Acer's S3 has always been one of the more affordableUltrabook models on the market, partly because it used a conventional hard drive rather than more expensive solid-state storage.
This latest laptop is a little more expensive than some of its predecessors, but enhances performance with a hybrid disk/flashstorage drive and – unusually for an Ultrabook – it has a dedicated nVidia GPU.
The brushed-metal aluminium design of previous models has been changed – probably to fend off the frequent comparisons with Apple's MacBook Air – and the screen is now backed by the same distinctive white panel as Acer's more expensive S7 range.
This Aspire S3 looks very smart and stylish. It measures just 18 mm thick and weighs 1.65 kg, so it's easy to carry around when you're on the move. Acer pays good attention to detail too, with features such as the ‘wobble-free' hinge that holds the screen firmly in position as you adjust the viewing angle.
You won't need to do that very often, though, as the 13.3-inch IPS panel is bright and colourful and provides excellent all-round viewing angles. The screen is touch-sensitive and we were also pleased to see that the low 1366 x 768 resolution of last year's model has now been updated to full-HD's 1920 x 1080. It'll work very well for web browsing and streaming video, as well as business presentations or just browsing your photo library. See also: Group test: what's the best high-end laptop?
Acer Aspire S3 review: audio
The speakers were also a pleasant surprise – the bass, inevitably, could be a little stronger, but the S3 produced a firm sound with enough volume that we had to turn it down on occasion as it was too loud for use in our office.