Acer Aspire 3820T

That's correct, they were selling the P310 with US/UK keyboards left and right. Oh, the good times...

 

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, us Australians use the same keyboard as the US! I could hold out for a month if I absolutely had to. It seems I'm going to end up with a sub par laptop if I don't, so I guess I'll be keeping an eye on this thread for a while.

 

@Bronsky, pals and arclord did stated they run it under 30-31C room temperature

 

New Zealand is the same of course, we use the US keyboard, to be honest a UK keyboard would also be fine. Just instead of the dollar symbol you get the pound.

 

1. Singapore, Italy, Vietnam, China, Germany, France, Poland, Czech Republic might be some more European countries. So far only one seller in Germany ships overseas (Localised German version with German Qwertz keyboard)

2. Nobody knows, no word from Acer.

3. Yes/No it depends when you add shipping etc for non US residents anyway.

 

anyways, it has been about a week since i've gotten this laptop and i just wanna mention a few things.

Keyboard: The keyboard is really not as bad as people thought it would be. As compared to the mac/sony keyboard, it might not be that cool looking (subjective) and also seems abit flimsy (not a very solid feel cos the edges of the individual keys arent supported), but it does its job well and i find it rather nice to type too.. it has a soft-ish feel but hard enough to give a comfortable typing experience. The bad thing is that because of the "floating" concept, the area beneath it collects dirt/dust easily.
Overall, still a comfortable keyboard to type on.

Screen: I dont find an issue with the screen at all.. the color is nth to wow about. It is not some special lcd with enhanced color technology. It is a normal LCD screen that does what it is built to do; to display image. It is glossy and it is expected to have reflections but there are many anti-glare screen protectors on sale that can provide a solution to this. Screen brightness is good. I still havent find a need to use the maximum brightness. I personally use only 2 points above the lowest setting and its more than sufficient. honestly, how often does anyone use a laptop out in the bright sun nowadays? office junkies!

Heat: Really, seriously, enough about the heat issue. really. It isnt hot like everyone is complaining. The heat is manageable. Period.

The laptop built is really solid for the average consumer. (no, pls dont compare it with the toughbook.) I held it by the lcd screen with my fingers supporting the mid of the lcd and it doesnt flex at all. ok, it was scary. i've done it, its not damaged.

Till now the fan runs very quiet. i havent heard it buzz... even if it does, i think only in really quiet areas and when u are using the gfx card when the fan speed increases. Also, hot air is mostly dispensed through the left fan vent.

The mouse pad recognise pinch to zoom etc, but its obviously not as smooth as mac books'. even the scrolling isnt as smooth while using the mousepad (i think mainly because windows does it "line by line" whereas mac doesnt follow the "line-by-line" rule.

Battery life typically 5hrs with wifi always on, screen to 30% brightness.. abit of flash gaming, abit of documents editing, fb-ing all day long, youtube a little yada yada..

Yup, that's about what i wanna add.. hope it is useful and helps to sum up some stuff. =)

Edit: I just rmb what i forgot to add. This notebook is darn cheap for what u get so pls dont expect so much as if you are paying premium for it. If u want premium, i suggest the new Sony Z. If u cant afford it (like for my case), make do with this cheaper alternative and ALSO make do with whatever it comes with.

Pls quit complaining "oh this laptop cant do this or this laptop doesnt have that." Mainly also cos i dont wanna feel bad that i alr have this laptop BUT that's beside the point

In conclusion, good price + good spec = Good value!

 

Thanks for the mini review! You answered many of my questions and concerns. Now if this could just come out...

 

Agreed, thanks for the review pals. It's nice to hear how well the notebook is working out for an average user. (And I'm glad your purchase has turned out great for you)

Benchmark numbers can only tell you so much.

 

Hi Pals thanks for your views on the 3820, whats your opinion on the weight, size and portability of the unit say Vs a UL30 ? A good travel lappy?

Also how big is the power adaptor? Does it weight it down a bit. I would be traveling long haul flights with this so it matters to me. 25 + hours of flying...Barcelona via U.S to Auckland, NZ

I can't handle 10' netbooks, so damn uncomfortable if you have to do more than check emails. 1024x600 res and cramped up. 12.1-13.3' seems perfect as does this 3820TG.

