Everyone’s idea of the perfect laptop is different.
Some people might be looking for the lightest model or one with the longest battery life or one with enough power to quickly edit videos.
Some users are looking for a laptop to be their only PC, while others want one they can toss in a bag and use when they are away from home.
Look at the laptop lines of the major PC manufacturers, including Dell, HP and Apple, and you’ll find all sizes and configurations. Big companies can try to fill all the needs.
Acer is another PC company that seems to have a laptop to fill every need, including some that are a bit obscure.
Its Acer Enduro Urban N3 ($999 at acer.com) is sturdier than most and has some features I’ve not seen before on a computer.
Design
The first thing you’ll notice about the Enduro N3 is that it doesn’t look like any other laptop.
It looks tough.
The model I reviewed has a military green cover with ridges running the length of the top and the word ENDURO outlined in orange.
The corners of the laptop and the screen protrude like little bumpers made of a hard rubber material to help withstand drops.
The N3 is sand- and dust-resistant based on the MIL-STD 810F testing standard.
It is also liquid-resistant.
There are drain holes through the laptop, so that if you spill liquid onto the keyboard, it will drain out the bottom of the case.
The ports on the side of the laptop all have their own rubber covers. If the covers are in place, Acer says, the N3 doesn’t need to worry about the weather. To use the ports, you do have to flip down the covers, which is a bit awkward.
It is IP53 certified to be dust- and water-resistant. The water resistance level is for splashing, not submerging. So rain is OK, but swimming is not.
The N3 is cooled by a fan that is also waterproof.
There are more expensive rugged laptops on the market. Panasonic makes a line called the ToughBook, and they are great, but they’re large and may be overkill for people who just want a laptop that can be used outdoors in any weather.
The Acer Enduro N3 is designed to withstand the elements and still be the size of a regular laptop.
Specs
The N3 I reviewed (model EUN314-51W-70RF) ships with Windows 10 Home. It has 16 gigabytes of RAM and a one terabyte solid state drive.
There are other models with more and less RAM and storage.
It’s powered by the Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor running at 2.80 gigahertz with Intel Iris Xe graphics.
The 14-inch screen has a resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels and has a brightness of 450 nits. The glass over the screen is antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass.
The screen sits in the middle of a huge bezel, so Acer could have easily increased the screen size by about 3/4 of an inch.
Communication is via Wi-Fi 6 or Bluetooth 5.0.
Ports include HDMI, three USB-A, one USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, an SD card reader and a headphone jack.
One of the USB-A ports can be used to charge phones or other devices when the N3 is asleep.
The battery specs show a run time of 13 hours, but early battery tests in online reviews show that spec to be a bit optimistic in real life testing.
When closed, the N3 measures 13.8 by 9.6 by 0.86 inches, and it weighs 4.09 pounds.
The case is all plastic.
In use
Setup and configuration of the N3 could not have been easier.
The laptop is quick and responsive. I had no problems getting the trackpad to recognize any multitouch gesture I tried.
I also appreciate the “ruggedized” features that make the laptop more likely to survive a drop, a spill on the keyboard or even a sudden downpour.
Where the N3 wears on me is with its rubber covers on the side ports.
I realize the port covers are the reason you can leave it out in the rain, but uncovering the ports every time I want to plug in a monitor or flash drive is a bit of a drag. Unless you really need waterproof ports, you may want to pick another model.
I do appreciate the design of the trackpad, with physical right and left buttons.
Many laptops have eliminated the trackpad buttons, and users have to click the bottom left and right sides of the trackpad to register a right or left click.
The specs of the laptop are not out of line for the price, and the RAM and solid state drive look to be upgradable.
Overall the N3 is an above average laptop, marketed to people who need the water resistance and drop protection.
But since Acer has a full line of laptops, happily it is able to release models for users with specific needs.
Pros: Resistant to splashing, can survive decent drops, speedy.
Cons: Port covers are a drag but necessary. No Ethernet port.
Bottom line: A nice laptop that caters to a niche market.
