Is A $300 Windows Laptop Worth Buying? This Acer Model Gave Me A Resounding Yes

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Acer Aspire Go 15 is disposable for astir $299 crossed awesome retailers.
• For an affordable price, nan Acer Aspire Go 15 is simply a tin laptop for mundane usage pinch a decent battery.
• As pinch astir devices successful this value range, nan laptop's limitations go evident pinch dense workloads.

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At 3.75 pounds, this is not nan lightest laptop, and nan 15-inch show results successful a somewhat bulky body, but nan tradeoff is simply a full-sized keyboard pinch a right-side number pad (even if nan keys are somewhat smaller) and a show that feels conscionable large enough.

In fact, "just enough" is nan overarching taxable for this laptop. It has conscionable capable capacity to screen nan basics, a bully capable webcam, larboard selection, and shape factor, pinch nan stand-out characteristic being a amazingly long-lasting battery.  

Also: Why buying nan correct laptop is much analyzable than ever (and really to make nan champion choice)

When you look intimately astatine these parameters, you tin spot that they're rather well-optimized, resulting successful a laptop pinch limitations but a instrumentality that besides performs good wrong nan scope of its capabilities. 

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So, let's look astatine what's nether nan hood. The Aspire Go 15 has an Intel Core i3-N305, a somewhat low-end processor pinch conscionable 8GB of RAM. This operation of hardware limits this machine's capabilities. However, successful my testing, nan laptop could mostly support up pinch my net browsing habits (read: tons of YouTube tabs) and work-related apps, if not immoderate stuttering erstwhile nan CPU was taxed. 

I utilized this laptop for a week, taking it to and from nan agency and swapping it betwixt my main computer, and it handled basal productivity tasks well. However, capacity dips erstwhile you person a fistful of apps unfastened and commencement trying to move quickly betwixt windows.

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Regarding nan keyboard and trackpad, I person nary complaints astir typing connected nan Aspire Go 15. The keys are light, responsive, and quiet. If you for illustration backlights connected your keyboards, you'll find nary of these luxuries here, but nan keys' textured consciousness and springiness are fine. The trackpad doesn't consciousness peculiarly high-end, but it's well-positioned and does nan job. 

The full beingness shape facet of this laptop tin beryllium described similarly. Upon first inspection, nan full-plastic assemblage feels a spot flimsy, and nan show tends to wobble. The laptop's silver-and-black colour strategy gives disconnected a neutral, non-descript aesthetic.

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

The 15-inch show is alternatively basal and not very bright, but it does person bully viewing-angle flexibility, dissimilar different Chromebooks aliases budget laptops. The 1080p afloat HD show has capable contrast, moreover if nan 60Hz refresh complaint isn't phenomenal. I deliberation thing little than 75% brightness connected this laptop is excessively dim.

The action of ports present is besides conscionable enough. You get 2 USB-A ports, 1 USB-C, an HDMI port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Kensington fastener slot. The charger that comes pinch nan Aspire Go 15 is simply a cheap-feeling proprietary jack, but nan laptop tin besides beryllium charged via its USB-C port. 

The speakers are not inspiring, arsenic you mightiness ideate for a $300 laptop. Although nan speakers tin get sufficiently loud, they are bladed and tinny. Connect your Bluetooth wireless earbuds aliases plug into nan headphone jack to perceive amended audio.

So, let's talk astir nan artillery life of this laptop. I utilized nan instrumentality intermittently for a time and a half earlier needing to plug it backmost in. In a much demanding artillery test, nan laptop lasted complete 10 hours pinch a changeless livestream video running. This artillery life leads maine to judge that nan hardware connected this machine, moreover connected nan little end, is astatine slightest well-optimized. 

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However, this laptop will not past much than a time of demanding, sustained use. If you return nan Acer Aspire Go 15 to nan agency and hide your charger, you'll get astir 7 to 8 hours of life. But each things considered, nan artillery powerfulness connected this instrumentality rounds retired nan package nicely. 

ZDNET's buying advice

For nan price, nan Acer Aspire Go 15 is simply a coagulated prime for users without demanding capacity requirements aliases for group who request a secondary laptop for traveling. It's besides a awesome prime for students seeking a fund laptop to bring connected field for note-taking and completing assignments, and nan instrumentality is included successful our best laptops for assemblage list. 

The applicable database of features, action of ports, and decent artillery life springiness you everything you request and thing you don't. The laptop is well-optimized to run wrong its capabilities. Additionally, astatine conscionable $300, nan value is right.