Acer AS5810TZ-4274 Notebook comes with these specs: Intel Pentium Processor SU2700, Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1, 15.6" HD Acer CineCrystal LED-backlit Display, Mobile Intel GS45 Express Chipset, 3072MB DDR3 1066MHz Memory, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD, 320 GB SATA Hard Drive, 8X DVD-Super Multi Double-Layer Drive, Acer Crystal Eye Webcam, 5-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader, 2nd Generation Dolby Sound Room Audio Enhancement, 802.11b/g/Draft-N Wi-Fi CERTIFIED, 4 - USB 2.0 Ports, 1 - HDMI Port, Convenience Buttons- Multi-gesture Touchpad, Acer PowerSmart Technology, Acer Backup Manager, Touchpad-lock, 6-cell Li-ion Battery (5600 mAh), 8+ hours battery life, 5.3 lbs. | 2.4 kg (system unit only), Wireless Setup Card, Registration/ Limited Warranty Card, McAfee Internet Security Suite (60-day insert)
I have used several laptops (work and personal), including the hyped ThinkPad T61, T500, T400.
But the Acer Timline series laptops have really surprised me in terms of build quality, price, form factor, and battery life.
If these are the things you care most, the Timeline is for you!
My T400 never got passed 4hrs at the lowest CPU setting and LCD brightness. The Timeline consistently gives me over 5hrs (not the 8hrs+ as they claimed though) using Windows XP.
Windows XP installation (over the default Vista Premium) was a straightforward task, as Acer website provides XP drivers so you don't have to search anywhere. I tried both the 15.6" and the 14" version and personally I'd like the 14" for its screen size, though both share the same 1" thin dimension and similar battery life. The 15.6" keyboard comes with a numeric keypad.
For those people who complained about CPU spiked at 100% at random or eject button locked up the laptop, I had the same problems. After I updated it with the latest Intel graphics driver and Acer BIOS, all the problems went away!
I am usually picky about what I use, but I have to give Acer a thumb up for such a great job. After all, it only costs $549!
Can't say the same for Lenovo ThinkPad which costs more, thicker (>1.2"), and only average battery life.
What's the point of having wireless internet if you must plug in your power regularly? With the Timeline, I can truly roam most of my day without fear of running out of power.
My only complain about the 14" version: if the mouse pad could move to the left about 1", that would be perfect. As I type, my right palm occasionally touches the mouse pad that causes the mouse cursor to move. If Acer did this on the 15.6" version, why not on the 14"?
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Samsung LN46A860 Fantastic TV-great customer support
This is the best TV I have ever owned and if you are in the market for a 46" LCD, Amazon has a great price. I purchased mine back in October for $700 more than the current price - sometimes it pays to wait I guess. Sound, picture, features are all fantastic. After checking many review sites I went with this unit and am glad I did. The touch of color (TOC) is subtle but shows just enough to add a nice aesthetic look.
I rated this TV five stars although I did have a minor issue detailed below. Samsung took care of the issue and the overall TV has continued to please. The only negative, which I have to preface is known by Samsung and they take care of promptly is a rare "chipping" issue with the TOC frame setup on some of the 750s and 850/860s due to a few bad shipments (happened to mine). However, Samsung promptly fixed this free of charge with no known reoccurrence (as per the repairman that has done several of these repairs). Samsung's customer service, at least on LCD TVs, is outstanding with both email and phone call followups to insure that the customer is satisfied with the repair work. The repairman assigned by Samsung came out, replaced the entire TOC frame on the TV and I haven't had any other issues. As stated above, the actual electronics/LCD elements of this TV itself are fantastic and with Samsung readily and promptly fixing the frame issue, I still have to say that this was a great purchase.
The Super Bowl never looked better and the 120hz performed beautifully. Our friends couldn't get over the picture they were watching as the Steelers one upped the hapless Cardinals in fantastic receiving catches.
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