Apple Store down globally: iPad pre-orders only or something more? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Sliver is an ultraportable laptop that offers the great style, but compromises have been made to achieve its tiny size.

This is a visually pleasing laptop and the machine looks fantastic from all angles. The small form factor also makes it a very portable machine, ideal for those needing to work on the move a lot.

The portability of the machine however is slightly let down by the very average battery life, at only 143 minutes you'll need to carry the charger around with you on long trips. Those after an excellent battery life should consider the Acer Aspire 1410-74G25n instead.

Mixed performance

Had this laptop been powered by a CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) processor similar to the Acer's, both battery and everyday performance would be much better. As it stands, an Intel Atom processor – normally found in netbooks – has been employed, and its benchmark performance shows it's better suited to office apps.

However, this is the only machine to feature the Windows XP operating system, which is much lighter to run than the newer Windows Vista and 7 operating systems and, despite the results mentioned above, we found the laptop to be fast in running basic programs such as email clients and spreadsheets.

The laptop's 12-inch screen is excellent and, although it shares the same 1366 x 768-pixel resolution as all the other machines at this price point, it provides sharper and brighter images than most, helping photos and films look great.

The machine is well built and doesn't attract the fingerprints that plague its shiny peers, although it isn't as strong as the Acer Aspire 1410-74G25n here. Dust does quickly show on its white surfaces, however.

The keyboard provides average performance, with the keys being quite stiff to press. To save space some of them have also been reduced in size, which feels cramped and takes a little getting used to.

While 802.11g Wi-Fi is fairly standard across the group – the Acer being the exception – this is the only machine here with no Ethernet port, meaning you can only connect to networks wirelessly, which won't suit everyone.

As with the Lenovo G550, there is no media card reader and only an HDMI out, which is bad news for those with older monitors with VGA connections.

The Elonex Sliver is a mixed bag, but while it does have its issues, if you're after an attractive machine for browsing the web and writing the odd email, this is a great option. Those after more bang for their buck, however, would do better opting for the Acer Aspire 1410-74G25n.

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Acer's Aspire laptops represent the company's consumer range, and the Aspire 1410-74G25n is a CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) laptop that offers fantastic value for money.

Performance isn't this laptop's strong point, but it isn't meant to be – the laptop offers superb portability instead. At only 1.4kg, it's a pleasure to carry around. The small form factor makes it very easy to fit into almost any bag, but if you're after the slimmest machine possible, go for the Elonex Sliver instead.

Where this laptop really impresses is battery life, offering a phenomenal 428 minutes between charges. This almost doubles that of the Lenovo G550, the nearest competition. Acer has achieved this by employing various components which are resource-light on the laptop's battery.

Most importantly, a CULV Intel processor is in place, giving over seven hours of juice. However, CULV processors seriously limit power, and you'll be limited to running everyday office applications, with more demanding programs causing the laptop to show serious signs of lag.

Surprisingly, graphical power isn't too bad – considerably better than the Elonex at any rate – and you'll be able to carry out basic photo editing without any problems.

The 11.6-inch screen is bright, crisp and clear, although not as colourful as the Elonex's. Also the screen is LED-backlit, which is again resource-light on the battery.

Durable chassis

The laptop is put together well, and will provide good durability on the road. The shiny screen lid does quickly attract fingerprints and grime, but the mock brushed-aluminium palmrest inside doesn't, and looks and feels great.

The keyboard is very firm, but is also flat and therefore easy to get lost on when typing at speed. Unfortunately, the proximity of the touchpad to the keyboard makes it all too easy to brush against it while typing, causing irritating and erratic cursor behaviour.

This is the only laptop in this group test to boast the latest 802.11n high-speed wireless networking technology – making it well suited to connecting to a router or hotspot at home or in a cafe – and it's also the only laptop here to boast both VGA and HDMI out ports, offering good flexibility when connecting to external analogue and digital monitors.

The Acer Aspire 1410-74G25n sets a very high bar for the other laptops on test, and the excellent battery life will be a clincher for many buyers. If you're after power, however, we suggest you check out the Lenovo G550.

• TechRadar Reviews Guarantee
• Read more laptop reviews

1. Review: Acer Aspire 1410-74G25n Acer's Aspire laptops represent the company's consumer range, and the...
2. Review: Elonex Sliver The Sliver is an ultraportable laptop that offers the great...
3. Review: Acer Aspire Timeline 4810TZ Olympic Edition In celebration of its partnership with the 2010 Olympic Games...

Acer's Aspire laptops represent the company's consumer range, and the Aspire 1410-74G25n is a CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) laptop that offers fantastic value for money.

Performance isn't this laptop's strong point, but it isn't meant to be – the laptop offers superb portability instead. At only 1.4kg, it's a pleasure to carry around. The small form factor makes it very easy to fit into almost any bag, but if you're after the slimmest machine possible, go for the Elonex Sliver instead.

Where this laptop really impresses is battery life, offering a phenomenal 428 minutes between charges. This almost doubles that of the Lenovo G550, the nearest competition. Acer has achieved this by employing various components which are resource-light on the laptop's battery.

Most importantly, a CULV Intel processor is in place, giving over seven hours of juice. However, CULV processors seriously limit power, and you'll be limited to running everyday office applications, with more demanding programs causing the laptop to show serious signs of lag.

Surprisingly, graphical power isn't too bad – considerably better than the Elonex at any rate – and you'll be able to carry out basic photo editing without any problems.

The 11.6-inch screen is bright, crisp and clear, although not as colourful as the Elonex's. Also the screen is LED-backlit, which is again resource-light on the battery.

Durable chassis

The laptop is put together well, and will provide good durability on the road. The shiny screen lid does quickly attract fingerprints and grime, but the mock brushed-aluminium palmrest inside doesn't, and looks and feels great.

The keyboard is very firm, but is also flat and therefore easy to get lost on when typing at speed. Unfortunately, the proximity of the touchpad to the keyboard makes it all too easy to brush against it while typing, causing irritating and erratic cursor behaviour.

This is the only laptop in this group test to boast the latest 802.11n high-speed wireless networking technology – making it well suited to connecting to a router or hotspot at home or in a cafe – and it's also the only laptop here to boast both VGA and HDMI out ports, offering good flexibility when connecting to external analogue and digital monitors.

The Acer Aspire 1410-74G25n sets a very high bar for the other laptops on test, and the excellent battery life will be a clincher for many buyers. If you're after power, however, we suggest you check out the Lenovo G550.

• TechRadar Reviews Guarantee
• Read more laptop reviews

1. Review: Acer Aspire 1410-74G25n Acer's Aspire laptops represent the company's consumer range, and the...
2. Review: Elonex Sliver The Sliver is an ultraportable laptop that offers the great...
3. Review: Acer Aspire Timeline 4810TZ Olympic Edition In celebration of its partnership with the 2010 Olympic Games...

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Vodafone's Wayfinder is first victim of free smartphone navigation services originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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