Acer 3820TG North America Purchase Options

Is pchome version of 3820 quiet during normal usage?

 

very quiet

 

nvm, read the replys

 

So yeah, inconsistencies arise even within panel manufacturers. It almost seems like luck of the draw whether you get a decent screen or not.

What I'm wondering is what the difference is between the two AUO panels that are listed in the service guide. Perhaps the German models (the ones Bronsky and Hendrickson are using and loving their display) has the better quality of the two while the PChome models are using the other one? Or maybe it really is just going to be random luck whether graininess is prevalent or not...

I wonder if there's any way of determining whether you have a "B133XW01" or a "B133XW03" (the two different AUO panels listed in the service guide). Anyone run any sort of program that revealed that kind of information? Is it in any of the Device Manager menus for the display? If we can disclose that, maybe we'll find a trend determining which part number is the better display. I have a feeling though that the only way might be to disassemble the LCD module and look for the part number on the panel itself somewhere (probably a label on the back of the panel).

 

im just wondering if every 3820tg display is this bad, or just some shipments with crappy displays and inconsistencies in manufacturing. I mean is it even possible for me to return this and get one with a better screen :S

 

It's ok! At least you didn't turn your problem into a "I'm never going to buy ACER laptops again because they all suck" rant or complaint.

Laptops are not simple pieces of engineered equipment. They usually go through rigorous testing before they're released to the public.

As such, the answers for most problems are found in the control settings (like in your case).

Same thing applies to the laptop monitors (especially where color is concerned). I haven't come across a laptop yet that didn't require some fine tuning calibration to make it look perfect.

 

Did you even bother to read the solution to his problem just a few posts ahead of yours?

I didn't think so.

 

For someone who couldn't wait to get his laptop, you sure are nonchalant about opening it up and seeing if it's what you'd expected (especially with the LCD screen).

 

I think the issue is with the auo screens, personally..

or maybe i am overly sensitive and can notice it more? even in bronsky's pictures i can notice some haze to it, which to me look like the pixels, but you really can't tell with a compressed picture which he is posting and cut to 250x 250

best way to tell if this is an issue or type of issue is have a big picture, ( i have been posting full pictures btw in the other thread)

line up the camera where the q or a button is and take a picture
yes that is close, but i figure if you can see a lot of pixels that close then yes it's a full out issue with these screens.

I mean even my htc nexus one which i have taken most pictures ( and the camera isn't supposed to be good) can display all this "issue" with the screen.

I call it an issue, because it bugs me, to a point, but in this day and age it shoudlnt' be that noticeable.

Before anyone jumps the gun and says yes u can see pixels, well i know we can.. BUT on the acer it's very noticeable even at 12-27 inches away from the display or more.


on my older tv this 42inch lg lcd i could really see the pixels if i went close to it, but wth my new toshibas, i really have to fcus to see them (both 1080p)

just throwing out an example.

peter when you open it up, maybe you can talk about it more and see if you see anything, but right now ur just throwing out ifs and more ifs,

u might not even notice it.

 

Awesome i'm going to return mine anyway. The only deal I had was that if I return it, the extra labor cost would be refunded as well. So it's all good.
I'm glad they actually sold it to you for 699.99 I just assumed that if I asked for the 699 price they would just sell it to someone else willing to pay the higher price hehe cuz they seem really desperate to make a little more money out of these 3820s.

 

How about everyone take some pictures and upload. I will do so tomorrow and lets see if this is a recurring issue for everyones lcd

 

Haha, I could've waited, was just wanting to give people an idea of the ordering process and turnaround time. I am in no hurry to open it today, too tired and I know if I open it now I probably won't sleep.

 

That's what happened to me last night lol

 

Bronsky,
Abcheng didn't even have the decency to address your concerns about his misstating the terms of the warranty.

Sellers like him should be temp banned from the boards.

PS: 90% of his posts are regarding buying and selling of laptops. It's like he's a professional laptop trader.

 

LOL! And yet you're still up! Wasted time and opportunities my friend!

