5:23 PM

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TravelMate 5730

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Acer's TravelMate 5730 comes packaged in the new ProFile design chassis and boosts on-the-job performance with features perfectly suited to the progressive professional's daily life. The TravelMate ProFile's look and feel is all business and equipped with cutting-edge Dual Core Processor technology, latest graphics and full wireless communication, the TM5730 boosts mobility and efficiency of any professional user inside a rigid magnesium alloy chassis for maximum protection.


Exceptional performance and complete communication
The new TravelMate 5730 sports cutting-edge dual core processor technology which empowers exceptional multitasking productivity to keep professionals on the cutting edge while the latest ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3470 or NVIDIA® GeForce® 9300M GS card delivers new levels of graphics and video performance for the reliable and stress-free running business applications. The provision of WPA2 advanced data encryption and full wireless communication (802.11a/g/Draft-N) guarantee trouble free wireless compatibility and security to protect business critical data while Gigabit Ethernet with Alert Standard Format (ASF) and Wake-on-LAN support offers fast, efficient and secure LAN connection and remote manageability

Review :

Description: The Acer TravelMate 5730-6953 is a 6.6-pound, consumer level notebook computer.Compared to other mainstream notebooks on the market, it is relatively inexpensive at around $850.The 15.4 inch widescreen has a native resolution of 1280 x 800, which is fairly standard among notebooks.Built around the Intel Core 2 Duo chip.This unit comes with a 160GB hard drive and 2 GB of RAM.

Pros: Includes an HDMI port so you can easily output the notebook's audio and video to a compatible TV or monitor.The External Serial ATA port (ESATA) will transfer data to an external hard drive much faster than USB 2.0.The built-in fingerprint reader will speed up the log in process while adding a strong layer of data protection.The EPA has classified this notebook as Energy Star compliant because it has built-in power management features.

Cons: Has a 6.6-pound weight, which is somewhat heavier than some similarly priced notebooks..The fair battery performance of this laptop means it has to be recharged more frequently than other notebooks in its class.This notebook's Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics chip uses system RAM, which sometimes results in slower performance.

Suitability: A mainstream consumer notebook, suited for general mobile computing.If you have a Wireless Network at home, wirelessly browse the Web from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled laptop.Archive your digital videos using this laptop's DVD writer.An anti-theft security tether can be fastened into the built-in lock slot.

Value: In view of its relatively inexpensive price, this notebook has great features for the money.For example, when it comes to screen size, the average price of consumer level products with a comparable screen size is considerably more -- in fact around $1,048.

Suggestions: (1) Given this device's Wi-Fi capability, you may want to get a WAP for your home, so that you can browse the Web more conveniently from any room.(2) The integrated camera, while it does not have the resolution of most digital cameras, can be handy if you want to video chat over the Internet.





