too little space between the keys; trackpad is very cramped but you won’t use it too much anyway
display’s hinge doesn’t look that solid
it’s an Acer, so attention to details is so so. Biggest issue is that when in tablet mode, the screen does not stay firmly in place and kind of wobbles
device is glossy so the exterior is already scratched, plus it catches fingerprints like crazy
speakers are on the bottom of the device and pointing downwards. Plus, volume is pretty low so if you plan to use them in more noisy environments, you won’t be satisfied at all with them.

All in all, after having this machine for around 6 months now, i can say I’m satisfied with it. It is powerful enough for my everyday tasks and decently built. Now, the touchscreen is for sure its biggest asset and it works very nice. I’m also satisfied with how reliable the device is, although the hinge that holds the screen in place did become more loose than it was in the beginning.

However, I’m sure that for its money, this is the best tablet netbook you could get: portable, powerful and with a touch display. Oh and since I have it, I’ve managed to discover the value of having a touch display on one of these mini laptops. And I can say I wouldn’t buy one without this feature anymore.

Also check the pictures below.

Tags: 11.6" netbooks, Acer, tablet netbook, tablet pc

Last updated: March 29, 2012 | Published: May 30th, 2010 | See the comments or add yours!

Author: Mike - wrote 330 posts - see all posts by Mike

Andrei Girbea, aka "Mike", is the Owner and Editor in Chief at netbooklive.com . He's been dealing with gadgets and writing about them for years and now focuses more on portable computers, like netbooks, mini laptops and touchscreen tablets. You can follow him on Twitter.

