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The Answer:
Looking at PC Magazine, the Acer rates a C- in quality and tech support, while the ASUS rates a A- in both. Yous should see some of the Junk emails I get from ACER, I would never buy from them again.
Asus is statistically the most reliable brand, Acer one of the least (I think HP is worse). No question that should give a push towards an Asus.
Also, just FYI neither of those systems should be used as a primary computer. They seem like they'd make decent secondary computers to take notes on or do something fairly non-intensive. They're better than Atom based systems, but wouldn't make good primary systems.
ASUS, is the way to go and you can use this as your main computer, I do and do heavy graphics. By the numbers, an I7-720QM is slightly weaker than a QX9300 Extreme (a quad and last years most powerful laptop chip). The I7 is as strong as the desktop version of the quad QX6700-KenTsfield. Check out Notebookcheck dot COM for good stats
I purchased the Acer you speak of. Less than 6 weeks in, I'm on my 2nd unit, after odd failures including nonfunctioning hotkeys and keyboard keys sticking. The 2nd computer is flimsier and more cheaply built than the first, even though it's the same model. The Acer has great specs, but it comes in a poorly designed and assembled case, with too-thin plastic (it has an aluminum lid but the bezel is warped on mine and the case bottom is so thin it flexes every time I pick it up, even causing the DVD drive to stop turning. And as others have told you here, Acer doesn't have a great reputation for support. It is my intention to return this 2nd one and get something else. At this time I don't have any firm recommendations for you, although you might consider Lenovo, which has in-home repair warranties for a reasonable additional cost.
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I would never again by an ACER ANYTHING! We bought the Acer Extensa laptop as an office extra/backup computer and have had major problems with it within a few months of its purchase. It was back and forth for repair almost all the time over the last six months of its manufacturer's one year warrranty. It was never "fixed" and they now claim the warranty is up (even though we have complained that it is not fixed TWICE within the 90 day period from the last repair while under warranty, and they took it back for repair on one of those claims). I would never recommend an ACER anything ever again. The hassle factor alone make ACER a bad investment.
Lori Michaud
