Computers can be used from many reasons but most recent are usage for quite elementary things. For all users with basic needs, computer purchasing can be a true nightmare. Ignorance issue, enormous choice and quite often contradictory advices, only lead to confused buyers and very often lead to spending unnecessary huge amount of money on something that actually isn’t adequate configuration for a specific user. Acer Company tried to help you by launching series of cheaper models.

Acer, as the world’s second company by amount of sold notebooks, decided to go step further by creating new brand for low budget products – eMachines. Notebooks with this brand will be characterized as very affordable mobile computers that don’t have extraordinary design or outstanding performances, but they still will be suitable for many users. Model that we tested, eMachines E510-301G12Mi with price tag around 350€ is cheaper than some netbooks!

When we look at its contours, eMachines E510 reminds on Aspire 5520 models with Gemstone design, so it’s more than obvious that Acer used the same “mold” for the casing. However, at this point ends any further similarity of E510 with Aspire notebooks. Quality production, design and entire impression cannot be compared. This notebook has a lack of details that made Aspire Gemstone visually attractive. E510 is made from black plastic that looks very cheap. Well, plastic firmness isn’t much of problem as much is unpleasant feeling when you touch it (tactile impression). Actually used plastic is firm enough and situation becomes a bit better, after bad first impression, when this was realized. Cover stiffness is at decent level and even strong pressure on cover didn’t cause bigger deformation of picture (display). Here we meet with similar effect as on Toshiba L300 model so the term “stiffness” is more appropriate than “toughness”.

Characteristics for “glare” type of display are quite expected. Standard resolution, a bit lower viewing angles, noticeable breaching of backlight along bottom edge… Luckily, nothing that can be described as unacceptable faults.

Although the keyboard bending is very noticeable, it wasn’t as big as we expected. Bending is even smaller than on some Aspire models from mid class.
Performances are in range with performances of other low-budget notebooks. Celeron processor (but at respectable 2.13GHz), a bit slower hard disk, 1GB of memory... Considering that we are talking about model attended for users with no specific demands, we could say that performances of eMachines E510 are satisfactory.

Majority of mentioned characteristics can be also applied on almost all cheaper notebook models and it’s hard to conclude, based on everything said before: how the heck people from Acer come up with such a low price? But everything will become much clearer when we take a look on how this model is equipped. Almost everything that isn’t necessary for basic work is left out.  We don’t remember that we saw notebook without PCMCIA or Express Card slot in recent years. You won’t find here nor modem, nor web camera and E510 has one and only additional key used for activating of wireless adapter. Fortunately, there are 3 USB ports so you can use external components that you need (modem, web camera …). The list of provided equipment is ending with connectors for: network cable, microphone and headphones.