Processor & Chipset
  • Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology, featuring:
  • Intel® Core™2 Duo processor with up to 6 MB L2 cache, supporting Intel® 64 architecture
  • Mobile Intel® PM45 Express Chipset, or
  • Mobile Intel® GM45 Express Chipset
  • Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 5000 Series (802.11a/g/Draft-N) Wi-Fi CERTIFIED® network connection, featuring MIMO technology, supporting Acer SignalUp™ with Nplify™ wireless technology InviLink™ Nplify™ wireless technology
Memory
  • DDR2 memory, upgradeable to 4 GB using dual soDIMM modules (dual-channel support)
  • * A 64-bit operating system is required to enjoy the ultimate performance of 4 GB memory.
HDD
  • S-ATA Hard Disk Drive with Acer DASP (Disk Anti-Shock Protection)
Storage
  • Blu-ray Disc™/DVD-Super Multi double-layer combo drive or DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive or, DVD/CD-RW combo drive
  • 5-in-1 card reader, supporting Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick® (MS), Memory Stick PRO™ (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card™ (xD)
Display
  • 15.4" WXGA high-brightness TFT LCD, 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, supporting simultaneous multi-window viewing via Acer GridVista™
  • 16.7 million colours
Graphics
  • ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3470 with up to 2048 MB of HyperMemory™ (256 MB of dedicated DDR2 VRAM, up to 1792 MB of shared system memory), supporting Unified Video Decoder (UVD), OpenEXR High Dynamic-Range (HDR) technology, Shader Model 4.1, Microsoft® DirectX® 10., or (*Depending on size of system memory)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® 9300M GS with up to 2047 MB of TurboCache™ (256 MB of dedicated DDR2 VRAM, up to 1791 MB of shared system memory), supporting NVIDIA® PureVideo™ HD technology, OpenEXR High Dynamic-Range (HDR) technology, Shader Model 4.0, Microsoft® DirectX® 10, or (*Depending on size of system memory)
  • Mobile Intel® GM45 Express Chipset with integrated 3D graphics, featuring Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD (Intel® GMA X4500HD) with up to 512*MB of Intel® Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0 (8 MB of dedicated system memory, up to 502 MB of shared system memory), supporting Microsoft® DirectX® 10 (*Depending on size of system memory)
  • DualView™ support
  • MPEG-2/DVD hardware assisted capability
  • WMV9 (VC-1) and H.264 (AVC) support (acceleration)
  • HDMI™ (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) with HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) support
Multimedia
  • Acer PureZone technology with two built-in stereo microphones featuring beam forming, echo cancellation, and noise suppression technologies
  • Two built-in Acer 3DSonic stereo speakers
  • High Definition Audio support
  • MS-Sound compatible
Communication
  • Acer Video Conference featuring Voice and Video over Internet Protocol (VVoIP) support via Acer CrystalEye webcam and optional Acer Xpress VoIP phone
  • Integrated Acer CrystalEye webcam, supporting enhanced Acer PrimaLite™ technology (manufacturing option)
  • Gigabit Ethernet supporting ASF (Alert Standard Format) 2.0, Wake-on-LAN ready
  • Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 5000 Series (802.11a/g/Draft-N) Wi-Fi CERTIFIED® network connection, supporting Acer SignalUp™ with Nplify™ wireless technology
  • Bluetooth® 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) (factory option)
I/O Interfaces
  • Acer EasyPort IV connector
  • 1x ExpressCard™/54 slot
  • 1 x PC Card slot (Type II)
  • Acer Bio-Protection fingerprint reader
  • 5-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC, MS, MS PRO, xD)
  • 4 x USB 2.0 ports
    (1x USB 2.0 port combined with eSATA port)
  • 1x HDMI port (on the dedicated graphics version)
  • 1 x External display (VGA) port
  • 1 x Modem (RJ-11) port
  • 1 x Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) port
  • 1 x Microphone-in jack
  • 1 x Line-in jack
  • 1x DC-in jack for AC adapter
Security
  • Acer Bio-Protection fingerprint solution, featuring Pre-Boot Authentication (PBA), computer protection, Acer FingerLaunch and Acer FingerNav
  • Enhanced Acer DASP (Disk Anti-Shock Protection) HDD protection technology
  • Slot for Kensington lock
  • BIOS user and supervisor passwords
Power supply and battery
  • ACPI 3.0 CPU power management standard: supports Standby and Hibernation power-saving modes
  • 48.8W 6-cell Li-ion battery pack, or 71W 8-cell Li-ion battery pack
  • Up to 5-hour battery life with 8-cell, or up to 2-hour battery life with 6-cell battery pack
  • Acer QuicCharge™ technology:
    • 80% charge in 1 hour
    • 2-hour rapid charge system-off
    • 3-hour charge-in-use
  • 3-pin 65W AC adapter
  • Energy Star 4.0
Keyboard & Special Controls
  • 88-/89-key Acer FineTouch™ keyboard with 5-degree curve, inverted "T" cursor layout, 2.5 mm (minimum) key travel
  • Acer Bio-Protection fingerprint reader1, featuring Acer FingerNav 4-way control function
  • 12 function keys; four cursor keys; two Windows® keys; hotkey controls; embedded numeric keypad; international language support
  • Empowering Key
  • Easy-launch buttons: Internet, email, user-programmable
  • Productivity keys: Lock, Presentation, Sync
  • Two front-access switches: WLAN and Bluetooth®
Weight and dimensions
  • 360 (W) x 267 (D) x 30.3/43 (H) mm
    (14.17 x 10.51 x 1.09/1.69 inches)
  • 3.02 kg (6.65 lbs.) with 8-cell battery pack
    2.88 kg (6.36 lbs.) with 6-cell battery pack
Quality & Reliability Tests
  • Temperature & humidity test
  • Free drop test
  • Acoustics test
  • Weight and pressure test
  • Spillage test
  • Shock and vibration test
  • Electrostatic discharge immunity test
  • MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) test
  • Hinge life test
  • Keyboard-switch life test
Software
  • Acer Empowering Technology (Acer eDataSecurity, ePower, eRecovery, eSettings Management)
  • Acer Crystal Eye
  • Acer GridVista™
  • Acer Launch Manager
  • Adobe Reader™
  • Corel® WinDVD
  • NTI® CD Maker™ / NTI® Shadow™
  • McAfee Internet Security Suite 60-day trial version (or equivalent)
  • Microsoft® Office Ready 2007
Options
  • Acer EasyPort
  • Acer Xpress VoIP phone featuring Acer Video Conference Manager
  • Additional memory modules
  • Additional battery pack
  • Additional AC adapter
  • External USB floppy disk drive
Certifications
  • Wi-Fi®
  • ACPI 3.0
  • Mobile PC 2002
  • DMI 2.0
  • TCG 1.2