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rube
can you have a chart showing the specs for this tablet compared to tm2 and Asus T101mt?
Any news on the new tm2
Which country do you live in?
http://www.netbooklive.com Mike
Rube, i will make a quick post comparing the specs of the two. And no news on that new TM2 for now
hazim
Nice device , good review
is this device uses wacom technology for pen input?
thanks
acer1825fan
“is this device uses wacom technology for pen input?”
I think the answer will be no. this device is equipped with a capacitive screen. and as you can see in the review, there is no stylus.
acer1825fan
hi,Mike,thanks for your great review. as you know, acer 1825p has its pros and cons comparing to asus t101mt, e.g. it has a more powerful ULV CPU(and GPU too), a higher resolution and more responsive touch screen, but it’s much heavier and doesn’t support pen writing(which means you can’t take notes with it). so, if you have a small budget, what’s your choice between 1825 and t101mt?
http://www.netbooklive.com Mike
Actually, I would definitely choose the Acer. It’s not a lot heavier, in real life you won’t really feel that difference too much. Also I am not using it at all for pen writing, so that doesn’t bother me.
However, i just found the t101MT unusable for my taste. It was sluggish to annoyingly sluggish sometimes , while the ULV on the Acer performs way way better (it’s just the difference between unusable and usable). And while the Asus is way more solid built, I would still go for the 1825PT from the two, that’s for sure.
acer1825fan
Mike,thank you very much for your advice! in fact, after seeing your post, i was so conviced that I immediately ordered an acer 1825ptz from a web store, hehe
http://www.netbooklive.com Mike
cool. if you have time, let me know what you think of it once you get it
acer1825fan
hello, Mike! I just received my 1825ptz yesterday afternoon. I took several hours examining it. Much to my surprise, the whole keyboard and touchpad area is apparently uneven, with its right side a bit higher than its left side. If you brush your fingers across the touchpad from right to left, you’ll get an obvious feeling of “going downward”. I consulted the web shop which I bought it from, but got an answer like this “it is normal”. is it normal with the one you’ve got?
acer1825fan
there is something else. sometimes, the touch screen suddenly fails to respond, but will go back to normal after restarting. wonder if such a problem ever happens on your device?
http://www.netbooklive.com Mike
Hmmm, no. Definitely i don’t have any problem with the touchscreen, it never fails to work…
As for the keyboard and trackpad, i cannot say their are uneven. How did you determine that? The keys on the keyboard are a little bit flexxy but overall the entire chasis is pretty much flat… I believe there’s kind of a problem with your unit, you should return it to the store.
acer1825fan
That’s what I think too I should do, thank you so much, Mike.
Rob
Thanks for the review Mike. Where did you purchase it from? I’m having trouble finding any online retailers (Asia preferably) who have this unit for sale.
http://www.netbooklive.com Mike
Well, it is available in Europe for some time. Check Amazon.de for instance, but i don’t know if they ship to Asia…
Johnson
Hi Mike, I’m planning to buy a nervertible soon. I wanted to know the battery life of this Acer 1825PT. And also whether it supports HD playback. I think to should be fine with 720p.
acer1825fan
Thanks to the ULV CPU built inside it, the acer 1825ptz is made able to provide a fairly good performance while at the same time keep the battery consuming really low. In fact, I’m pretty impressed with the battery endurance this unit can provide, with about 6 hours’ intense using(two 720p online movies playback, and about 1 hour web game)
720p is just a piece of cake for this unit. Due to the intel 4500mhd GPU it can play 1080p without difficulty
Ray
Hi Mike, A fantastic review. I was looking at the iPad and playe dwith one in the store. Really do like it; screen, touch, interface etc. But it doesn’t support full web browsering eg BBC News videos etc. So thinking if and when will a ‘pc/window’ version come out? Looked at Android and UI look cool, but after coming across the Acer 1825PT then your review Ithink this is what I am looking for. I have a Nokia N900 which is one hell of a Smartphone, no infact a mini pc in a phone body it is fantastic. So is the Acer better than the iPad? I suppoe I would love a Nokia N900 in the size of an iPad, but this Acer is of real interest. Thank you again for the review.
Ray
PS: I have been considering the HP TM models for a while also. Do you have the Acer 1825PT vs HP TM2 review yet?
Ady Moldo
Hi Mike, I want to buy the Acer Aspire 1825PT-734G32n but I’m not sure yet. I saw a review of hp touchsmart tm2t, and the stylus with the proximity sensor was a really great feature. I know Acer doesn’t come with one in the box.
If a buy a stylus for the Acer will it have that proximity feature? At least will it be accurate enough to use it to take notes for example?
http://www.netbooklive.com Mike
well, i did not write any review on these two, but. Here are my coins on them. The acer is lighter and smaller and cheaper. The HP on the other side will come with core i3/i5 hardware so will be faster , is heavier (12 incher, while the acer is an 11.6 incher). Also, the HP is somewhat better built. Overall though, i chose the acer, because I travel a lot and like my computer to be as light as possible. Also, the Acer was around 200 bucks less expensive…
