Acer’s New Windows 11 Laptop Is Better for the Environment

Gadget makers have come up with a distich of tactics to curb e - waste and prevent plastic from heading straight to the landfill . On the one hand , you have devices like theFairphone 4and theFramework laptop computer , which seek to contract waste by making gadgets easier to raise and repair . On the other , you have system of rules like the new Acer Aspire Vero , which is elevate the taproom for how much recycled material companies reprocess in fresh electronics .

Eco-Friendly Doesn’t Mean Ugly

This is n’t the first time a gadget Creator has used recycled charge card in a laptop — back in 2019 , HP cleave a speaker module made from ocean - constipate plastic back in2019 on the elect Dragonfly . But the speakers on a laptop are a relatively modest factor . With theAspire Vero(starting at $ 700 , $ 900 as refresh ) , Acer is all in with post - consumer recycled plastic . The Vero ’s chassis have 30 % PCR credit card and its keycaps are made of 50 % reprocess credit card , which Acer claims is enough to come down the Vero ’s C footprint by around 21 % .

Acer Aspire Vero

What is it ?

Photo: Sam Rutherford

A 15.6 - in Windows 11 laptop computer made from recycled plastic

Price

Starts at $ 700 ( $ 900 as reviewed )

Maybe it’s just me, but the raw speckled finish on the Vero reminds me of some running shoes.

Maybe it’s just me, but the raw speckled finish on the Vero reminds me of some running shoes.Photo: Sam Rutherford

Stylish purpose , significant habit of recycled plastic , upright port extract , whole operation , work up - in fingerprint reader

Do n’t Like

There’s something about leaving the Vero’s plastic unpainted and the adding little neon accents that just works.

There’s something about leaving the Vero’s plastic unpainted and the adding little neon accents that just works.Photo: Sam Rutherford

second-rate barrage fire life , concealment brightness could be better , no support for USB - C charging

Acer ’s sustainability efforts do n’t stop there , though . The company says the control panel on theVero’sscreen is 99 % recyclable , and the laptop also has EPEAT silver grey certification and comes in a cardboard box that ’s 100 % percent recyclable . And if you do n’t want to reprocess the box seat , you’re able to even reuse it another mode by fold up parts into a mini laptop computer stand .

However , my preferred affair about theVero’seco - friendly design is that Acer skipped paint the system of rules . The company instead allows the little flecks of oxford gray and chicken scattered throughout theVero’srecycled pliant physique show through , similar to some patterns you see on today ’s run shoes — which might even be where some of theVero’sPCR charge card comes from . The laptop combines shape and mathematical function in a sustainable way of life for a design I can get behind . And while it is n’t nearly as modular as the Framework laptop , all of the screws on the underside of theVeroare easy to get at , so upgrade Aries or storage down the line should n’t be too difficult .

The Vero’s backlit keyboard comes with a couple brightness levels and a unique font on the R and E keys to remind you of its eco credibility.

The Vero’s backlit keyboard comes with a couple brightness levels and a unique font on the R and E keys to remind you of its eco credibility.Photo: Sam Rutherford

Even if you do n’t care about cutting down on e - waste ( which you really should ) , theVerostill compares well to less sustainable challenger . The laptop has relatively thin and light dimension ( 3.97 Irish punt and appraise 0.7 inches thick ) for a sub-$1,000 notebook computer . You even get handy features like a build - in fingerprint detector that works with Windows Hello , and a healthy selection of larboard : Ethernet , two USB - A 3.2 port , a USB - nose candy 3.2 port wine , a headphone jack , and even a full - sizing HDMI 2.0 larboard .

Also , as one of Acer ’s first batch of Windows 11 laptops , theVeromakes it easy to upgrade to Microsoft ’s in vogue oculus sinister without interest if your current machine has the specs and hardware to move up from Windows 10 .

My only gripes about theVero’sdesign is that there ’s a little more flex on its deck than I ’d like , and that the somewhat large chin below its projection screen seem a moment superannuated equate to the ever - squinch bezel on so many of today ’s laptops .

Photo: Sam Rutherford

Photo: Sam Rutherford (In-House Art)

Excellent Performance With a Fine Display

TheVerois available with an 11th - gen Intel Core i7 - 1195G7 CPU , 16 GB of RAM , 512 GB of NVMe SSD reposition , and Intel Iris Xe integrated art — and that ’s actually kind of overkill . In benchmarks , theVeroposted scores similar toSamsung ’s Galaxy Book Proand just slightly behind AMD - powered systems likeMicrosoft ’s Surface Laptop 4 , which is pretty honorable for a laptop computer that get going at century less than those simple machine . And if you ’re into gambling , you could even prevail Overwatch pretty swimmingly if you do n’t mind messing around with the secret plan ’s options a fleck . Just do n’t deceive yourself into thinking this is meant to handle new grain - heavy AAA titles .

But if we ’re being reliable , for a system designed to be an low-priced all - debauchee without discrete graphics , you ’re almost certainly better off waiting for the Core i5 model , which bug out at $ 700 and is require to go on sale sometime closer to the final stage of the October .

The other reason expectant rationality why I finger like the Core i5 modeling makes more sense is that with relatively lacklustre speakers and a 15.6 - in 1920 x 1080 covert that tops out at around 250 nit ( ideally you ’d want something closer to 300 or more ) , theVero’sdisplay looking at and feels much more appropriate on an affordable notebook computer than something price nearer to its more exchange premium rival .

The webcam is also pretty mediocre . It ’s fine for internet meetings and video outcry , but with a 720p declaration and just OK image character , you ’re not function to want to apply it for much else . And I appreciate the inclusion of a numpad ( and Acer ’s tasteful styling on the R and E keys ) , but theVero’skeyboard and touchpad are simply fine , not grand .

Battery life and charging

match a battery life that of 5 hours and 16 minutes on our WLAN video rundown test , theVerofared just a tad good than the Framework Laptop ( 5:03 ) and more powerful play notebook like MSI ’s GP66 ( 4:35 ) . Unfortunately , that 5:16 runtime is below the 8:06 average we ’re used to seeing on a typical laptop . you could eke out an extra hour or maybe an time of day and a half by move around on Acer ’s Eco and Eco+ power - saving modes , but that ’s still not really good enough for the Vero to rebel above being just decent .

For me , the prominent exit is Acer ’s use of a tiny barrel - style power fire hydrant . At this point , I experience like every laptop should be moving towards USB - C charging unless the system is just too big or too big businessman - thirsty to make that an choice , which definitely is n’t true for theVero . In 2021 , no one really want to post power cords that can only charge a single twist . And while I have to take most of the blame for this , I should also mention that while battery try the Vero , I stepped on its correct - angle power plug barefoot while it was pointing straight up , leaving me with a bally trap in my sole and worse pain than stepping on any Lego . I have only myself to blame , but at the same time , I feel like this situation would n’t have happened if theVerohad USB - C blame cable television .

A Mix of Sustainability and Affordability

TheVeroisn’t super flashy and it ’s not proceed to blow you away with a fancy sieve or a beastly GPU , but that ’s OK . TheVerois the variety of simple , straightforward machine that would make a good family laptop or a notebook for a unseasoned student learning from home . It ’s got a great survival of embrasure , good performance , and if you wait for the Core i5 model , theVerois an fantabulous value too . It might not have the premium aluminum form found on more expensive machine , but theVerohas its own sensation of style that ’s sweet and eco - well-disposed . Acer may not have solved east - waste , but theAspire Verois a humble laptop that ’s light on your pocketbook and better for the environs .

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