Written by: Allen Atienza
The Philippines is surely transitioning into a digital phase, as schools aim to establish online classes to prevent the spread of COVID-19. That is why UST and Acer Academy have put up a Faculty and Student Purchase Program (FSPP), setting discounts for laptops, along with an optional availing of coverage for accidental damage. As of now, there are no stocks that can be bought under the FSPP. However, Acer Academy has another incoming batch of stocks to the UST Community on a lower discount. With another opportunity open to students, here is a quick guide for those who are interested in purchasing their products.
How to Avail?
The contact details (email, phone, and telephone number) are provided below. You can also contact MICROSMITH TECHNOLOGY’s Facebook page on the details of their special discount as they are also resellers for Acer Academy laptops. Once you are in contact with them, you should be able to discuss the details of the transaction. You can pay for the laptop via a bank deposit or PAYPAL. However, using Paypal to buy a laptop is unavailable at the moment.
As for delivery, the fee is 500 at a minimum in Metro Manila. Anywhere farther or in more remote areas will have an additional charge on the delivery fee, depending on the courier. You can expect to get your delivery within 5-7 days if you are in the NCR region, 7-10 days if you are in other provinces. For more details, you can refer to the contact details given in the links below.
Details of the Discounts
The discounts range from 2000 pesos to 6000 pesos, and the accidental damage protection ranges from 1450 pesos to 3700 pesos, depending on the price of the laptop. These go along with freebies, such as an Acer Laptop Bag, a mouse with mousepad, etc.
The links provided below show you brochures of the different laptops available, along with their specifications.
There are several laptops with discounts, which might make it hard for you to decide. Here is a guide to help you choose your laptop.
Laptop Series
Each laptop has its trademarks and features, so it would be helpful to know the background of the different series of laptops that Acer has.
Travelmate
Travelmate series revolves around one concept: durability. Travelmate laptop features a keyboard life of at least 10000 presses, hinge life (flip open to close) of 25 000 flips, and temperature tolerance of 60 Degrees Celsius. It can withstand falls of at least 1.22 meters. They are lightweight, portable, features a responsive keypad, and outstanding battery life. Although the hardware is better than most laptops, some users have reviewed the screen quality of the laptops being cheaper than what they paid for. All in all, if you are a person who isn’t the type to do work in just one place, TravelMate laptops will suit you just fine.
Aspire
The Aspire Series are laptops designed for everyday consumer life. Acer Academy discounted two models, Aspire 3 and Aspire 5. Multiple threads on the internet have suggested you make your decision based on your needs. They are nearly the same, with Aspire 3 having both the cheapest and most expensive choices. According to a discussion in the Acer community, the Aspire 3 is family-and-student friendly, while the Aspire 5 is the practical and mainstream choice. However, the Aspire series cannot be bought under a discount and will now be sold under their original price.
Specifications
The specifications and details are confusing to read, but there is a way to gauge what are the better choices. It is helpful to at least have background knowledge of what the different details mean so you can choose a laptop that you feel like will help you. Take note that these specifications have different functions, but these go hand in hand, so choose your combination of specifications wisely.
Operating System (OS)
The OS is important software that allows the hardware to be utilized. Windows 10 is the only available OS, so there isn’t much to be discussed. Windows 10 is a common choice among everyday consumers and professionals. Most companies like Adobe create specific programs so that professionals can do specific tasks such as programming and building design.
Processor
The Processor is the heart of any computer. A faster processor means your apps load quickly, and you can run multiple apps without experiencing lag. There are 5 processors available, Intel’s as well as Intel Dual Core Celeron, Pentium Silver, Intel Core i3, i5, and i7.
Intel Dual Core Celerons are better, since it has two cores, means you can multitask more efficiently. On the other hand, Pentium Silver are power efficient processors, especially if you want a laptop with a long battery life. They might not be powerful enough for more heavy duty programs, but you can use them completely fine on web browsing and office work. However, if you want a more powerful processor, you might need to consider a processor from the Intel Core series.
Intel Core i3 processors are more lightweight than the majority of the Intel Core series. They are suited for small PC builds, consuming less power, and generating less heat. Intel Core i7 processors are the most powerful processor of the batch, as it has powerful processing speed, making them suited for video editing, video gaming, and even virtual reality programs. If you want a balance of less power consumption and better processing, Intel i5 is the mix of i3 and i7 that you might be looking for.
Memory
The Random Access Memory (RAM), is the short-term memory that your laptop temporarily requires to run programs and files. The better it is, the more choices and smoother your experience will be. It is the limit of what your computer can do. The minimum RAM is 4GB, but you can upgrade it to 16GB, depending on your budget. Getting 8GB RAM is a safer recommendation, as there are many engineering programs, such as AutoCAD, that can be used more effectively with more RAM.
Storage
Storage is mostly self-explanatory, as it shows how much data (from programs and files) is available to use. Most laptops have at least 1TB of storage, and can even have more. Other than the Chromebooks, there are two types of storage devices for laptops, the Solid State Drive (SSD) and the Hard Disk Drive (HDD). Programs and applications stored on the SSD operate faster, while HDD requires a bit more time to process information. The SSD suffers if you don’t leave extra space on it, however. You can use both, using the SSD to store your applications and programs, and your HDD to store your documents and media files.
Graphics
You have 2 options on graphics cards, which are Intel HD Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce. Graphics cards impact the rendering of images. So for those who are into video games, image and video editing, you need to keep this in mind. NVIDIA is generally better when it comes to overall performance, so pick them if you want better graphics. If you are not using the laptop for programs that render images, pick Intel as it uses less power and gives you more battery life.
Investment
The last thing you want to think about is how much of an investment your laptop will be. Here are a couple of questions you want to ask yourself before buying;
Do you need a (new) laptop?
Do you want one for a short term or long term usage?
What is your budget?
What do you want to do with your laptop?
How important will your laptop be in your education, and possibly your career?
Are you willing to invest more or invest less money in your laptop?
All in all, the features and specifications of your laptop are selling points in which you want to gauge your investment.
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