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4:27 PM

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TravelMate 6593

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Processor
• Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor P9500
(6MB L2 cache, 2.53GHz, 1066MHz FSB)

Chipset
• Mobile Intel® GM45 Express

Memory
• Up to 4GB (2GB installed in each of two memory slots) DDR3 1066 SDRAM

Storage
• 250GB* SATA hard drive, 5400RPM, with Acer® DASP (Disk Anti-Shock Protection)
5-in-1 card reader for optional MultiMediaCard™, Secure Digital card, Memory Stick®, Memory Stick PRO™ or xD-Picture Card™

More Review:



Video
• 15.4" WXGA (128
0 x 800) TFT LCD with white LED backlight


Communications
• Intel® Wireless WiFi Lin
k network connection supporting 802.11a/b/g/Draft N wireless LAN, Acer® SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency

Bluetooth® 2.0 + EDR (enhanced data rate) wireless PAN

Gigabit LAN, Wake-on-LAN ready

Dimensions & Weight
• 14.2" (360.0mm) W x 10.5" (267.0mm) D x 1.3" – 1.4” (34.0 - 36.5mm) H

6.6 lb. (3.0kg) with nine-cell battery and optical drive

Size and weight may vary depending on configuration
Power
• 90-watt AC adapter
Lithium ion batteries:

Quality Tests
• Temperature and humidity, acoustics, electrostatic discharge immunity, hinge life, keyboard-switch life, free drop, weight and pressure, shock and vibration, spillage, MTBF (mean time between failure)


Review:

Description: The Acer TravelMate 6593 is a 6.6-pound, mainstream consumer notebook computer.Compared to other consumer level notebooks on the market, it is midpriced at around $1,190.The 15.4 inch widescreen has a native resolution of 1280 x 800, which is fairly standard among notebooks.Built around the Intel Core 2 Duo processor.This configuration includes a 250GB hard drive and 4 GB of RAM.

Pros: Has a 2.53 GHz CPU speed, which is somewhat faster than some similarly priced notebooks.By way of comparison, the typical cost of a product with this zippy a CPU speed is $1,730.The built in Bluetooth connectivity will let you pair headphones or sync your mobile contacts.The built-in fingerprint reader will speed up the log in process while adding a strong layer of data protection.

Cons: The fair battery performance of this laptop means it has to be recharged more frequently than other notebooks in its class.This notebook's Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics chip uses system memory, which sometimes results in slower performance.

Suitability: A mainstream consumer notebook, suited for general mobile computing.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Web from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled notebook.Comes with a DVD writer, allowing you to convert home movies from your digital video camcorder onto DVDs.An anti-theft security tether can be fastened into the built-in lock slot.

Value: Overall, this notebook has great features for the money.

Suggestions: (1) Given this device's Wi-Fi capability, you may want to get a WAP for your home, so that you can browse the Web more conveniently from any room.(2) To get the most out of this notebook's Bluetooth capability, you could have a Bluetooth-enabled headset, handheld or other device, and be able to link it wirelessly to your computer within a range of 20-or-so feet inside the same room.





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11:08 PM

(1) Comments

Acer Aspire One AOD150

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DDespite owning a huge chunk of the growing Netbook market, the popular Acer Aspire One has been saddled with a 9-inch screen, rather than the bigger 10-inch type we prefer. At long last, Acer now has a 10-inch model, the Aspire One AOD150. Even better, it's keeping the starting price at $349, which is about $50-$100 cheaper than similarly configured systems from other PC makers. The Aspire One series has been neither the best nor the worst Netbook out there, and Acer's market share to date has largely been based on its lower retail-price strategy.

With the basic Intel Atom/1GB RAM/XP setup, you'll get a similar experience to using a Netbook such as the HP Mini 1000 or Lenovo S10, but there are a handful of trade-offs for the AOD150's price. While the AOD150's keyboard is large enough for comfortable typing, the tiny touch pad and mouse buttons (on a flimsy rocker bar) are painful to use, and the extended six-cell battery runs for up to 6 hours, but makes the whole package relatively heavy. Note that our test unit had a slightly beefed-up battery (5800mAH versus 4400mAH) compared with what it will finally ship with, and we'll retest with the official six-cell battery when we get our hands on one.

Netbooks were originally intended as cheap, no-frills travel machines, and the new Aspire One fits that bill well, but there are also plenty of slightly more expensive options that add polish.

The new Acer Aspire One AOD150 is available in blue, white, red, and black. Our review unit was "sapphire blue," with a glossy lid and a matte, slightly textured finish on the keyboard tray. While the new Acer Aspire One has a footprint similar to other 10-inch Netbooks, such as the MSI Wind, it's significantly thicker than the slim HP Mini 1000, and also heavier, thanks to the bulky battery.

