Acer Aspire 5735 review

Acer's Aspire 5735 may cost a similar amount as HP's 6735s, but the two could not be more dissimilar.

Where HP's laptop is plain and business-like, Acer's is a flashy, gadget-laden entertainment centre. It has a 16:9 widescreen display, integrated webcam and a half-decent set of speakers.

The wide case allows Acer to shoehorn in a number pad next to the keyboard. Although the keys aren't as large as some here, they're adequate for touch-typing, with a crisp action and an ergonomic shape. The touchpad is large, but the buttons lack travel and are recessed behind a ridge at the edge of the case, which makes it hard for your thumb to rest comfortably on them.

Performance-wise, the 5735 sits in the middle of the group. As with the other laptops here, it doesn't have enough power for playing 3D games. It isn't the best option for working on the move, either; it lasted two hours and 23 minutes in our light-use battery test, which is a relatively poor showing in this company. However, it's good to see Draft-N WiFi, Gigabit Ethernet, a webcam and a 250GB hard disk.

The main attraction is the 1,366x768 screen; this is an increasingly popular resolution for laptops. The 16:9 aspect ratio allows you to watch movies with thinner or no black bars above and below the picture. The glossy finish makes colours more vibrant and improves contrast. Unfortunately, you won't be able to see the image as clearly in brightly lit environments, where reflections will spoil the picture. The lack of an HDMI output is disappointing, but the VGA port means that it's easy to connect the Aspire 5735 to projectors and HD TVs.

Of the three laptops here with a 16:9 widescreen display, the Aspire stands out only for its support for Draft-N WiFi. Dell's 1545 is cheaper and looks smarter, while Medion's P6613 adds a larger hard disk, much better battery life and an HDMI port, and is a better choice overall.