Acer 1810T 11.6" vs. Acer 3810T 13.3" ...??? A Flight Attendant's Confusion...!!!

Hi Friends,

I’m a Flight Attendant and i’ve been travelling for 20 days in a month for the last 3 yrs with my Acer Aspire 5670 (3kgs/6.6lbs). Common sense has prevailed and i have decided to stop punishing myself and buy a new Ultraportable Laptop.

I looked at these 2 laptops.

1. Acer Aspire Timeline 1810T – 11.6” Screen, 1.4kgs/3.1lbs

2. Acer Aspire Timeline 3810T - 13.3” Screen, 1.6kgs/3.6lbs

Both the laptops have same Specs like Core2Duo Su7300, 4 GB Ram, 320 Gb Hdd and the only difference is the Screen size and Weight.

I’m really confused as to which one of these laptops i should buy…?!?

I know some of you will say to go to a store and check them out. Well i went to a computer store and saw them side by side. I tried reading some text on websites and also played video on both of them. However even after spending about 2 hrs at the store i still can’t make up my mind as to which i should buy…?!?

My usage is as follows…

1. Internet Surfing… about 15-20 tabs open in Firefox.
2. Itunes playing in the background at the same time.
3. Watching videos on Youtube & VLC Media Player.
4. Editing Photos in Picassa.
5. I do not do any Gaming at all.

Are these 2 laptops good enough for the above mentioned Tasks..?!? Especially Editing Pictures in Picassa..?!?

I spend a lot of time on the internet reading on websites. My fear is that i might find 11.6” stressful on the eyes for long usage…!! Can any 1810T Owners confirm this…?? So do you think the 13.3” will be more comfortable or will the 11.6” be equally comfortable…???

Can any 1810T owners confirm if it is comfortable to read websites on a 11.6” for long times or would they have preferred 13.3” ..?!? By the way i’m 28 yrs old and my eyesight is 6/6 ie, Perfectly Normal if that should matter in making the decision on the Right Screen Size…!!

So which size should i buy 11.6 or 13.3…??? Has anyone been in a similar situation ??? And what decision did you take and why…??

Can u guys give me a suggestion as to which one should i buy and why…?? Please keep in mind that i will be carrying this with me for about 20 days a month on my Flight Duties.

Thanks in Anticipation....

Rana

 

Most def go for the 1810T as it is an amazing system. Prior to this I had the XPS 1330 and 1340 and am wondering why I never made the change earlier. It will suit all your needs but I would suggest you don't skimp on the two models; get the SU7300 or, if in Canada the SU9400. Its well worth it.

 

personally i'd go 13.3"

 

Well.. I'm 66 years old... sigh!
Love my little 1810TZ.
My wife now can't stand lugging her 14" Lenovo T400, which is a pretty fine machine, actually.
She grabs my 1810 whenever she can, and always takes it when doing presentations.
Its so nice for traveling, or just taking to Starbucks for morning coffee.

When we get back to the US in May, I'll eBay her Lenovo and pick up the
latest 11.6" for myself. She will be happy with the 1810TX hand-me-down.

BTW, she often uses the Chinese language OS available with the
Windows 7 Ultimate Anytime upgrade. Just need to switch users to
switch operating systems from English to any other language.. amazing!

These machines will easily handle all your stated requirements,
except that the TZ, at least, is marginal viewing a few very high resolution
1080p YouTube videos. You can tweak it to work, or folks
say the upcoming Flash release will fix that.

With both the 1810 and the 3810 you are giving up the
internal DVD player. I bought a slim external for $50.

Two small things I don't like.
1. The touch pad is poorly differentiated and is located to the left of center.
As a left-handed user, I constantly rest an extra finger on the pad, which confuses.
Minimally, I'd recommend turning off the Synaptics advanced multi-touch features.
Lots of folks do, actually.
2. I've got a Black color model that is often disgusting looking due to finger prints.
Be sure to purchase the aluminum color "Olympic" model to avoid that problem.

The 1810T with an SU9400 processor is available in Canada
if you want something just a little better.

 

Hi Les, eva & yus9,

I really appreciate your replies and helping me in my decision.... My heart is now set on the 1810T...!!

However as i was goin through the acer usa & canada websites it seems its available in many different combination of specs... I travel to both countries so i can buy from either usa or canada....

I would really like to know the difference in the performance of these processors that the 1810T is available with... How would these vary in everyday performance from each other...???

1. Intel core2duo SU4100
2. Intel core2duo SU7300
3. Intel core2duo Su9400

I don't know which of these to buy...???

 

With typical use, few would notice any performance differences.
And you can include the SU2300 (in some 1410 models).

Its like a program takes 16 seconds instead of 18 seconds to complete a task.
Same idea with using either 2 or 3 or 4 GB of memory.
The differences are easily measurable. But really only matter to folks
who focus on them, like many of the tech-types on these forums.