The first Acer Aspire One we looked at was a 9-inch Linux model, and while the AOD150 model has a larger chassis and screen, the keyboard is virtually identical. Despite not having as comfortable a keyboard as the Samsung NC10 or HP Mini, we did appreciate the inclusion of dedicated page-up and page-down keys.

The touch pad is one of the few giveaways that this is a budget Netbook. It's tiny and square, with a very small rocker bar below it, instead of traditional left and right mouse buttons. Getting it to properly register a click is a pain: you need to press really hard, as the contact seems to be deeply embedded in the chassis.

The 10.2-inch, wide-screen, LCD display offers a 1,024x600-pixel native resolution, which is standard for Netbooks. It's certainly readable, but most documents and Web pages will require some scrolling. Bright and clear, the new bigger display is the main selling points of Acer's updated Aspire One.







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10:39 PM

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Acer Extensa 5620

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Description: The Acer Extensa 5620-4677 is a 6.4-pound, general-purpose notebook computer.Compared to other mainstream notebooks on the market, it is very inexpensive at around $580.The 15.4 inch widescreen has a native resolution of 1280 x 800, which is fairly standard among laptops.Runs on the Intel Pentium dual Core chip.This configuration includes a 120GB hard disk drive and 1 GB of memory.

Cons: Has a modest 1.86 GHz CPU speed.This is not out of line with the product's price, but is slower than the average notebook on the market today.The poor battery performance of this laptop means it has to be recharged more often than other laptops in its class.This notebook's Intel GMA X3100 graphics chip uses system memory, which sometimes results in slower performance.

Suitability: A general-purpose notebook, suited for general mobile computing.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Web from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled laptop.Archive your digital videos using this notebook's DVD burner.An anti-theft security tether can be fastened into the built-in lock slot.

Value: In view of its very inexpensive price, this notebook has great features for the money.Generally, not targeted at the gaming crowd, this computer will likely fulfill more modest laptop needs.

Suggestions: (1) Given this device's Wi-Fi capability, you may want to get a wireless access point for your home, so that you can browse the Internet more conveniently from any room.(2) For help in deciding if this is the right notebook for you, see CNET's buying guide for notebooks.

CNET's Product Briefs are generated by a software tool that combines product specifications with knowledge of our editorial experts. They do not reflect hands-on assessment or labs testing. For more information about how we create Product Briefs



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10:23 PM

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Acer Extensa 4630

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Description: This configuration of the Acer Extensa 4630-4565 is a 5.3-pound, mainstream notebook computer.Compared to other mainstream notebooks on the market, it is very inexpensive at around $545.The 14.1 inch widescreen has a native resolution of 1280 x 800, which is fairly standard among notebooks.Runs on the Intel Pentium dual Core processor.This notebook includes a 160GB hard disk drive and 2 GB of RAM.

Pros: Includes an HDMI port so you can easily output the notebook's audio and video to a compatible TV or monitor.

Cons: Has only a 14.1-inch screen size, which is somewhat smaller than some similarly priced notebooks.For example, the Dell Inspiron 1420, a 5.5-pound notebook at around $600, has a 14.1 screen size.The poor battery performance of this laptop means it has to be recharged more frequently than other notebooks in its class.Graphics-intensive applications (such as texture-rich games, DVD playback, and video editing) will hinder performance on a system that relies on shared video memory.

Suitability: Suited for those who just need a basic notebook.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Internet from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled laptop.Archive your digital videos using this computer's DVD writer.

Value: Given its very inexpensive price, this notebook has great features for the money.Generally, it should be considered by serious bargain hunters.

Suggestions: (1) Given this device's Wi-Fi capability, you may want to get a wireless access point for your home, so that you can browse the Internet more conveniently from any room.(2) The integrated camera, while it does not have the resolution of most handheld cameras, can be handy if you want to teleconference over the Web.

CNET's Product Briefs are generated by a software tool that combines product specifications with knowledge of our editorial experts. They do not reflect hands-on assessment or labs testing. For more information about how we create Product Briefs, contact us.





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10:10 PM

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Acer Aspire 7530

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The Acer Aspire 7530-5660 is an 8.4-pound, consumer level notebook computer.Compared to other general-purpose notebooks on the market, it is relatively inexpensive at around $885.The 17 inch widescreen has a native resolution of 1440 x 900, which is better than most laptops.Built around the AMD Athlon X2 chip.This unit comes with a 250GB hard disk and 3 GB of memory.

Pros: Has an NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GS graphics chip, which is considerably better performing than some similarly priced notebooks.The built in Bluetooth connectivity will let you pair headphones or sync your mobile contacts.Includes an HDMI port so you can easily output the notebook's audio and video to a compatible TV or monitor.This is one of the few laptops featuring a superior sound system, even including an integrated sub-woofer.The EPA has classified this notebook as Energy Star compliant because it has built-in power management features.

