<div>I could live with this. The very thin and light Acer S7 11.6-inch Ultrabook is one of the devices that comes from the first wave of hybrids and convertibles that appeared after Windows 8 launched. It's not exactly a hybrid in that it can't be used like a tablet, and it's not a run- of-the-mill laptop because it has a touch screen that can tilt really far back. But it's certainly one of the newer form factors. <br /> </div><div>When I took the S7 out of its box, I was immediately struck by both its lightness and its looks. The brushed aluminium lid has an interesting and unusual pattern etched into it. The back is a white hard plastic and also quite nice and sturdy. For a while, you can't get over how thin this device is.<br /> <br />It's comparable to the MacBook Air and no, it isn't teardrop shaped on the sides, something I get tired of seeing on MacBook Air clones. The S7 has a nice premium and professional look.<br /> </div><div>So, open up and start up by using the button on the side and you'll see a really clear screen with great colours and contrasts. Viewing angles are fantastic. I picked up the S7 and looked from the extreme edge of the display and could still clearly see everything with no compromise. But be warned that because this is a high-res screen, text tends to be quite small and you need pretty good eyesight to use this category of device. <br /> </div><div>The keyboard is extre­mely important on any notebook and on this device it’s particularly flush with the chassis to keep the overall form very slim. <br /> </div><div>I’ve come across reviews complaining that there is too little travel in the keys but amazingly, I found this one of the best keyboards I've seen lately. I touch-type and found myself just flying with the keys and not for a moment feeling this was an unfamiliar keyboard. I think it may be actually better for those who know the QWERTY keys positioning and use the right fingers and go at a fast clip.<br /> <br />The keyboard lights up a strange shade of green as you start typing and then fades quietly away when you stop. Rather nicely done. <br /> </div><div>The sides of the base are slightly sharper than they should be. They curve inwards not round outwards so they aren't softened, but as you should be typing most of the time when you use the base, I didn't think it mattered all that much. It's on the sides that you'll find the ports and slots including two Bluetooth 3.0 slots and an SD card reader. <br /> </div><div>Acer has a bunch of accessories for those who want more connections. The power adaptor needs to be mentioned — it looks very nice. It's a light white box of a thing which complements the whole premium feel of this ultrabook. The S7 is quite power packed. It has a fast processor and graphics capabilities enough to make watching videos quite a pleasure though it isn't meant to be gaming level graphics. It runs the full Windows 8 so you can install whatever software you're used to from earlier computers as long as they're compatible. Windows 8 makes little sense without a touch screen, and this one is as responsive as most others I've seen. The touch pad is a little less so, especially when triggering a movement, but nevertheless perfectly usable.<br /> </div><div>The battery life is one big complaint with many reviewers. But there's an additional 1 hour battery back-up pack Acer has made to fit this ultrabook and it clicks to attach to the device. You also get other accessories in the package including a mouse and a case. The S7 is perhaps a little expensive for its size at Rs 88,579, though Ultrabooks aren't yet fulfilling their promise of being cheap. </div><div> </div><div><strong>LG Optimus G</strong></div><div><div>It’s a good thing I don’t own the Optimus G or I’d be spending a significant portion of the day just</div><table width="300" border="0" align="right" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"><tbody><tr><td><img src="/image/image_gallery?uuid=e983056c-a600-4ccc-a551-1a7d41d2388a&groupId=816580&t=1367584775356" width="300" height="307" alt="" /></td></tr><tr><td><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><strong>LG Optimus G : Rs 34, 990</strong></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>switching the phone off and on, just to see the beautiful water bubble animation that comes up when you swipe to wake the device up. It visually distorts the wallpaper and is a fun pastime all on its own, really. So are some of the other animations that are part of LG’s interface. You can see them straight off as you navigate the home screens: the app icons and widgets flow away in and back in smooth 3D motions, or disappear to let you see the wallpaper when you pan out. The home screens also go into landscape mode, which is not usual with Android phones. It’s really an unobtrusive interface. But most of all, it’s smooth as… well, melted toffee, since I’ve had enough of butter and this is smoother than butter. <br /> </div><div>But otherwise, this phone is the usual LG —a slab (unless you see the back which is classy with a nice pattern) — until you turn the device on. Then you see the 1280 x 768 True HD-IPS + LCD 4.7" display and it’s sort of perfect looking. No problem with viewing angles on this one. Tilt it whatever way you like and you can still see everything without it being faded out. <br /> </div><div>The camera is a 13MP and has all the requisite settings plus some low-light capability, but is for the most part,average.<br /> </div><div>Everything happens fast on this smartphone. Navigating, browsing, video. It has a 1.5GHz quad core processor and Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset with 2GB of RAM. But other than specs, it’s really been optimised and fine tuned to work like a smooth powerhouse. It's very much like the Nexus 4 but design wise a sharp-edged rectangle.</div></div><div><br />mala(dot)bhargava(at)gmail(dot)com<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;">(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 20-05-2013)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br type="_moz" /> </div>
BW Reporters
Mala Bhargava has been writing on technology well before the advent of internet in Indians and before CDs made their way into computers. Mala writes on technology, social media, startups and fitness. A trained psychologist, she claims that her understanding of psychology helps her understand the human side of technology.