Your choice is also related to your willingness to pay.
Personally, I'll replace my SU4100 with the SU9400 in a couple months.
I like this form-factor so much, I might even install an expensive solid-state hard drive.
And I'm really hoping an even newer processor will be available.. the Intel i5, i7 Mobile series.
If money is an issue, find an AS1410 with an SU2300 for around $450.
Best value, but only a 6-hour vs. 8-hour battery.

Just thinking about your profession..
A feature you may not have considered is built-it 3G wireless which is generally
not available yet in any of these models. (a few were sold in Germany)
There is a dummy 3G slot behind the battery, but no socket to on the
motherboard to receive the 3G chip. Would be nice to hop off the plane and
get online anywhere without needing to find a Wifi network.
I think either the 11.6" Lenovo U150 or X100 has 3G built-in. Not sure.

Well... I've talked too much.
You will be happy with any of those choices.
But get a silver color.

This slightly-dated CPU chart will give you some idea of the "measurable" differences.

 

BUT beware of the roaming data prices!!! You can easily spend the price of your notebook in a few hours surfing the NET while in an another country using 3G...
Make sure you know the conditions of your data plan. Even then, you don't know how much the actual operator of the 3G network charges in any given country/MB of data.

 

If I was travel a lots, I would carry Acer Aspire Timeline 1810T with me all times instead big laptop. See under my signature- My asus 10inch netbook is purpose for travel or hospital, others if there havent wifi, I can use my blackberry via tether.. its easily carrying anywhere

 

yus thanks for the detailed reply... i guess any of the processors will do then...

Hunter... yeah i got to watch out for that.. though all the hotels i stay in give me free wifi access so i can always wait from the airport to the hotel...

i read about the core i7 620um/640um Culv...!!!

1. Should i wait for them...???

2. Any idea as to how far are they for the Acer 1810...??

 

Acer is preparing new notebooks with the new Core i5/i7 culv's. Don't know when they will be out, but I'd guess before summer: Link

 

It all depends on screen size, I think. The 11.6 is perfect for me. I don't think I'd want larger for an ultra-portable... but you might. If you saw them side by side and still can't choose, though... go for the 11.6"

 

I'm in the US and am interested in getting the 1810T Olympic SU9400 model.
Where can I purchase this online? Would I need to pay any special import tax, and if so, what is the rate? Thanks!

 

To my knowledge, the SU9400 is offered only in Canada and in black, not the Olympic silver color.
(Both are painted plastic, not aluminum)
Search here at PriceCanada.
Of these, CenDirect does ship to the US.
$741 CAD = $704.50 US. Call about shipping, etc.

Here is another CDromShop at $701 US.
Let us know about shipping and tax costs.

Before you buy, the performance specs on the SU9400 don't look much better than the SU7300.
Go to the bottom of this chart and check them out.

 

i saw a silver olympic 1810t with SU9400 at the Acer canada website...

http://www.acer.ca/acer/productv.do...ctx1g.c2att92=474&ctx1.att21k=1&CRC=505027361

 

Interesting... never looked closely.
Those 6 or 7 vendors display a dark colored 1810, but none
mentions a color in their listing of specifications.
So you might well be purchasing an Olympic silver edition.

But how about that Asus UL30JT, which is on the horizon?
Wish it were a 12", not a 13".

 

yeah the Asus UL30JT looks very intriguing and desirable....

BUt my heart is set for 11.6" form factor... its perfect for me coz i have to travel with it every second day on flights. Also i dont do any gaming at all so i dont really need the graphics power of JT or the current VT...! I would have liked the Ul20 if it came with more than 2gb ram/250gb hdd/hdmi and more battery life than the acer....

but i guess the 1810t beats the UL20 in all areas..!!!

 

Check out this new HP.
"HP announced their lightest EliteBook ultraportable yet, the HP EliteBook 2540p, and while it may only tip the scales at 3.3lbs it’s still got the same MIL-STD 810G vibration, dust, humidity, altitude and temperature resilience of the 2740p tablet. Like its swivel-screen sibling, the EliteBook 2540p has a choice of Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors along with up to 8GB of DDR3 memory and various HDD/SSD storage options."

Much more money, of course!

 

i checked it out... it looks quite promising... i'll definately consider it once it's released and the revies come out...

though i ve read in many reviews that business ultraportables generally tend to have a pretty average/basic screen quality and also dont have very good sound....

like the acer timeline series has dolby sound but the travelmate timeline series dont have them....

i'm really hoping that acer announce the core i5/i7 ulv updates for the timeline series at cebit tommorow... especially for the 1810...!!!

 

I'd say go for the SU7300 model. It's not worth the tiny speedup for $100 more on the SU9400.

I definitely recommend 4GB instead of 2GB with Windows 7 when you open many windows simultaneously. It's easier to get a 4GB SU7300 than a 4GB SU2100. So go for the 1810T with SU7300 for the readybuilt solution.

 

Or..take a look around. I ended up getting my system for $705Cdn whereas the retail was $749.

$44 bucks for the upgrade was worth it especially when i considered the little extras that also came with the upgraded system on top of the processor.

