This is a great computer to use for school and home use. It can be used for business use if it is for general administrative use. I have had this computer about 18 months and it has served me well. The only problems I have had with were self made (virus) when not using common sense. I don't like the audio because it has a tinny sound and not very loud so I have added speakers but I can use my earphones when necessary which is fine. It plays dvds, cds and does the job. It is light and transportable throughout my house. The battery life is about 3 to 4 hours. About the time it takes to watch a movie. This is not for a serious gamer. The graphics are ok but I purchased this computer because it was on sale and cheap for my needs. If you are an average person who needs this for email, light game playing, downloading movies or watching on line tv, this computer will more than do the job. I would purchase another without hesitation. I really like this computer.

Nydajean

Kalamazoo, MI

Years ago Acer tried to gain commercial advantage by putting inferior components into their laptops. The result was damage to their reputation. Over the last 3 years they have really pulled up their socks and put some quality back into the brand and this notebook is no different. When you don't want to spend a lot of money chasing a brand name but you do want to be able to rely on what you are buying then Acer is the right choice. The battery life could be a little better (I tend to get through the battery on a short domestic flight), the aesthetics of the computer are a little ho-hum, and the speaker quality will not wow anyone, but I run mining software and Photoshop on this little beauty and it does the trick.

JohnLamerand

Middleville, MI

The Acer Aspire 5742 (LXR4P02020) PC Notebook was my choice this past Christmas season when I needed to get a new laptop to replace my 2000 Dell laptop that finally bit the dust for good.  I have never purchased a computer from the Acer brand, but it seems to be one of the leading lower-priced manufacturers and in general has good reviews.  I used to only buy Dell but I've had quite a bit of trouble with them, in both laptops and PCs, so I was ready to try something different.  I purchased the laptop mainly for my son who is starting to do Powerpoint presentations at school and I don't have the Microsoft programs on our Mac!  Our other needs were also pretty basic - internet surfing, email, word processing, basic online games, etc. - no heavy video/gaming activity.  This Aspire seems to do the job pretty well - it's a basic machine but that's all we need, so I'm glad I didn't pay hundreds more for a beefier unit.  It's quite adequate for a family computer.

mila

Vero Beach, FL

I searched and searched for a replacement laptop for my 7 year old one that finally died.  After 2 months of internet and in-store shopping, I decided on the Acer Aspire 5742 - and how glad I am!  This laptop is amazing.  It's fast, it's easy, has a lot of built in bonuses that I was unaware of when I purchased it.  The 15.6" HD LED LCD screen provides easy viewing, with beautiful graphics - very easy on the eyes when multiple hours are spent surfing the net.  With a Intel Pentium P6100 processor and 4GB DDDR3 memory, this thing is FAST!  Click on a link, it's open!  Want to view pictures or videos?  No problem - click, and there they are.  The 320 GB hard drive is bigger than I can probably ever fill up, but it's nice to know that space is there, in case I get crazy with pictures!  The battery holds up to about 4 hours, if surfing the net, or plug in and surf all you want!  I highly recommend this laptop to anyone in th market for an affordable, fast, easy laptop.

duncanl74

Evansville, IN

I have had this laptop for a little over 6 months now and I'm pretty pleased with it.  It runs things quickly and doesnt freeze up.  One thing that I really need to be upfront about though is: THE SOUND IS HORRIBLE!!!!!!!  just horrible.  you WILL need to get speakers to go with the laptop or headphones.  I just bought some speakers since i dont really move the laptop around anyways.  But, the sound thing really does limit its portability.  Like, if you want to go to another room and watch a show on your laptop or listen to music while you cook.  Its really just not feasible unless you want to carry around the speakers as well.   Luckily, this hasnt been a huge issue for me, since like i said, i dont really move it around.   So, if you are okay with the sound issue, you will be happy with it.  Everything else on it is great.   It did take me a while to get used to everything being pushed over to the left slightly because of the number pad.  but, its still a very nice laptop. 

brendaruth

Ogden, UT

I love this laptop.  It does everything I need in a laptop.  Price is great as well.  Computer starts up quick and shuts down quick.  I was a bit hesitant to buy, but right now it's the best laptop we have ever had.  I would highly recommend it to others. 

califopinion

San Jose, CA

I purchased this laptop because my last one was having problems and I need something reliable for school. This does not have all the bells and whistles you might find on a more expensive laptop, but it has everything I need. If you just want to do basic things such as word processing and web browsing this laptop will be more than enough. The keyboard is very comfortable to me and I like having the numeric keypad. The touchpad can be a bit too sensitive but overall it works pretty well. Also having HDMI out is great. One feature which would be nice to have is bluetooth but I imagine it is virtually impossible to find a laptop in this pricerange with bluetooth and if I really need it I could just get a small USB adapter. Speaking of add-ons, if you get this laptop you might want to also invest in some external speakers, because the ones it comes with are very weak. If you want to listen to an online lecture or something like that it should be fine but for music or movies it's pretty terrible. Lastly - not a big deal but I don't care much for the crosshatch texture on the laptop. I'm not sure if this is standard for these models but I would have liked just a plain smooth texture instead.  

tarquamt

Elk Grove, CA

When my other laptop bit the dust, I needed something to fill the void - the void being the ability to sit on the couch and play on facebook, pay bills and also edit videos.  I didn't need something extremely powerful, but I didn'tw ant to settle for something slow either.  I intend on purchasing a 2nd generation ipad so I didn't want to spend too much money on a replacement interim laptop.  enter black friday and the acer aspire 5742.  Perfect!  It's fast, speedy, handy and SO much lighter than my previous laptop.  I love the keyboard, I love that if I somehow break a key off (as I'm prone to do with ANY computer or keyboard) they pop RIGHT back on if I push on them.  It's quiet, the fan does its job and the bottom of the laptop is never so hot that I can't touch it like my previous laptop.  I love it.  And best of all - I can edit my HD video while accidently leaving photoshop and illustrator both open... and it STILL doesn't overheat!  Definitely would recommend to friends and family, especially at the low price I managed to pick it up for!

bambier

Van Horne, IA

Not really "all that and a bag of chips." Its good if you are just getting out of high school or if you are in college. Yeah I'd recommend it, but only because its affordable and it works. It is'nt anything fancy or flashy,just a laptop.

Alicia-Burress

Franklin, OH