Thanks

 

Thanks!
I cant compare it to a UL30 cos i havent owned one before. But put it this way; I carry a timbuk2 bag and when i throw everything inside, ie. the laptop, a small mouse, power brick, i dont find it weighing me down. it is slim and light definitely.

Power brick is standard size and weight i guess? arent they all the same? haha. about 800g +/-100g.

I wasnt used to the 13" screen at first because i have been using my 22" monitor for 2 years plus now.. Since a week has passed, i find the size right. I chose the 3820 because i wanted a 13". 12" is too small. 14" is still alright but its heavier.. so i found the 13" to be the balance.

On top of that, i have the option to bring a ext dvd drive if i ever find a need to use one. I cant rmb the last time i opened my dvd drive on my desktop.

Acer claims this device has 8+ hrs of batt. not true. unless u put screen to the darkest, off wifi and bluetooth, dont do anything to it except maybe some document work only. no vid no music. then perhaps u can achieve 8+hrs.

An average user probably gets 5hrs or so.

Hope i answered ur question =)

 

I was just asking the same question myself and looked up all the specs on portability. Here's the rundown. The weight is without power block, but there seems to be no difference in PC maker power supplies. Only the Mac seems to have a smaller and non-butt-ugly power supply.

Acer 3820TG
12.75 x 9.25 x 1.14
3.99lbs

Asus UL30VT-A1
12.90 x 9.30 x 1.00
3.7lbs

Asus UL30JT
12.68 x 9.13 x .97
3.75lbs

So, the TimelineX is a bit thicker and a bit heavier, but not significantly so. The 30VT and JT are nearly identical to each other. All seem to be very portable for full powered machines.

The VT has the best real world battery life (significant advantage) followed by the JT (according to preliminary reviews) and then the Acer. If you go with the 3820TG you will likely get much better graphics than the Asus models.

 

^ Except you're getting the full-powered CPUs in the 3820TG but the ULVs in the UL30V/JT so it's not really totally comparable.

 

True, but he had asked about comparing it to the UL30 series. Also, seeing the names that appear on the forums for the TimelineX series and the UL30 series, many of us are indeed comparing these laptops and see them as competitors to each other. They are all have a similar form factor and similar specs (in a general sense), even if they have different processors. For many of us, myself included, we're looking for good performance, great battery life, in a small, light form factor for a price that won't kill us...

Of course if price is not an issue there's always that Sony Z out there ready to buy right now...

 

Ah yes, we would all have Vaio Z's then..

But I can't justify spending that much on a smaller 2nd use / travel laptop. Even the price of the 3820TG is pushing it. Just the specs convince me its a better buy in the long run of things. Latest i core CPUs DX11 gfx card etc etc.

Hell its price is nearing the best bag for buck (1199 USD) Best Buy G73jh. Which I'm eying up as a replacement one day for my current 17" gateway. Different class of notebook, but you see where i come from price wise.

Both the UL30vt and 3820TG fit my needs, but the 3820TG I would hang onto much longer due to a much high spec. (If Acer lets me buy one!! )

 

True say. If I could get the Sony Z at the American price here in Canada I would've bought it already. But the darn thing is just insanely expensive over here.

 

Z is mighty high in canada

 

road trip down, buy, road trip back. haha.

 

Any updates on US release date/price? This laptop looks beast

 

Unfortunately, the company has decided that they only want to sell it to a dozen sSingaporean techinical students.

Bronsky

 

unfortunately the company have already launched it to the market in Singapore for the PUBLIC.

 

It's a joke

 

I would have considered it if it runs GeForce because Windows isn't the only OS I am going to run.
It is not for gaming only.

 

very perceptive ...

And the punchline is that, four months after it was anounced, it has still been released in its I7-620M specs only in Singapore.

kidding aside ... nobody has a clue when the 3820Tg will be released in the US. My guess on price is $1,100-$1,200 for an I7-620M/HD5650. The 11.6" Travelmate, the 14" and the 15.6 Travelmate (both Integrated GPU only) are all listed in the Provantage catalogue. All are out of stock.

