Acer can rightfully be called the “king of home rulers”: the brand brings to the market a huge assortment of models for every taste and budget, and if you take into account the variety of satellite brands, such as eMachines and Packard Bell, it will not be difficult to get lost in the variety of devices.
The hero of today's review is the Acer Aspire 5560 laptop, a budget laptop for home use. Let's try to identify all its advantages along with the disadvantages, taking into account the opinions of experts and reviews of ordinary users.
Appearance
The cases of Eiser budget lines are similar not only to each other, but also to competing laptops. For example, the Acer Aspire 5560 is very similar in appearance to the eMachines 600 and 700 series, but if Emachins is a frankly cheap line where savings are achieved at literally all assembly levels, Eiser engineers choose plastic more expensive and better, although the overall style of the laptops has remained almost the same.
Even with rounded edges and corners, the case of the Acer Aspire 5560 looks flat and heavy. Yes, and the laptop’s appearance when closed is more utilitarian and looks very inexpensive, but when compared with the same Emachins, it becomes noticeable that the Aspire’s materials are better.
The lid of the device is made in a matte style, has a corrugated surface with a texture reminiscent of metal floors on ship equipment - so that no one slips. Here the tasks are slightly different, but the texture fulfills its goals: it is difficult to leave fingerprints on the lid or any other “bloopers”. In general, the case is difficult to get dirty, and it’s much easier to clean.
The opposite corner is formed on the front of the case cover, you can easily catch on it with your finger to open the laptop. The course of the loops is quite easy, and you can open the device with one hand without holding the entire structure.
In the open state, the Acer Aspire 5560 laptop looks like a regular, unremarkable laptop with a simple, calm and outstanding appearance. The display frame is a continuation of the screen and does not stand out when the device is turned off, the only thing that users constantly mention in their reviews with an unkind word is that the frame is made in gloss and, when opened, the frame collects fingerprints and other dirt. The keyboard panel is also devoid of any design refinements and looks simple, flat and painfully familiar.
The only thing that somehow refreshes the look of the laptop is a brown palm rest. A beautiful shade of the case gives the device a stylish touch, distinguishing it from the whole variety of corporate black models. Yes, it looks much worse in terms of design than the same HP 6000 series, but our model is located in a completely different price segment.
Build quality
The characteristics of the Acer Aspire 5560 laptop do not allow the model to act as a "traveler", so it can be called a home device. The lid of the device is not strong enough, and even with a relatively weak pressing, distortions appear, so you should be careful and careful when transporting.
The device was assembled quite soundly for its segment: no squeaks or crunching was noticed, but holding the laptop in weight, you can feel the case bend slightly, which once again proves the model is unsuitable for traveling and traveling.
In general, the appearance of the tested model is a little boring, and even the closest competitor in the line of ASUS K52 looks much more interesting in terms of design and style. The only thing that consumer reviews say in favor of the appearance of the Acer Aspire 5560 is practicality due to the matte finish. From the point of view of users, the model corresponds to positioning as a “home” notebook of general use.
Ergonomics and Interfaces
According to a long-established tradition, laptops with l-shaped hinges on the rear panel of the case do not have any ports or connectors due to interference from the cover. On the front panel of the device in the left corner is only a card reader with a protective cover.
On the left side of the device there is a power connector with an angular plug, allowing you to lead the high-voltage wire behind the matrix, away from the eyes. Next is a network interface such as RJ-45, then there is a ribbed ventilation grill, a digital HDMI port, coupled with an analog VGA, the last are universal audio connectors and a USB port of type 3.0. The right side of the device is reserved for two USB 2.0 ports, a DVD drive and Kensington lock.
It is very convenient that on the left side of the laptop there are ports that are used for a long time: network, cable and, say, an external hard drive, that is, all thick wires pass to the left side of the laptop, without interfering with normal operation. You can connect a mouse and a USB flash drive to the right, but it’s worth mentioning right away that many specialized forums are full of user indignation in their reviews of the Acer Aspire 5560, the characteristics of which allow connecting only three USB devices, which is extremely small with all the abundance of third-party gadgets (cameras, players , phones and more). Using a USB splitter is not very convenient in a laptop, and why the company did not think about expanding ports remains a mystery.
Input Devices
The company equipped the Acer Aspire 5560 with an unusual shape of a mushroom type key, where the hat is slightly wider than the base itself. Using such a keyboard is very convenient to blow away dust and crumbs and other dirt that have fallen into the cracks.
Markers of medium size, white with an angular arrangement are very well read, and there is no discomfort when working with the keyboard. There are no obvious claims to the layout, the only thing users are dissatisfied with in their reviews is that the number pad is too close to the main keyboard, otherwise everything is fine.
Touchpad
The touchpad of the Acer Aspire 5560 is no different from similar manipulators: an average response, a smooth surface and a single rocker for functionality. Those who often type on the keyboard note that their hands touch the touchpad when working, so the best option would be to plug in a USB mouse - to avoid overlays and arbitrary clicks.
Acer Aspire 5560 Screen
Display specifications are absolutely standardized with similar segment models. The diagonal of the screen is 15.6 inches with a resolution of 1366 by 768 pixels with a 16: 9 ratio. The display has a glossy style, so working in the fresh air on a sunny day is unlikely to succeed.
The brightness of the matrix is ​​average, with a low saturation limit, but for a home device it is quite suitable. The colors on the screen look a little dull and, like all other TN-matrices, the display has a very small viewing angle.
Disassembly Acer Aspire 5560
Depending on the place of work and the environment, the laptop can become very hot and even turn off after some time. This is a clear signal that it is time to clean the device from dust and accumulated dirt.
Before disassembling your Acer Aspire 5560 laptop , be sure to unplug it and unplug the battery. Following the simple steps in the operating instructions, disconnect all fasteners until you get to the motherboard, where the fan with the cover is located, they must be thoroughly cleaned and blown.
The owners note that the Acer Aspire 5560 ventilation system is not as difficult to disassemble and clean as it seems at first glance, the main thing is not to rush and carefully follow the instructions. If necessary, after disassembly, heat pipes and thermal grease can be additionally replaced.
In order to minimize the problem of overheating and clogging of the system with dust, you can use special cooling pads, which are sold in any computer store.
Summarizing
Model 5560 is an inexpensive and average laptop for home use. The main advantage of a laptop is the price, which sometimes interests a potential buyer much more than the performance or functionality of the device. There is a model of about 14,000 rubles. In terms of functionality, the laptop does not lag behind more expensive counterparts, as users note.
The remaining parameters of the device are in a more or less acceptable framework for its class, both price and technical. Surely most buyers will not notice the difference between this line and similar laptops on other platforms.