Cons: Has an 8.4-pound weight, which is somewhat heavier than some similarly priced notebooks.For example, the HP Compaq Mobile Thin Client 2533t, at around $785, has only a 3.1-pound weight.Also, this notebook has a modest 1.9 GHz CPU speed, which is slower than some similarly priced notebooks.For example, the Dell Vostro 1710, a 7.1-pound notebook at around $950, has a 2.5 GHz CPU speed.The fair battery performance of this notebook means it has to be recharged more often than other notebooks in its class.

Suitability: A mainstream notebook, suited for general mobile computing.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Web from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled notebook.Comes with a DVD writer, allowing you to convert home movies from your digital videocamera onto DVDs.An anti-theft security tether can be fastened into the built-in lock slot.

Value: Given its relatively inexpensive price, this notebook has great features for the money.

Suggestions: (1) Given this device's Wi-Fi capability, you may want to get a wireless access point for your home, so that you can browse the Internet more conveniently from any room.(2) To get the most out of this laptop's Bluetooth capability, you could have a Bluetooth-enabled headset, PDA or other device, and be able to link it wirelessly to your computer within a range of 20-or-so feet inside the same room.

CNET's Product Briefs are generated by a software tool that combines product specifications with knowledge of our editorial experts. They do not reflect hands-on assessment or labs testing. For more information about how we create Product Briefs



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7:09 PM

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Acer TravelMate 8200

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The Acer TravelMate 8200 is one of the first laptops out of the gate. In addition to its bleeding-edge Core Duo processor, the portable features a great case design and top-of-the-line components, such as a 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics chip, a mammoth 120GB hard drive, and a double-layer DVD burner. Though this sweet system delivers on the Core Duo's promise of extremely fast multimedia performance, its performance gain was less pronounced on our productivity benchmarks, making its $2,499 price too expensive for users who just want fast performance for office work. Still, the TravelMate 8200 is worth the price premium if you're looking for a well-outfitted laptop for graphic design, video editing, or heavy-duty multitasking; otherwise, you can likely meet your needs by purchasing a less expensive laptop with a single-core Pentium M processor,

In terms of design, the TravelMate 8200 is a logo-free, all-black version of the Acer Ferrari 4000. The TravelMate 8200's tough carbon-fiber case lid has a cool kaleidoscopic lattice pattern; the rest of the case consists of sturdy magnesium alloy. The laptop measures a reasonable 14.3 inches wide, 11 inches deep, and 1 inch thick. Its 6.6-pound weight is identical to that of the Dell Inspiron 6000 and about average for a midsize system--the Acer TravelMate 4650, for instance, weighs 6.4 pounds.

Like many Acer laptops, the TravelMate 8200 includes a broad, comfortable keyboard with an ergonomic curve. The crisp 15.4-inch wide-screen display offers plenty of real estate with its high 1,680x1,050 native resolution. As on some Sony VAIO models, such as the BX541B and the FJ170/B, a 1.3-megapixel DV camera sits in the bezel above the screen; unlike the cameras in the VAIO models, the Acer's rotates 225 degrees, allowing you to snap shots in front of, above, or behind the laptop. The rectangular touch pad is nice and wide, as are the two mouse buttons below it; a convenient scroll button sits between the two mouse buttons. Four application-launch buttons sit above the keyboard. Finally, the laptop's front edge offers two handy sliding switches for turning the integrated Intel Pro/Wireless 3945 802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) hardware on and off (to conserve the battery when not in use). While we like all these accoutrements, we wish this high-end portable provided multimedia controls, better sound, and other thoughtful touches.

The TravelMate 8200 offers a full complement of ports, jacks, and slots. The left edge includes a 56Kbps-modem jack, two USB 2.0 ports, a PC Card slot, a smart-card slot, and a double-layer DVD burner. A Gigabit Ethernet jack, a VGA port, two more USB 2.0 ports, and an ExpressCard/34 slot are on the right edge. The front edge features S/PDIF, headphone, microphone, and audio-in jacks, four-pin FireWire and Fast IR ports, and a five-in-one flash media slot. Last but not least, the back edge integrates docking, S-Video-out, and DVI ports.

Windows XP Professional is Acer's operating system of choice for the TravelMate 8200; given the laptop's wide screen and fast processor, we were a bit surprised that Windows XP Media Center is not even offered as an option. The company includes the same meager software bundle--just a few disc-burning, video-viewing, and system-management apps--that it includes with most of its less expensive laptops.