 

Or you could simply enjoy your laptop now that you have it in your hands.

Just a thought.

 

When I saw his post and his ad, I felt like I should post something about the warranty issue. I posted both here and in his ad.

Bronsky

 

Sorry it took so long to get back (on vacation and wifi is hard to find). Just wanted to confirm my order from PCHome came through. I shipped to an unconfirmed address paying through paypal on a confirmed account. I shipped it to Brentwood, New York. Got here this Thursday, ordered last Friday morning.

Awesome laptop. Played an hour of 'Dawn of the Dead' and it ate about 21% battery life. Think that gives me almost 5 hours of playback which is great. I also like the display but I am coming from a TX2 which has a horrible display.

Anyways I'm going to download the OEM Win 7 install and get things moving. There is a post buried here somewhere with details. I originally was going to just install using the OEM license on the bottom of the laptop but apparently I need to backup the digital certificate and reinsert it. I am totally happy I found this gem. PCHome rocks and seems reliable.

 

I think the only real issue with this laptop is lack of warranty support, in which case, you will only have one expensive bricked machine.

 

The additional expense you incur is the shipping costs to the purchase regional repair depot. Your unit is registered there. That could be expensive if Acer can't get a warranty repair right the first time. Probably more importantly, by buying overseas, you also loose the protection of US or Canadian consumer laws. Oddly enough, the only person I know of who has had a warranty issue so far bought his unit (4820TG) in the US. There is clearly something wrong with the unit and Acer says they can't duplicate it. That unit has a warranty.

Bronsky

 

IF - any of you decide do take a picture

use a digital camera or make your pictures 800 x 600 at least.

if not - take a video -- thats my next step to show the difference.


no offence to bronsky but 300x300 or so pictures can't show much detail.
when we are trying to find an issue.

also - not sure maybe we can have a set of keys the we line up the camera to, ?

 

Just wanted to contribute a bit. You don't have to burn a backup disk for the drivers alone. You can find them under c:\oem\preload\autorun. There is a DRV folder with all the laptops drivers.

Also all the acer apps are present there. Worth mentioning since this laptop doesn't have a cd burner and the backup software seems to require one in order to make an image. Could save a few some time.

 

That's why I plan to have any repairs needed done here in the USA by an authorized Acer repair facility.

The cost is bound to be comparable to having it shipped back to Taiwan and then back to the USA.

And if it needs further repair on the same issue, any potential shipping costs to/from Taiwan are avoided.

 

nvm found it its hidden

 

Since 3820TG is not sold in the US, I would think it would be a gamble to count on the service centers in the U.S. to repair foreign models

 

The sale is over again (lasted less than 24 hrs).

Be careful, as PCHome is now selling some open-box units for the same price (NT$ 30900) and they do NOT come with the extra goodies.

 

Since the 3820TG is an Acer laptop and does not utilize any special technology like transwarp coils or dilithium crystals, I am confident that an authorized service center in the USA is capable of performing most, if not all, repairs.

My Tag Heuer chronograph watch was made in Switzerland. However, I was able to send it to New Jersey, USA to have it serviced and cleaned, even though it was a foreign model.

 

Hey now, which one of you is already selling your unit?

ACER 3820TG i5-450m 5650 ATI - 2GB RAM 500gb hdd on eBay.ca (item 180546908555 end time 20-Aug-10 23:57:16 EDT)

 

why the sell?

 

Not me.

1. I live in the USA.
2. I'd include the 2 GB of RAM that they gave me to make it a total of 4 GB of RAM.
3. I'd use a real life pic of my laptop, not some corporate ad drawing.
4. I've haven't received mine yet (although technically, I could try to sell it without having yet received it).

 

My guess would be last don. He got his and hates the display. Says it's too grainey for him.

Bronsky

 

Thanks for the update.

How do you know it is open box? (if not this one anymore, how to spot for future reference).

The one I see now for that price does show the free goodies.