Bronsky

 

one is i5



and the other is i7




2 TYPEs. - Both are Singapore models. AND that's the PUNCHLINE.

 

God damn, I am soooo jealous!

 

While I am happy for those of you in Singapore who can get a properly spec'ed 3820TG (although I see only the 520M available from a retailer - the other link you posted is the April 19th sale from the polytec institute - I am assuming that you are seeing these for sale elsewhere - both of these are "kind-of" old news), these are the specs that (IMHO) Acer should be shipping worldwide by now. The units they have been shipping to the rest of the world so far, seem like notebooks made on the Island of misfit toys. Odd behavior for a company that has lost 20% of its value over the past few months.

Bronsky

 

IMHO: its nothing new to its delay in the launch to other parts of the country. every other products is the same.

Anyway for the record both the 4820/3820TG isn't selling like Hotcakes here anyway. Stocks are heavily available - wonder what is the reason behind it.

i believe perhaps it is creating aware-ness for the upcoming PC Show 2010 in Singapore.

 

I'm mystified by it. It looks like Acer just stumbled big-time in the product's release. BTW, are there any retaliers there who ship internationally? Maybe you could post the names of the largest retailers who are handling the I7-620M or the I5-520M 3820TGs as they seem to be the units that everyone here is the most interested in. Glad to see that Acer has penetrated at least one market with its new line.

Bronsky

 

As far as i can remember, Acer seldom gives out international warranty in SG.

Challenger. In SG. Anywhere in Sim Lim/Funan is selling those models as mentioned above.

it might not be a big name in your country but too many is quite a household name here.

Others outlets selling in Singapore includes:

Microware, Newstead, @notebook, Matrix so on and so forth.

more on cash and carry for those mentioned. Stocks are flooded in outlets.

Shipping wise, i don't think they do it... due to being skeptical with regards to scams. LoL

 

And still no units on Ebay Singapore with shipping.... what is going on...

 

temps?

 

Acer USA now has the new TimelineX anouncement. Performance tab lists I7 CPU's.

Bronsky

 

Anyone know for sure what the base/stock configuration for this notebook will be?

How about for the 4820TG and 5820TG models?

 

do i need to charge the notebook for 6-8hr? for first time?

 

Anyone know if theres a difference between 3820T and 3820TG? Same goes for 4820T vs TG, and 5820T vs TG?

Thanks

 

T is with just integrated gpu, while TG could be with HD5470/HD5650....

 

Hi. Here in the Czech Republic these lapppies have been on sale for more than three weeks, I guess. The base configuration of the 3820T, which I might be getting, is as follows:

Intel Core i3 330M, RAM 4GB, Intel HD Graphics, 320GB, WiFi, Bluetooth, Windows 7 Home Premium .

And the 3820TG :

Intel Core i5 430M, RAM 4GB, HD5650 1GB, 640GB, WiFi, BlueTooth, Windows 7 Home Premium

Cheers!

 

Where are you ordering from? I tried to also buy an i5 / 5650 machine but nobody seems to ship internationally?

 

is it confirmed that 3820 will come out with HD 5650 for sure? any ideas when this lappy is coming out ? its looks awesome! cant wait to get my hands on one and O/C it straight away ;] i've got lg p310 with 9600m gt and i o/c it so i get around 7400points in 3dmark06 so i would recon this one would get something close to 9000points with good drivers and safe o/c xD

 

There are versions of the 3820TG with the HD 5650 being sold almost everywhere around the world but here in the US. So, yea, it's in there. This little 13" is still unique. That is the only reason I am still waiting for it.

I've not seen an I5-540M version of the 3820TG. I am begining to suspect that one will not be offered. If you are going to OC the GPU, you might want to get an I5-520M. The I7-620M runs as hot as 87C in the 3820TG. I wonder how much extra capacity the dual cooling system in the 3820TG has to deal with the extra heat generated by the HD 5650 GPU while it is producing 3Dmark06 scores over 9000 (actually the same cpu/gpu set up has been oc'd in a 4820TG to 10,000 in china).