We tested the $2,499 TravelMate 8204WLMi, which has a killer list of specs: a 2GHz Intel Core Duo T2500 processor; 2GB of swift 533MHz RAM; a discrete ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card with 256MB of dedicated GDDR3 VRAM; and a colossal 120GB, 5,400rpm hard drive with antishock protection. As we described in our earlier story on the Core Duo, Intel designed the processor to provide blazing performance on games and multithreaded applications; the Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi delivers on the second half of that promise. While it scored ahead of single-core systems such as the Acer Aspire 1800 and the ThinkPad Z60t on our Doom 3 performance benchmarks, the TravelMate 8204WLMi trailed behind the superspeedy Dell Inspiron E1705; the Dell has the same processor and less RAM but includes the Nvidia GeForce Go 7800 graphics card. However, the TravelMate fared better on the suite of multimedia performance tests that CNET Labs originally developed to test dual-core desktops. Aside from the Sorenson Squeeze video-encoding program, the TravelMate 8204WLMi dispensed with every application in our suite faster--often much faster--than any single-core or other Core Duo laptop we've tested. The TravelMate 8204WLMi also scored well ahead of single-core laptops on the SysMark 2004 Internet-content-creation tests, though its performance gains on office-productivity tasks were not as pronounced.







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6:53 PM

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Acer Travelmate 6292

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The business-oriented analog of Acer's Ferrari 1100, the TravelMate 6292 shares many of the same features as its flashier sibling but wraps them in a slightly thicker, boxier case that's better suited for boardrooms. One key difference: The TravelMate 6292 incorporates Intel's latest Core 2 Duo platform, which resulted in a performance boost on our multimedia multitasking benchmarks. The TravelMate 6292 also offers great battery life, which should be a boon for business travelers who regularly work long stretches away from a power outlet.
The TravelMate 6292's thick case, which weighs nearly 5 pounds, is best described as a "bulky ultraportable." Its size is nearly identical to that of the Lenovo 3000 V200, though the TravelMate weighs nearly half a pound more than the Lenovo. By comparison, traditional ultraportables, such as the Sony VAIO TZ150 or the Lenovo ThinkPad X61s, weigh 3 pounds or less. Still, the TravelMate 6292 is light enough to carry often, and its solid construction feels capable of standing up to the bumps and knocks of frequent travel.

The 12.1-inch wide-screen display on the TravelMate 6292 features a native resolution of 1,280x800, which offers a decent balance of screen real estate and readability for this size display. Unlike the more consumer-oriented Ferrari 1100, the TravelMate 6292's screen features a matte coating that's preferable for productivity tasks (less glare in brightly-lit office environments)--though it also proved adequate for watching movies. Above the display sits a 1.3-megapixel Webcam with a single microphone for Web videoconferencing.

Like most ultraportables, the TravelMate 6292's tiny case requires a compact keyboard with a shortened space bar and arrow keys. We found it suitable for extended periods of typing, though we prefer the slightly separated keys on the Ferrari 1000. The touch pad is likewise compact, but its broad width makes it usable without feeling cramped. The TravelMate 6292's mouse buttons are a bit small, owing to the fingerprint reader wedged between them. A vertical row of buttons on the right side of the keyboard deck include three application quick-launch keys plus on/off controls for the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios; an "e" button above the keyboard brings up Acer's proprietary widget toolbar, with tools for managing Internet connections, monitoring power options, and changing security settings. The launch keys are helpful, but we can't help wondering if they could have been placed at the top of the deck to create room for a larger keyboard.

The advantage of a bulky case: plenty of room for ports and connections. The TravelMate 6292 offers both S/PDIF and audio line-out jack. Given the predictably muddled sound emitted by the stereo speakers, you'll want to plug in some external speakers or headphones. The larger case also means there's room for a DVD burner, though the TravelMate 6292 incorporates a tray-loading drive instead of the slot-loading model found on the Ferrari 1100. It's a small nitpick but we do appreciate a slot-loading drive for working in cramped spaces such as an airplane tray table.

Acer offers several versions of the TravelMate 6292, all stocked with Intel Core 2 Duo processors and the Mobile 965 Express chipset with integrated graphics. The configuration we tested included a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T7300 CPU (built on the company's Merom architecture), 1GB of 667MHz RAM, and a 5,400rpm hard drive. On CNET Labs' benchmarks, the TravelMate 6292 finished mostly at the head of a pack of similarly configured systems. The one notable exception was the Photoshop test, where a Lenovo 3000 V200 configured with twice as much RAM finished well ahead of the Acer. While it's always nice to have a little extra memory, it's not a strict necessity, particularly for the typical productivity applications, such as Microsoft Office, that most users will be running on the TravelMate. On the whole, we feel that the TravelMate 6292 represents a good value, providing the majority of business users the power they need at a price that fits within most budgets.