 

Post Deleted

 

Ok So i took some pics with my sony xperia x10, not the greatest quality, but enough to see the graininess of the screen. I have the staples model btw
pictures are quite large

Spoiler

 

yeh right! i would be losing money here! and when notebooks at $500 have displays that loook clearner than this one might complain

going back to pchome - took a while to translate their return clicks and buttons but all is good

 

yep thats how my screen looks,

i am going to upload some later tonight before i package it up tmrw.

from a distance of where the track pad is around that area -


not bad your pics from the x10a - had it for a bit nice phone!

 

you got an extra 2gigs of ram?

i got a extra outlet plug, and some porter bag!

 

When the sales website is translated via the Chrome web browser (which does a much better job translating Chinese than FireFox does), it uses words like "open item box" and "things may be missing or not included".

Dead giveaways for open box items.

 

This pic is too funny. If you stand and look that closely at any monitor, you're going to see pixels.

News flash - monitors create their images by using pixels. It's what the resolution numbers represent (i.e. 1920x1200 = 1920 pixels by 1200 pixels).

 

Yes, I also got those free goodies too.

Thanks to Nemein, I was able to get the best deal from PCHome to date (and this was right after I'd missed out on what was the best deal before).

For what it's worth, I recommend you get an HP Envy. It's clearly evident that the screen quality is one of your highest priorities (if not the highest). The Envy's have incredible looking screens for the price. I used to have the HP Envy 15 2nd generation. Looking at great works of art on it was like being in a museum. It's that great of a screen.

For me though, the screen isn't a high priority and I found the Envy's other attributes lacking.

The Acer 3820TG is something that I've been looking for a long time. Only the Toshiba R705 can possibly beat it in a matchup. Only time will tell.

There can be only one.....

 

That's what I thought too. Every LCD screen has pixels. You would even see pixels on the best LCD displays. It's more obvious with a high resolution photo. A better way of telling if the screen has graininess is by comparing it side by side with a better screen.

 

I was just showing the grainiess of the lcd, even at a distance where you would normally view the scren, you can notice the little dots all over the screen.

I could post other pics from my external lcd, but I dont think its neccessary, its a lot less granier, hardly noticible to be honest

 

Well, that sucks if you have dots all over the screen. I have an AUO303C display on my 4820TG, but I don't have any of the problems mentioned above. My screen looks smooth on a white background without any noticable graininess. I only notice the pixels when I look very close to the screen. I guess it varies from one unit to the next.

 

I am NOT saying this about you, but I've always wondered if some people who notice things like this suffer from OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder).

It's like that detective on the TV show "Monk". He's always looking at things in such minute detail, with such exacting precision. If something is not exactly perfect or out of alignment by just the tiniest, infinitesimal amount, it throws him for a loop and he starts to freak out.

 

here is a comparion, take with same camera.

Spoiler

3820tg


external Monitor

 

LOL! Well no wonder the external monitor looks better! That pic is blurred and completely out of focus!

A lot of things look smoother and better when seen out of focus. Ugly girls, for example, look great when seen blurry and out of focus. It's why we men get drunk. It blurs our vision (and judgment) to the point where even the ugly ones look great (and stand a chance of seeing some action)!

Seriously though, even in the blurred, out of focus pic of the external monitor, I can still see the pixels! That tells me that if the pic were in focus, I would definitely see the pixels on your external monitor as well.

 

Is the first one the 3820TG and the second one the external monitor? The 2nd picture is out of focused and very blurry. I can't compare them at all.

 

i re uploaded the second picture

 

and just to clarify, personally i can live with the display. I just want to be clear if this is a common issue with AUO322C displays or its just a machine to machine thing.

 

It's better, but still not as sharp or focused as the pic of the 3820TG.

Seriously though, do you press your face that close to the monitor to see the individual pixels when you use your laptop or external monitor?

How about taking a pic from the distance that your face is normal at from the laptop screen?

Now, you might say "Well, if I did that you wouldn't be able to see the pixels of the 3820TG's screen."

Then I would say "I rest my case, your Honor".