Acer is a brand that cares about the future of our Earth. One of its contributions is the launch of the Aspire Vero series which is claimed to be an eco-friendly laptop. Interestingly, the Acer Aspire Vero is now available in a special edition in collaboration with National Geographic.
Curious what it’s like to use a laptop made with recycled materials? Come on, just take a look at our experience!
An eco-friendly laptop that looks great
According to Acer, the Aspire Vero National Geographic Edition uses recycled materials such as 30 percent PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) plastic throughout its chassis, 50 percent similar PCR material on keyboard keys, and packaging or boxes that are 100 percent recyclable.
Acer claims the environmentally friendly materials they use make the consumption of CO2 emissions during the production process reduced by about 21 percent, compared to other laptops of the same size. If you buy this laptop, it means you are helping National Geographic in creating a better environment.
In terms of design, for us the Acer Aspire Vero National Geographic Edition looks quite special. The Volcanic Gray color that it carries looks more attractive thanks to the topographic map pattern and the Nat-Geo logo on the outside, as well as a touch of yellow accents typical of National Geographic. The packaging is also unique with an iconic theme.
Not only that, the PCR material provides natural colors without paint and different textures, so it feels comfortable when in contact with the skin. As far as our use, the Aspire Vero is a laptop whose body is not easily dirty by greasy finger marks.
Which may be a question, is this recycled material reliable for its durability? In fact, the Aspire Vero has a fairly good build-quality and feels solid thanks to the honeycomb patterned structure. Even so, there are still parts that are a bit flexible when pressed (eg above the keyboard) so that it gives a slightly less solid impression.
Please note that the dimensions of this laptop are quite wide and you can even say that they are rather large (363.4 (W) x 238.5 (D) x 17.9 (H) mm). It weighs about 1.8 kilograms. In its price class, it’s certainly not the most practical to carry around.
Acer Aspire Vero National Geographic Edition is equipped with a full-size keyboard complete with backlit, and is quite comfortable for everyday typing. This keyboard is unique, because it says “For Planet Earth” on the space key and the E and R keys are inverted. The touchpad is also wide but the click button is a bit uncomfortable when pressed. On this touchpad Acer also buried a fingerprint sensor.
For port availability, the Acer Aspire Vero offers 1x USB Type-C port, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x USB 2.0 port, 3.5mm audio jack, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.0 with HDCP support, and Kensington Lock. Wireless connectivity is supported by Intel Wireless WiFI 6 AX201 Dual-Band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and Bluetooth 5.1.
15.6 inch IPS screen
Aspire Vero National Geographic Edition comes with a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS screen. Yes, IPS, not IPS-Level. The aspect ratio is 16:9 with still quite large bezels around it.
The brightness level is just standard, and a little underexposed when used outdoors during the day. The matter of color presentation cannot be called special, because this laptop is not designed for content creation purposes such as professional photo and video editing.
The screen already uses an anti-glare surface to minimize reflections. A little about audio, the Aspire Vero is equipped with two speakers with Acer TrueHarmony technology whose sound quality is good enough to just accompany watching videos or listening to music.
Good performance for various needs
The Acer Aspire Vero is armed with an 11th Generation Intel Core i5-1155G7 processor and Intel Iris Xe graphics. The RAM is 8GB DDR4 Dual-Channel (4GB onboard, 4GB replaceable), with 512GB M.2 NVMe Gen 3 SSD storage. A combination that can be said to be a typical laptop of USD $700.
For daily work, of course, this device is reliable. Even light photo and video editing is still ideal regardless of screen color accuracy. Fun again, Acer provides VeroSense software with several modes ranging from Eco + Mode and Eco Mode which are in line with the mission of saving energy, Balance Mode, and Performance Mode. You can select and activate the mode as needed.
Even for gaming, you can, as long as the game you are playing is not an AAA title with high graphics requirements. Valorant can be run at 1080p resolution and Low graphics settings to get frame rates in the 70-80 fps range, with best performance settings and connected to a charger. Still very playable and the temperature is safe.
The Aspire Vero National Geographic Edition has a 48 Wh battery with a fairly decent endurance for its capacity. Use from morning to afternoon or evening can be fulfilled as long as it is not for heavy work. Regarding charging, it takes about 1 hour 40 minutes to be charged to 100 percent.
Conclusion
The eco-friendly concept put forward by the Acer Aspire Vero National Geographic Edition is a success, in the sense that it is not just a gimmick. In addition to the use of PCR materials and packaging that can be recycled, VeroSense software is also embedded as part of the energy efficiency mission.
In terms of design, Acer managed to package a laptop made with a mixture of recycled materials into a product that actually looks quite attractive and has good performance. For those who are interested, the Aspire Vero National Geographic Edition is sold at a price of USD $739 through Acer eStore , Blibli.com, Acer Official Store in eCommerce, Acer Exclusive Store, Acer Authorized Store, and other offline stores.
Acer Aspire Vero National Geographic Edition is suitable for:
- Users who want to contribute to protecting the Earth: The ingredients are environmentally friendly, and the system is powered by software to save energy.
- National Geographic Fans: The Nat-Geo touch on this laptop results in a design that is more special and certainly rarely found in other products.
- Employees: The performance and features are sufficient to support daily work, as long as it doesn’t demand high graphics performance.
- Student/student: Acer Aspire Vero is suitable for studying, doing assignments, and playing light games like Valorant. The appearance is also stylish.
Pros of Acer Aspire Vero National Geographic Edition:
- Environmentally friendly materials, from the chassis to the packaging
- Cool design and not market
- The body is not easily dirty by oily finger marks
- Agile performance, quite okay for light gaming
- There is VeroSense software for energy efficiency
- IPS screen
- The temperature is still safe when working hard
- Can upgrade RAM
Disadvantages of Acer Aspire Vero National Geographic Edition:
- Dimensions are wide and a bit heavy
- There are parts of the body that feel less solid
- No SD Card slot
- The click button on the touchpad is not comfortable to press
- No Thunderbolt