The TravelMate 6292's six-cell battery extends 0.9 inch off the back of the laptop, adding to the amount of space it takes up in your bag. The sacrifice is well worth it, though: The system lasted a lengthy 4 hours, 32 minutes on our DVD battery drain test. That's 43 minutes longer than the life of the Dell XPS M1210 and well beyond the lives of the Lenovo 3000 V200 and Acer's own Ferrari 1100. Our DVD battery drain test is particularly taxing, so you can expect a slightly longer battery life during typical use.

Acer backs the system with a one-year parts and labor warranty that's standard for low-cost business systems. (Some higher-end business systems, such as ThinkPads, still ship with three-year warranties, but those models are also more expensive.) Adding two years of additional coverage runs $99. Acer's technical-support phone lines are open only Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on weekends from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. PT. The company's online support could stand some sprucing up. Though it does offer easy driver and manual downloads, it lacks such helpful features as forums and real-time chat with a technical-support representative.





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1:25 AM

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Acer Aspire 8920

Deny

Acer has always been a global powerhouse, but the company has had a relatively anemic presence in the United States. Now that it has merged with Gateway (the two brands are still being treated as separate),

we are seeing some inroads from Acer in this country, starting with a particularly bold move, the launch of the first laptop we've seen with an 18.4-inch display. The display has the same native resolution as a 1080p HDTV, and coupled with a Blu-ray drive and a unique set of touch-sensitive media controls, it's an impressive package for moviewatchers.

Our review model was the more expensive of Acer's two available configurations. At $2,499, the Acer Aspire 8920-6671 is pricey choice for a nongaming machine. The lower-end version, the visually identical Aspire 8920-6048, trades the Intel Core 2 Duo T9500 CPU for a T5550, goes from 320GB of hard drive space to 250GB, drops from 4GB of RAM to 3GB (which is the maximum amount 32-bit Vista can address anyway), and features an Nvidia GeForce 9500M video card instead of a slightly faster GeForce 9650M. Important differences to be sure, but the cheaper version is available from retail stores for $1,299--less than half the suggested price of the more expensive version, and a much better overall deal. The Acer Aspire 8920 is a boat of a laptop, and its 16:9 display makes for a chassis that is wider but shorter than a typical 17-inch model that features a 16:10 screen. To fit the new panel, the Acer Aspire 8920 is about 1.5-inches wider overall than a 17-inch Gateway P-172. Even though both of these laptops are equally deep (11.9 inches), the Acer has a hinge that pivots the entire lid back, making it about 0.75-inch shorter when you've got the screen open at a 90-degree angle.

Acer refers to the 8920 as part of the company's Gemstone Blue series, which means it has a speckled automotive-style blue/black lid, with a black and silver interior. The large chassis means there's plenty of room on the keyboard tray for a full keyboard, a large touch pad with a separate scroll zone, a sizable wrist rest, and a large speaker grille area above the keyboard.

The usual array of touch-sensitive media controls commonly found on multimedia laptops have been moved from their normal spot above the keyboard to a panel on the left side of the keyboard tray. Acer calls this the CineDash media console, but it's really just the same capacitive touch controls found on other laptops, arranged in roughly the shape of a handheld remote control. It's a clever idea, very eye-catching, and once you get used to it, works fairly well, with a volume slider, transport controls, and an iPod-like directional control for scrolling through menus. Our main complaint about it is there doesn't seem to be a way to access the pop-up menus while a Blu-ray movie is playing. Acer's proprietary media playing software, called Acer Arcade Deluxe, uses its own generic pop-up menus, but it's a clunky compromise. Plus, we always encourage PC makers to stop spending so much time and effort duplicating Windows Media Center (we're talking to you, Hewlett-Packard's QuickPlay), since proprietary media applications usually fail to exceed or even meet Media Center's mediocre standards.

The 18.4-inch wide-screen LCD display is the real star here. The native resolution of our 18-inch screen was 1,920x1,080 (you know, like Blu-ray), while a high-end 17-inch laptop is usually 1,920x1,200. That means Blu-ray or other HD content will fit the screen better. Acer claims this display has twice the color range than normal laptop screens--we're not sure about that, but in playing HD content, the picture was certainly clear, bright, and vivid, and the screen had excellent off-axis viewing--which is important unless you plan on watching all your movies alone (how sad).

We also liked the 5.1 speaker system, with two speakers above the keyboard, and two more, plus a subwoofer, on the front edge of the system. Technically, they can pump out surround sound, but it's not the same as actually having speakers behind and to the sides. There was, however, a better-than-average stereo separation and decent bass for a laptop (but it still won't get your dance tracks bumping).

