Product Reviews

It's odd, but in the world of computers there is little that's genuinely new. Instead, things just get faster or cheaper. Sometimes both. Thankfully, the Acer TravelMate 800 is new - but far from a novelty item.

It's a 'Centrino' notebook - one that's based around Intel's latest technology, aimed at revolutionising the way we use notebooks. There are three components a notebook must possess in order to warrant the Centrino badge. First, it must use the latest generation of Intel's Pentium 4-M processor - the chip giant's processor that's aimed squarely at mobile PC users. As well as offering high performance, these chips are also alleged to be more efficient, and so use the minimum amount of electricity. We'll test these claims later.

The second essential component is the use of Intel's 855 chipset. This is a group of chips on the notebook's main circuit board, or 'motherboard', which support the main processor and allow it to communicate with USB devices, produce graphics or access the PC's memory. Chipsets can be thought of as bridges between components, with the better ones being fast, efficient and reliable.

Finally, Centrino includes built-in support for wireless networking, using Wi-Fi (also known as 802.11b). This will make it quick and convenient to log on to a home or office network.

Acer satisfies all three of Intel's criteria, and the TravelMate 800 proudly bears the Centrino sticker.

It's a cracking notebook - and a good-looker, too. Because the 1.6GHz Pentium 4-M runs efficiently, and so doesn't get too hot, Acer was able to avoid using hefty heatsinks making the notebook slim and compact. With the lid closed, it measures just 31mm. It's also silent in use - no constantly whirring fans, only a conservatively-used thermostatically

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controlled fan.

Open it up, and you'll see the curved keyboard. Initially I wasn't convinced this was a good idea, but after a few seconds of typing, I was impressed. It's the most comfortable notebook keyboard I've ever used.

The Acer's screen is its only weak spot. For the money, it's not quite bright enough, and no amount of fiddling around in Windows' setup could remedy the problem. Despite that, it was crisp and sharp and worked well at a resolution of 1,024x768.

But there are compensations aplenty for the slightly dark screen. First, the machine has 512MB of RAM - more than enough to keep Windows XP running smoothly. Next, the machine packs a Hitachi DVD-ROM and CD-R/W combination drive. This is a highly desirable addition - perfect for watching movies, and ideal for backing up work.

The Acer's performance is exceptional, especially when you consider the notebook is using a low-power processor, running at a comparatively low speed. In our 2D benchmark tests, which assess a machine's ability with everyday office software, it scored a whopping 1,026. This is marginally slower than the Dell Inspiron 5100, reviewed in our May 2003 issue - but when it comes to 3D performance, the Dell gets trounced.

The Acer provides more evidence to support Intel's grandiose claims for Centrino when we look at battery life. With no power-saving functions enabled, the Acer's battery lasts for 1 hour and 51 minutes. This is far longer than both the Multivision that won last month's group test, and the Dell. Both of these use far faster, desktop processors to power their notebooks.

For such a powerful notebook, the Acer is also eminently portable. It weighs only 2.75kg which is comparatively light for a machine designed to replace your desktop. Coupled with its thinness, solidity and special DASP (Disk Anti-Shock Protection) system, the Acer is the ideal notebook for more demanding business users.

The Acer also benefits from an excellent array of connectors. There are four USB 2 ports, and FireWire too.

This is by far the best desktop replacement notebook I've seen. It's fast, offers good battery life and is comparatively portable for a machine of this type. The only sticking point is its price of £1,299. It's a little expensive but - considering the notebook's all-round excellence - well worth the money.