Laptop... Opinions on Acers

[Galen of Edgewood]

Anyone else go through this phase like I do?

Okay, so I'm away from my desktop because I'm smack dab in the middle of Iraq right now, but I really want a computer. LOL

What do y'all think about Acers? Dells are near the top of my **** list, so they are a complete no-go, as well as Compaq, HP, Gateway, and Sony, so those brands can, well, use your imagination.

[irwincur]

It is really up to you. In your situation it may not be a bad idea as I would guess that access to a PC is limited and in a public location. However, you will ultimately need to decide whether or not your use would justify it and whether or not you would have a use for it at home.

Now about brands... I have always been one to say, never limit your options off the bat because of preconcieved notions or 'what you have heard'. By saying no to Dell, HP, and Compaq you are essentially taking away 75% of your options - some of which may be very good.

Laptops like PCs are mostly built from commodity parts. That is company 'a' releases a batch of HDDs and offers a set price. It happens to be the best price of the week. All (I mean every) manufacturer in the channel snaps them up. So, it is safe to say that most laptos (and PCs) build by large OEMs at around the same time have for the most part the same parts - at the same price leves. If you take this into account, either toss a coin or simply get the best deal.

[mynameis]

What do you have against all those manufacturers? I think Dell makes a great laptop.

[freedon]

Anyone else go through this phase like I do?

Okay, so I'm away from my desktop because I'm smack dab in the middle of Iraq right now, but I really want a computer. LOL

What do y'all think about Acers? Dells are near the top of my **** list, so they are a complete no-go, as well as Compaq, HP, Gateway, and Sony, so those brands can, well, use your imagination.

Maybe you've only played with consumer models, you should try the business models.


Regarding buying one or not well ask yourself these simple questions
1-. will I use it after my visit to Iraq
2-. do I need a desktop replacement or just want something mobile for once in a while
3-. how much would you demand from the laptop. You want speed? (this increases cost).
4-. what is your primary reason for a laptop in iraq?
--if it's playing games, how about getting a console and some games
--if it's to browse the web, how about getting a new cheap desktop

[Johnmcl7]

With such a restrictive list, it's bizarre you'd add Acer as a possibility, most of the other brands you've mentioned would be my first preference.

Personally I'd choose a laptop before a desktop, they're available with a lot of power and you can use them anywhere, I just don't use my desktop anymore.

John

[ua549]

I just bought another HP business grade notebook to give to my daughter.

The key is getting a business grade model and not a cunsumer model. Business models are easily recognized by the 3 year parts and labor warranty - including the screen.

There are models made specifically for severe service. They are not state of the art and they cost a bit more. IIRC Panasonic has one in their Toughbook model line.

[SaturnBeat]

What do you have against all those manufacturers? I think Dell makes a great laptop.

Yeah thinking the same thing. Dell is a great manufacturer.

[PCJ]

I definately need a laptop. Ever since I've had an ultraportable (not the iBook in my sig), I couldn't live without it anymore. If you want quality, get an IBM. Those things can handle just about anything. The new IBM-Lenovo ones are just as good, in fact they are being produced by IBM for the next 5 years, and only have a Lenovo sticker on them.

[Galen of Edgewood]

Things I have against Dell.

We've had 300 machines shipped out to us. Out of those, we've had 4 complete dead systems, 7 HDDs die within a month, 1 with a completely screwed up screen that even had a Dell system diagnostic disk that wasn't supposed to leave their area, and the fact that the ones that we've gotten really don't hold up that well to lots of use (keyboards break pretty easily with as much use as they get). We have almost nothing but their Latitude business notebooks. They run well enough, but really don't seem to fare well to lots of use and some abuse. Still have a couple that are running from when the first unit got here and were left, but those are few and far between. Of course, the fact that none of the complete Dell Latitude D610 systems that we purchased arrived with a driver disk and they didn't have the correct drivers on their website for it either has severely tarnished the company in my view. The XPS Gen 2 systems seem nice (couple of the guys have one), though one that was shipped out here had a bad screen as well.

The HPs and Compaqs are more because of their options than build quality (though I've delt with lots of crappy laptops from them). I'm seriously looking at the Turion based laptops (though I won't rule out Intel as long as it's a Pentium-M) and the only options that they have for video cards is the integrated ATI Radeon-X200 (essentially an integrated X300).

Sony's are ridiculously expensive and a severe pain in the butt to work on. To remove the HDD on several that I worked on, it took less no less 25 screws to remove. In the process, I also had to remove the top cover, the keyboard, and then the drive cage. Lots of ribbon cables to remove.

Gateways are, well, crap, at least all the ones that I've had the displeasure to work on/with.

The IBMs have been the best, on average, laptop that I've worked with out here so far. The only problem with them is the integrated graphics card. I would like to do some gaming (though I'm not talking really serious gaming or a desktop replacement), and it just can't handle it.

I steer clear of Toughbooks (quirky things they are, on top of the pain it is to work on them). We deal with quite a few in the military.

I like Toshiba's (been near bullet proof) and I haven't had much experience recently with Fujitsu's, though they were great when I did.

But I've no experience with Acer and was curious if any of y'all have.

[Hammerstein]

You can get discrete graphics on most of the IBM models, too. My T43 uses a X300 64 meg discrete, but there's the new Z series coming out that is widescreen format and might be using a X600 or something along those lines (though no one's sure of exactly how they'll turn out, since it's Lenovo's first partly independent design). Just wanted to point that out, though

[alexv2]

I have a toshiba satellite P35 and I would not trade it for the world. It works great and can put up with a 1 1/2 year old "typing" on it. Has a 17 inch wide screen and all the nice trimings. It is a heavy bugger though so if you are going to be luging it every where it can get old fast.

As far as Acers go they are the last one I would buy. Have had way to many people with way to many problems with Acer to trust in them at all.

[Vengance_01]

Look at Sager. the 3880 is a nice mid range. 6600 128MB Go card, PM, 12 cell standard battery, 4-5 hours, about 1500-1700 for a fully deck out laptop. worth a look, I was goona get one, but got my Dell 9300. Really Dell has come a long way, and with 40% cupuons, you not go wrong. I got the laptop in sig for 1500$ and that with tax, amd mem upgrade.