http://www.netbooklive.com Mike
yes, it will. However be aware that the acer can’t recognize your palm so you can’t use it to write like on a regular piece of paper. That means you’ll have to write with the pen without touching the screen with anything else.
sorbos
Hi Mike, great review thx. Did you tested the HDMI connection. I want to use the acer as touchpanel interface for an audio program called album player, but then the hdmi must support audio throughput (so my receiver can pick up the digital signal via hdmi). No S/PDIF so I think this HDMI port should support digital audio? Unfortunatelu this is with computers not always the case.
http://www.netbooklive.com admin
Not yet actually. But i will soon and let you know. However, HDMI standard does support audio by default, it’s part of the definition, so i see no reason why it wouldn’t. On what computers did you find HDMI with no audio?
sorbos
Hi Mike, thx for your quick reply. I must say the hdmi without audio I’ve seen was on video cards with hdmi output.
Wally
just wanted to thank you for taking the time to do the review. It is what I was looking for now to try and find a 1825 here in the USA,
rich
Hey, i just got a new acer 1825 ptz and i’ve been loving it so far. any known issues with this system? do you think the screen will go away after a few months? it’s quite vulnerable being twisted and all..
http://www.netbooklive.com Mike
Hey Rich. I had mine for 4-5 months, I use it often and it is fine. As expected, that hinge gets looser in time… Also, I end up frustrated with those speakers, they are some of the worst I’ve seen. Volume is poor and they are also faced downwards so especially when trying to watch some clips on youtube, I’m having a hard time understanding anything if for instance my AC is turned on (thus there’s some noise in the room).
But hey, no device is perfect…
Rich
@Mike, True. Worst speakers ever. Sounds like mice talking in the darkness. lol! I had a toshiba before and the audio was perfect. But not this one, had to use some portable speakers to feel its alive. anyway, thanks..happy with this one so far.
Peter
Mike (anyone),
Help….I bought the netbook last week. Having problems with teh touchscreen. Works fine when I use my vinger but the problem is that I can not find a way to use the touchscreen with a Stylus pen???? I checked the settings but???
Do you have to use a special pen for it. There was no pen in the box!
Hope anyone can help me out with this.
Peter, The Netherlands
http://www.netbooklive.com Mike
Peter, because it has a capacitive display, it will only work with special capacitive pens. So, a standard Stylus will not work with it. And yes, there is not pen in the box, capacitive devices usually lack those. Go search online for a decent one, should cost around 10-15 euro. Still, don’t expect to use this for inking a lot. Like I said in my clip, it lacks palm rejection support, so writing on it won’t be a very pleasant experience.
mohsen
Thanks,that’s a great review.I really enjoyed reading it and watching the video.
Well done man!
ashley
The review was very interesting. I also want to buy the acer 1825pt online but I don’t know which website sells it for a low price. Where did you get yours from? Can you give me some suggestions? Thank you.
april
I loved the review. i seriously want on now. I want to buy it online but I don’t know which websites have it. Got any suggestions? By the way I live in the US so that is why I am having trouble finding them. Thanks.
http://www.netbooklive.com Mike
It sells in most European countries
Zsolt
Hi, do you know the difference between PT and PTZ? Did you try booth? What About the screen hinge, still getting looser and looser, what do you think life time of that hinge?
Thanks
Zsolt
Also didnt you try matt screenprotector?
http://www.netbooklive.com Mike
PT is the top version with Su7300 and 4 GB of ram while PTZ comes with Su4100 and 2 GB of ram, if not mistaken .
Hinge is OK till now and the device is almost 9 months old and been using it daily. So not that bad. I feared it would get loose, but it actually didn’t
http://www.netbooklive.com Mike
NO, i haven’t . Not sure if or how it will affect touch sensitivity…
Zsolt
The touch sensitivity shold be ok, I use my Dell streak with cheap mat screenprotector and there is no difference. I have seen glossy laptop with matt protector and good to put on even if you cant do without bubles. If switched on not visible but less brightness saves a lot of battery.
Do you know the size of the hard disk? I mean the phisycal size. I would like to upgrade to ssd and would like to order with the laptop.
http://www.netbooklive.com Mike
it’s s standard 2.5″ hard-drive so any 2.5″ SSD should work. I thought about upgrading mine with an SSD as well but I’m actually considering now replacing this one with a X201t or anything else that might pop out with swiveling display and more powerful hardware.
Zsolt
Ohh, I just ordered my perfect solution and you found other perfect solution so I had to search some reason why is 1825PTZ better ))
- smaller (same batery time needs the extra big battery for lenovo that adds samo extra weight too
- cheaper (512GBP<1600(with ssd etc))
- I am not sure the screen ,if wacom system than not finger touch , need the stylus
-I wouldnt use much bec dangerous to travel with 1600worth laptop
But I am curious what come out in spring