Bronsky

 

woaaa those scores are better than i expected (when oced), looks like it will even handle bad company 2 on very good settings which is amazing xD. Do you know where i can buy it in UK ? Also i checked out the review of that dude that got over 10000k score in 3dmark06 but i noticed that its stated that gpu is shared and it got total 2700mb or smtng like that. Do you think 3820 would be identical in terms of performance in that matter? thxx mate. lol gotta sell my lg p310 ;]

 

I think the 3820TG may overclock better than the 4820TG due to the improved cooling system in the 3820TG. The first 3820T has finally been sighted on US websites. It's a low spec I3 model, but it sells for only $702.

Bronsky

 

hey guys,

just got my 3820tg I-5 430M today. Looks nice BUT!
...
It won't start. It has windows7 pre-installed, so when I press the power button, it tries to boot. But after 2 min or so, it shows the standard screen: windows failed to start. a recent hardware or software change might be the cause.
... and then i get the usual start options:
safe mode
safe mode with networking
.. with command prompt
last known config
start windows normally.

I have tried all of them except command prompt (because i'm not really an expert) and it comes back to same screen again after some time.

Any tips/help?

thanks, the Danish...

 

Try pressing alt + f10 during boot to use the recovery...

 

thx mate. I saw in your sig that you are getting it with i7 and you said that it runs a lot higher tems than i5 im not sure yet which one should i get, i've read that i7 seems to be running at same temps but when stressed out its a few degrees higher. I want to go for i7 but ill defo be overclocking GPU so im not sure if its the right choice.. i5 should be more than enough for games like GTA4 or bad company2 right ? thx

 

Yep the quality control is excellent isn't it.

First, (unliklely though these are) pop the small covers on the bottom open and make sure the HDD, RAM and any add-on cards are securely seated in their places and no flexi-cables are loose.

Also it is worth a look in the BIOS (F2) that the HDD is 1st or 2nd inthe boot order , that it is in ACHI mode and while you are there D2D recovery is enabled.

If it still won't start press Alt-F10 when the acer logo flashes up at boot to recover the stored system image.

If it still wont start you can try startup repair which if not presented in that start up failed menu can be run from a windows 7 disk of the same type and 32bit / 64 bit variety. you can download the various W7 iso's from the web and burn a DVD if you want to try this.

At some point though I would be inclined to call your supplier and report it dead-on arrival. you may be able to get a replacement before you can diagnose the fault . . . .

 

i'm sure ur device comes with warranty right? it should come with a 10-day one to one exchange or sth.. just give acer a call and make some noise! =)

 

Acer has a big problem IMO.
All the OEMs should be using WAIK (Customised Windows 7 installation image) to reload their system only Acer AFAIK is still using imaging which is more prone to copy error.
ASUS is using WAIK which is a customised Windows 7 installation than a copy image which sucks.
It isn't a problem for users who know how to reload Windows 7 clean on their system but for non-tech savy people it give an impression of poor quality when that is a software corruption issue nothing wrong with the hardware.
WAIK needs 2 run of the installation disc, 1 OS reload 2 Driver software reload.
Acer Imaging needs only 1 disc image split into 2 volumes to reload both OS and Driver but has much lower reliability especially when a read/write error is encountered.

 

thanks for your help on the start-up problems, guys... unfortunately nothing works, so I guess I will have to talk to my supplier on monday

 

Thanks mate, that's really useful news.

I was thinking of getting a 3820TG, but the regional variations are insane at this point. The UK version which doesn't seem to have hit the shelves yet comes with a 5470 instead of a 5650 which sucks.

The Czech version is brilliant because the OS is Czech/Slovakian/ENGLISH which means I wouldn't have to buy another copy of Win7. I was going to get a German version, but that didn't have the multi-language OS. I think the keyboard won't be that big of a deal. The only countries in Europe that seem to have the 5650 right now seem to be Germany, Austria, and Czech republic.

I was wondering, do you know of any online electronics retailers in the Czech Republic that do long-distance shipping?