Acer TravelMate 8200
The notebook reviewed is one of the most popular laptops of the season -- Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi. This business desktop replacement houses the latest components -- from Intel's new Core Duo processor to ATi's Mobility Radeon X1600 GPU -- in a sleek and sexy case
The Acer TravelMate 8200 is one of the first Intel Core Duo laptops out of the gate. In addition to its bleeding-edge Core Duo processor, the midsize 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, such as the Acer TravelMate 4650 or the ThinkPad Z60t.
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 15.6 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.
If you was looking for a notebook under $3000 with the following qualities: good design and build quality, good gaming performance, WSXGA+ resolution screen, and something that would be able to run the upcoming Vista. And also wanted something that looked professional rather than a laptop with a car paint finish in lime green.
Costing US $2.200, more info about the Acer TravelMate 8200 is available from Acer's website. This laptop also just won the 2006 iF (International Forum) Award.
Specs for Acer TravelMate 8200 as purchased
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| Screen Size | 15.4" widescreen TFT |
| Processor Type | Intel Core™ Duo Processor T2500 (2MB L2 cache, 2.0GHz, 667MHz FSB) |
| Processor Speed | 2.0GHz, |
| Bus Speed | 667MHz FSB |
| Cache Memory | 2 MB L2 cache |
| Hard Drive Capacity | 120GB SATA hard drive, 5400RPM, with Acer DASP+ (Disk Anti-Shock Protection+) |
| Installed Memory | 2GB DDR2 667 SDRAM |
| Maximum RAM | 2 GB |
| RAM Type | DDR2 SDRAM |
| Resolution | 1680x1050 pixel resolution |
| Video Card Type | ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON X1600 graphics, 256MB DDR memory |
| Bundled Os | Windows XP Professional SP2 |
| Weight | 6.2 lbs |
| Motherboard Chipset | Mobile Intel 945PM Express |
| Networking Connection | Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, Gigabit LAN, Acer Video Conference, V.92 56Kbps* data/fax modem, PTT |
| Average Battery Life | 9-cell removable battery 3.3 hour(s) |
| Price | About $2.100 - $2500 |
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