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For the past four years I’ve been using a Samsung Series 9 notebook as my go-to device for on-the-go computing. Four years later I’m still amazed at how sturdy, yet thin-and-light this 2.4 pound laptop is.
But the Sandy Bridge processor are non-removable battery are starting to show their age. So when The Microsoft Store launched a sale on Acer Aspire S13 laptops with prices as low as $599 last week, I jumped on that deal and bought a model with a Core i7 Skylake chip, a matte touchscreen display, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.
It arrived last night and while it’s too early for a full review, here’s the short version: it’s a huge upgrade in terms of performance and battery life. It’s a bit heavier and a bit bigger than my Samsung laptop. But it’s still pretty compact, at less than 0.6 inches thick and less than 3 pounds.
I don’t love Acer’s keyboard layout, but I’m pretty sure I’ll get used to the position of the arrow/home/end/volume/brightness keys eventually. The good news is it is quieter to type on (the keys don’t clack as much).
More good news? It’s still on sale… as are several other compact notebooks.
Here are some of the day’s best deals.
Notebooks
- Acer Aspire S 13 ultrabooks for $599 and up – Microsoft Store
- Asus ZenBook UX310UA 13″ FHD notebook w/Core i7-6500U/8GB/256GB for $749 – B&H
- Refurb Apple MacBook Air models for $500 and up – Woot
- Apple MacBook Air 13″ (early 2015) w/Core i5 Broadwell for $900 – B&H
- Refurb Razer Blade 12.5″ ultrabook w/Core i7-6500U/4K display for $960 – Expansys
Other computers (ablets and desktops)
- HP Envy 8 Note 2-in-1 Windows tablet w/Verizon support for $229 – B&H
- Refurb Toshiba Satellite Click 10 2-in-1 tablet for $170 – Expansys
- Lenovo M700 mini desktop w/Core i3-6100T/4GB/128GB for $350 – Woot
Smartphones
- Google Nexus 5X smartphones for $240 and up – Expansys
- Unlocked Microsoft Lumix 950 XL smartphone for $400 – B&H
Other stuff
- Google Chromecast Audio for $25 – Staples
- Refurb Roku Streaming Stick 3500XB for $25 – Groupon
- Name your price for $919 worth of games, source files, and more – Humble Bundle
You can find more bargains in our daily deals section.