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1:48 PM

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Acer Ferrari 1100

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The new acer product with revolutionary and high performence. With Dual core procesor technology, Acer Ferrart 1100 compatible with your mobile activity.Acer Ferrari combine stylish of racing with mobile leading technology to bring your digital media in your life. This is the review of Acer Ferrari 1100

Processor : AMD Turion "64x2 Dual Core mobile technology
Chipset : AMD M690 T
Memory : 4 Gb DDR 2 667 SD Ram
Storage : 250 GB sata Hardisk with Disk anti sock protection
Operating System : Windows Vista Ultimate

The good: Cool Ferrari styling will appeal to some; solid build quality will appeal to all; large hard drive and 4GB of RAM help justify high price; strong Photoshop performance; fingerprint reader; comfortable keyboard and trackpad; slot-loading DVD burner and Webcam; plenty of ports and connections.

The bad: Mediocre multitasking performance; disappointing battery life; weak speakers.

The bottom line: The Acer Ferrari 1100 is a stylish, full-featured ultraportable laptop, but its disappointing battery life won't sustain users who spend a lot of time away from the outlet.

Specifications: Processor: AMD Turion 64 X2 mobile technology (2.3 GHz) ; RAM installed: 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM ; Weight: 4.4 lb
All review:

The Ferrari 1100 includes a 12.1-inch wide-screen display with a native resolution of 1,280x800 While that sharpness occasionally results in text that's too small to read, we found it workable for everyday word processing and Web surfing. Mobile workers looking for a flashy productivity tool probably won't like the screen's glossy coating. The coating resulted in some reflections in our office environment. Unfortunately there is not an option
for a display with a matte finish. But home users who want a highly portable media machine will likely enjoy watching movies on the Ferrari 1100. Above the display sits a 1.3-megapixel Webcam with a single microphone for Web videoconferencing.
Like most ultraportables, the Acer Ferrari 1100's tiny case requires a compact keyboard. But we were surprised to find that typing for extended periods was easy, perhaps in part because the keys are slightly separated from each other and have a satisfying spring. The touch pad is likewise compact, but it has a textured surface, which provides enough drag to make the small area usable. The groovy metallic mouse buttons, engraved with "Ferrari 1100," have been placed right below the touch pad (an improvement over previous Ferrari models). Above the keyboard are three glowing light-touch keys, next to a Ferrari logo, all of which disappear when the laptop is powered down. On the upper left corner are a large power button and a smaller button that launches Acer's custom setup and configuration software. With the exception of the power button, all the keys above the keyboard can be programmed to launch any application. Below the keyboard is a fingerprint reader that lets you log on to Windows and frequently used Web sites with the swipe of a finger.
The Acer Ferrari 1100's case is a little larger than most ultraportables. The size helps accommodate the ports and connections you would expect to find on a larger thin-and-light laptop. For example, it's the rare ultraportable that incorporates both S/PDIF and audio line-out jacks. The laptop's Dolby "virtual surround" sound doesn't do much for sound quality; though well-balanced, music and movies still sound thin. We were pleased, however, by the laptop's slot-loading DVD burner, which maintains the sleek case design and is easier to use in cramped spaces, such as airplane tray tables. As with other Ferrari models, Acer throws in a Ferrari-branded mouse and a tiny, coordinating Bluetooth VoIP phone.

Currently you can buy only one configuration of the Acer Ferrari 1100, the Ferrari 1100-5457, for $1,800. The configuration includes a 2.3GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-66 dual-core processor, an impressive 4GB of 667MHz RAM, and ATI Radeon X1270 graphics. That extra RAM greatly helped the Ferrari 1100 on the Photoshop portion of CNET Labs' benchmarks, where it outran a field of competitors that included the similarly configured HP Pavilion tx2000 and Acer's non-Ferrari ultraportable, the TravelMate 6292. The Ferrari 1100 fared less well, however, on the Multimedia multitasking test. It trailed significantly behind the competition. We blame the processor; in general, we've found AMD Turion 64 X2 processors do not perform as well as than Intel Core 2 Duo processors when it comes to multitasking. That's not to say the Ferrari 1100 is a dog; we were able to listen to music and jump back and forth between multiple applications without any significant lag time. Without a better showing on CNET Labs' benchmarks, its hard to recommend the Ferrari 1100 over less expensive alternatives like Lenovo's bulky ultraportable, the 3000 V200, or Acer's admittedly less stylish TravelMate 6292.

We weren't impressed by the Ferrari 1100's battery life. The laptop lasted just over 2 hours on our DVD battery drain test--quite a bit less than both the Pavilion tx2000 and the TravelMate 6292 (which incorporates an Intel Core 2 Duo processor). Our DVD battery drain test is particularly taxing, so you can expect a slightly longer battery life during typical use; still, we would expect more from an ultraportable that's presumably designed for frequent use away from your desk.

Acer backs the Ferrari 1100 with a one-year warranty, which is standard for consumer laptops. Acer's technical support phone lines are open only Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT and on weekends from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. PT. The company's online support could stand some sprucing up. Though it does offer easy driver and manual downloads, it lacks such helpful features as forums and real-time chat with a tech-support representative.



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