 

mdrejhon... su7300 with 4gb looks good value for money...

though.... les where did you buy it for $705Cdn...??? That looks good value too..!!! Now m more confused...!!!

if you could get a $749 retail (su9400) for $ 705... then maybe one could get a $649 retail (su7300) for $605...?!?

What were the little extras that came with the upgraded system on top of the processor...?!?

Thanks.

 

Consider the Acer 1410 as well. Same screen size and weight. However, it is a downgrade in a couple areas (SU2300, 2GB RAM, 160GB). From what I've read in your OP, it sounds like we use the machine for the same purposes. I surf, e-mail and word process just fine with this machine. I watch 720p movies on VLC without any issues. 1080p video is not important on a screen that is only 1366x768 anyways. The BIGGEST reason I chose this over the 1810T was availability (1810 was too hard to find) and price. I purchased mine after rebate for $340 US. I don't know if price is a concern for you but it was a big factor in making my decision. I am satisfied with my purchase.

The main reasons you may want to AVOID this model is because the 160GB HD is too small for you. You may think 2GB in Windows 7 isn't enough, but it is. I multitask and have 5+ tabs open in my browser while listening to music without any hiccups. Another thing you mentioned you liked was 3G, but this model doesn't have it. But you could use a smartphone that offers tethering abilities. I use my phone in this manner when there are no hotspots around.

Another thing to consider is an SSD. Since the cost of my laptop was relatively low, I purchased a SSD (in my sig. $130 AR @ NE) to replace the spinning HD. I don't use a lot of space so 60GB was plenty (still have 32GB left after I installed everything I wanted). Overall performance is drastically improved and noticeable. And since you travel so much you don't have to worry about your HD breaking or losing data since there are no moving parts.

Well, that's all I can think of now. I'll add more later if it comes to mind.

Amazon has it:
http://www.amazon.ca/Acer-AS1410-28...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1267647192&sr=8-1 Has 250GB instead of the 160GB mine comes with.
It says only 1 left, but they'll get more. Might want to check other vendors since I'm from the U.S. and not Canada.

 

hi iclicku...

thanks for sharing ur experience & suggestions.... 160gb would be to small for me... i need a min 320gb so m looking to replace ir with a seagate momentus 7200.4

i guess i will have a better peace of mind if i got the su7300 and had 4 gb ram just incase in the future the programs and applications demand more than 2gb ram to work fluently....

that being said.... i dont know if i should get this now or wait for the core i5/i7 CULV updates....?!?

 

What I can say with confidence is that you're going to get a faster processor. Due to the extra power, you'll also get worse battery life. How much so is dependent on the TDP of these new processors. But if they manage to keep it around 10-20W then it shouldn't be too much of a hit to battery life.

The waiting game is hard to play. It paralyzes you form making decisions. My rule is give yourself 1 month to shop and research. If you need it right away, then buy it now. Conversely, if you can wait longer then by all means wait.

 

Guys,

Any news on core i7 620/640 updates for the Acer 1810T...???

Or should i buy one with a Core2Duo SU7300...???

 

I would just buy. There is ALWAYS something better just on the horizon. It is the bane that those that love tech have to live with...

Especially in your case (ie not using it for anything high end) the i series is not really going to offer you anything that the currrent 1810TZ is not going to give you anyway.

 

Nety could you be more specific...?? thanks....!!

should i wait for i7 640um ...

thanks

 

My wife is also a flight attendant and in this exact situation. We decided to just go with the core2duo because there is no point in waiting for the better processor for hers or your applications.

 

More specific = buy now don't wait.

 

hi whitefro & nety.. thanks for your input... les has been trying to help in another thread about this and i would like your inputs too... here it is...

m buying 1810T from futureshop canada.

http://www.futureshop.ca/Search/Sear...lowSecure=True

should i buy ...

1. su9400/400gb ---> $ 749

or

2. su7300/320gb ---> $ 599

Which should i buy and why...??

Thanks ;-)

 

Go with number 2, imo.

 

1 is the best choice of course, but the extra money is way too much, and it doesn't worth the minimal performance difference...

 

If the $150 difference is a lot of money to you, go for option 2. If you will lie awake at night wrenching over the fact that you did not go for the top of the line, go for option 1.

Bronsky

Oh these are the olympic silver versions ... these computers look great.

 

Do you fill up your existing computer with lots of video and such, and use up a lot of disk space?

As for the su7300 and su9400, the clock difference is less than 8%. The actual perceived performance difference is even less than that, likely 5%, so almost negligible in real life use. Do you really want to pay that much extra for that performance improvement? If you want to feel you got the latest and greatest -- sure -- however the $599 one is a great deal.

To muddy up things further, if you want to pay $749, I suggest waiting for the 1830T which has the Core i5 in the Acer 11.6" chassis.

 

Hi md,

I ve decided to skip both the options and decided to wait for the Acer 1830T that you have mentioned...

It's gonna blow away the 1810T ;-)