Stylo
Hi Mike !
First, i wish to thank you for your blog and your test.
Actually, you convinced me to buy this great netbook.
I first bought an asus 1015pn but your test (really) convinced me to sell it (after less than one week of use) and to buy this one.
Im very satisfied and all and i have a few questions :
-The hinge. In your comments, sometimes you say it get loose, sometimes not. Whats your opinion after months of use ?
-The display on portrait mode. I noticed that in portrait mode, colors (or contrast, i dont know exactly) change a few. it even become unpleasant to use. Do you have the same problem ?
Many thanx again Mike.
http://www.netbooklive.com Mike
Stylo, i initially expected the hinge to get loose in time but it actually didn’t. it’s the same as it was when new after 9 months of use.
As for the problem with the screen, that happens with all such LCD displays found on laptops. Not really something you can do here. I for one rarely use it in Portrait and got passed this issue
Stylo
Spaciba.
Its ok then.
Thanx again for your work
And if you come in paris, please send me a mail.
I would be very pleased to take a drink with you.
Jeni
Hi,
Fantastic information – all of us who know very little really appreciate you guys out there!
I have a question though – I have bought an 1825 and was told it had a sim capability. There appears to be a port underneath the battery holder. From what my son and I can find out, there is 3g microsim technology out there now but our phone sims do not fit.
The question is: is there an antenna inside the 1825 to access dongle free 3G? Do we need a micro sim adaptor for the USB port? No one has raised this question. We think this may be the way all laptops will go in the future and would like this facility. Do we keep this or try to find one with true 3g capability?
Can anyone help with this as we have 12 days to return the 1825.
Many thanks – Jeni
http://www.netbooklive.com Mike
mine doesn’t have 3G integrated. there is a space where there should be a SIM reader behind the battery, but on mine it’s a dummy, not the actual reader.
Can’t say for sure on yours, perhaps ypu should ask someone adviced to actually take a loook at your particular model .
Anyway, you can use an USB 3G dongle you get from most carriers. But that’s for sure not as convenient as actually having the SIM reader integrated
Zsolt
Mine just arrived. Everythig is ok and I love it except the back of the display little bit archy and doesnt allow fully sits on place in tablet mode. The other thing I can find out yet how will I swapp the hard disk because doesnt look that simple as my old hp, is there any practice with this?
JLLL
Hi, your review helped me decide, and I bought it! well, the 1825PTZ I’m pretty happy with my 1825ptz but I don’t know about charging time. It now takes 3h20min to charge from 10 to 100% battery when not in use, over 4h when in use. Acer customer service says it’s normal, but another 6-cell acer laptop at the office only takes 1h10 min to charge from 35% to 100, even when in use.
How long does your 1825 take to charge? Just so I know… TIA!
http://www.netbooklive.com Mike
Ahh, never actually timed how long it takes, but i’d say around a couple of hours. So probably the same as yours does.
The thing with batteries is that if producers choose to use higher capacity chargers, they will charge faster but might loose their properties faster in time. If it takes longer to charge, they’ll lat longer in time. Take it with Sony for instance, they used to have problems with batteries exploding after a couple of months and since then they use very slow chargers, but their devices are now safer.
JLLL
thanks Mike for the answer!
Here’re my 2 cents after using it for a month (1825 PTZ with upgrade to 8gig of DDR3, had 2gigs to start with)
The good:
- it can handle everything I need it for. I use it both for work and leisure and it hasn’t failed me. Of course, I don’t play games or do edit large images with it…
- lightweight and a great compromise between tablet and laptop – everything in one unit
- good battery life. I hardly get the 8hours but that’s because I like a bright screen and work with videos, but I’ve never had to stop working because of that..
- responsive touchscreen, great for surfing the web on the couch
- HDMI sound when connected to the telly, waaaaaaaay easier than all I used before…
- a happy owner ^^
The bad:
- When I use headphones, I can hear noises when the hard drive is spinning. Now I just use my bluetooth headset or I connect the headset to the audio out of my external screen, connected in HDMI. Maybe just a problem with my unit.
- Took some time to find how to get HDMI to display fullscreen, I had black borders, just go to Intel Graphic control panel, General Settings, select your HD TV/monitor and set Horizontal & Vertical scaling to Scaling to 100. But that’s maybe User error ^^
- inking on the device is OK, not great, but make sure you have a good quality capacitive stylus (I have one by Griffin, same as boxwave, works fine). Don’t expect to make precise sketches though, or to trace something. Also, as Mike said, no palm rejection…
- speakers are crap indeed, had Harman Kardon speakers on previous notebook so I can notice the difference but I don’t work much with sound so it’s a minor bummer;
Overall, I really recommend it. I just wish there was some kind of dualboot allowing to run Android when I just want to browse the web or use it as a tablet only. Maybe I’ll try that later..