Acer Notebook Aspire 3 i3-1215U 15.6 8GB 512GB NoOS

The display size describes the size of the visible part of the screen of your portable computer across the diagonal in inches. Average portable computers have 15.4" standard or 15.6" wide-screen displays. The ultra compact category portable computers have the display size of about 10,1".

Some portable computers have the option of turning the screen to the angle of 180 degrees and close it with the keyboard – the result is a true tablet computer without a keyboard. These models are sometimes referred to as transformers or tablets - they can be used both as a standard portable computer and as a tablet computer. This option is very handy for reading or, for example, drawing when the keyboard is not required.

Portable computers that are positioned as a replacement of desktop computers sometimes have the screen as big as 17". A bigger monitor is usually required for editing graphics or reviewing big-size tables, etc. However, it has to be considered that a bigger screen means a bigger size and usually also a bigger weight of the computer, besides it can be damaged more easily during opening and closing.

The maximum resolution of the display indicates the number of colour points (pixels) on the computer screen. The higher the resolution the better quality (more detailed) image. For example, 1366x768px means that your computer has 1366 points horizontally x 768 points vertically. High resolution provides more information on the screen and this is directly related to the size of the screen. Nowadays even a 12.1 inches screen can have 1024x768 resolution. At the first glance it looks that this resolution is too high for this size of the screen, however, high resolution provides more comfort.

WVGA (800x480) is characteristic for old portable computers and mini tablet computers of the new generation. WSVGA – ultra mobile portable computers with the display of 10.1’’ (the resolution of 1024x600 can be seen more often).

WXGA (1280x800) – this resolution is mainly characteristic of 12.1’’, 13.3’’, 14.1’’ screen with the relation of sides of 16:9.

HD 1366x768 and 1600x900 is a widespread resolution for the budget and middle class portable computers.

Full HD (1920x1200) resolution combined with high capacity video cards (NVidia Quadro FX vai ATI FireGL) is intended for the professional level 3D modelling work.

WUXGA (1920x1200) – ultra extended graphical arrangement (screen16:10) is intended for watching HD TV.

Attention has to be paid also to the contrast and brightness of the screen. The screen must have the maximum brightness for using the portable computer even in very bright lighting conditions.

The screens of portable computers are divided into Glare, or flossy and AntiGlare, or mat. The advantage of the flossy screen is better contrast, colours and sharpness, therefore this type of monitor is preferred by home users. The disadvantage of this screen is the glare which disturbs seeing the image in bright lighting.

AntiGlare, or mat screens to some extent prevent the glare problem by "scattering". This type of screen is usually used in business class computers intended for working with documents and accounting systems.

The processor clock frequency is among the main criteria of the processor performance. This index determines the number of operations that each CPU core can perform per second. The higher the CPU clock frequency the faster the computer will be perform the given computing tasks.

RAM is a short-term data storage. This component determining the operation speed:

• allows the CPU of your computer to have fast access to the information that needs to be processed used by the computer application which you have opened;
• at the moment of opening an application stores it in its microchips, thus the memory capacity determines how many applications can be run by your computer simultaneously and also with how big data volume (pictures, texts, webpages) you can operate at once.

Thanks to the dense placement of chipsets the RAM of a portable computer has the same characteristics as the RAM of desktop computers. TopPC.ee recommends to use 3Gb or higher capacity RAM for general use.

AnSSD, or Solid State Drive, is a modern storage device that, unlike hard disk drives (HDDs), has no moving parts and stores all information on NAND memory chips. This is why SSDs are much more reliable, as they can withstand shock, vibrations and temperature changes much better. The main advantage is the high data transfer speeds as well as the lowaccess time. Currently, SSDs equipped with a SATA 3 port deliver data transfer speeds of 500 MB/s on average. However, some drives using M.2 or PCI-Express ports have data throughputs

2000 MB/s.

The indicator "operating system" determines what legal operating system license is included with the computer. The license of the operating system guarantees the legal use of the computer operating system attested by a legal document – Genuine sticker on the housing of your portable computer.

OEM means that you are buying a computer with the operating system enclosed and you use this operating system in the computer with the relevant Genuine license sticker on teh housing. The price of the OEM license is much lower than the standard Retail license price that you have to pay if you want to buy software after you have bought the computer.

TopPC.ee recommends to buy a portable computer with MS Windows 7 OEM operating system.

The Microsoft® Windows® 7 OS is secure and easy to use. Your daily tasks can be performed and browsing can be done with a less number of clicks, the tasks can be performed better, it is fast, secure and reliable. With Windows 7 you will discover new possibilities of your portable computer.

Windows® 7 Home Premium – opens unbelievable entertainment possibilities offered by your portable computer, you will be able to watch your favourite TV shows, enjoy photos, films or the music collection.

Windows® 7 Professional – provides all that is necessary for your work and home.

Windows® 7 Ultimate – has been created for people who want to have all. It combines both Home Premium entertainment features, as well as business features for professionals with added security and flexibility making the work in several languages easier.

*The operating system of portable computers has been partially installed which means that when the computer is switched on it is necessary to enter the user's login data. After the data are entered the installation procedure of the operating system is automatically completed. This process can take up to 1 hour. During this time the portable computer must remain switched on and connected to a continuous power supply source.

If you want to connect portable headphones or stand-alone, more powerful speakers to your computer you should certainly look for a computer with the connection slot for headphones.

If you don't make your choice at once later it will be necessary to buy an external sound card which is an additional expense and quite often not a very convenient solution.

This index determines whether the portable computer has the 1.8" mini-jack stero connector for connecting the classic headphones or computer speakers.

If this connection is not available it will be necessary to buy the USB sound card for connecting these devices and this is an additional expense and inconvenience.

USB 2.0 is the most popular connection slot for the computer peripheral devices. Thanks to this connection slot it is possible to connect mice, keyboards, webcams, printers, USB flash memories, external HDDs and numerous other devices to the computer. The higher the number of available USB2.0 ports, the better.

This device allows to copy photos from the memory cards of digital cameras without connecting the camera. All you have to do is to insert the relevant card in the reader and all its content is available in the computer at the very same moment.

There are different types of cards (SD, MMC, xD, MS Pro, etc.), therefore you should verify whether the selected card reader supports the required type of the card.

The battery time indicates the approximate time how long your portable computer will be able to operate after it has been disconnected from the electricity supply when the battery is fully charged.

The battery time depends on the configuration, performed operations and other factors. This indicator usually is based upon the testing results. The lithium batteries built-in modern portable computers usually provide the operation time of 3 to 5 hours and this time depends on the use and configuration of the computer. The maximum battery capacity reduces the time of use of the portable computer. Currently lithium batteries are used in computers and they replaced nickel batteries. It has to be taken into account that the lifetime of portable computer batteries is limited. The capacity decreases with time and it is necessary to replace the battery.

*The battery time may decrease depending on the loading of the portable computer during the time when the battery is used as the power supply to the computer.