Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T Thread

I think your are a little bit to much optimist : Gta4 is a big big game who needs many ressources, I don't think that a simple chipset (not a real GPU) can run correctly gta4 in low settings, not yet for 700$

 

Thanks for the info.

I am also in the market for the same thing. A small portable that can do occasional gaming/lan party at a friend house while doing business tasks at work hours.

So far I think the ones that fits the bill are :

- 3820TG i5-430 + 5470 Staples version
- AS1551 K625 + 4225

Have you thought of the 3820T with the i3-350m ? I think the CPU base clock is faster than the 1820T i5 ULV ?. Compare Intel® Products Given that maybe SC2 on lowest settings should do fine ?

 

Unfortunately, it seems more and more likely that Llano will arrive before this happens, if it even does. Boy, what I wouldn't give for a 11.6" with a K665, Ion (or 320M) and a good screen like the Eee PC R101's .

 

agreed. its absurd to me that there isnt a TRUE 11.6" form factor i3 or culv with a g310 or the like at a reasonable price.

 

The GPU base clock is way higher on the i3-350m (500MHz instead of 166MHz), as is the CPU clock (2.26GHz instead of 1.2GHz), so it should run Starcraft II a lot better.

Unfortunately the 3820 is a lot bigger and somewhat heavier as well. It's also more expensive. For about the same price, you could gt an Asus U35JC, which is lighter (3.7lbs), has a GeForce 310M (and Optimus), and comes with a better warranty.

The problem is that all of these are getting into the same range as my T400, which is about 5lbs with the 4-cell and bay batteries. Neither the Asus nor the Acer 13" laptops are small/light enough that I would carry them in a sleeve (as opposed to a backpack). The T400 has a number of advantages (better keyboard than basically anything that would replace it, TPM so I can use BitLocker).

The form factor of the 1810/1830 really appeals to me. The performance is acceptable for 90% of what I do, but that extra 10% is a downer. Also, the ergonomics of the 1810/1830 (particularly with the terrible Alps touchpad) really make me reluctant to use the 1830 compared with a desktop machine (and I never feel that way with my T400).

The bottom line is that I'm probably going to stay with the T400 and perhaps save up for an x201/x201s (which one of my friends has).

 

Ah I see, now I get where you are coming from. Agree that going to the 38xx series is kinda pushing the form factor and price range up into the gray area between your requirements. Sorry for the giving the run-around suggestion.

I might get the 3820T for myself though.

 

The 1830 is probably a little better than the 1810, but in Starcraft II it actually did worse than my ThinkPad T400 in integrated mode (GMA X4500MHD). To be fair, the ThinkPad does have a Core 2 Duo P8700 (2.53GHz, 3M L2) which will run circles around a 1.2GHz (maybe 1.4GHz-ish with Turbo) Core i5.

I have never run SCII on the 1810 (my mom has my 1410 now) so I can't really comment.

With minimum settings at the minimum res (1024x768), with performance selected in the Intel drivers, plugged in, I got around 25fps in a 1v1 game against an AI player on the smallest map. With lots of units on the screen it would drop to ~10fps. Don't even think about playing 3v3s (with tons of units), the campaign (which for some reason runs slower), or custom maps like TDs (which also tend to use a lot of units).

I wouldn't call that a playable experience. You might be able to get some WoW in (even the 1410 ran WoW well enough for daily heroics, AH use, and BGs), and of course older games like WarCraft III or Unreal Tournament 2004 will run well. But you can forget about anything made in the last couple of years.

I would estimate that the 1830 is about 1/3rd as fast as a full power mobile Core i3/i5/i7 laptop (which roughly corresponds to the GPU base frequency), about 70% as fast as a full-power laptop with the last-gen GMA X4500MHD, and roughly comparable to the 1410/1810 (which had a lower-clocked GMA 4500MHD).

I am not one of those people who says that you can't do gaming on integrated graphics. Hell, I ran WoW on an Acer EEE PC 900HA (which had the horrible GMA 950). But the reality is that the Acer 1830, despite what the benchmarks say, is not dramatically faster than the 1410/1810. You can play StarCraft II on a full-power Core i3/i5/i7 laptop with integrated graphics, but despite the fact that they use the same basic GPU as the 1830, there's a big difference between a GPU that typically runs at 200MHz in-game and one that runs at 500MHz in-game.

The worst part of dynamic frequency is that it screws you just when you need it most. When you're sitting at the menu screen you get good framerates because there's no CPU activity and the GPU goes to full clock (500MHz in the 1830). When you get in-game and nothing's happening, you typically see ~400MHz and things run OK (but not great). Then you get into a big battle, there's lots on the screen, and the CPU gets pegged. That means that the GPU drops to 200MHz or even 166MHz.

Benchmarks usually don't hit the CPU enough to cause this. What frequency you get is a total crapshoot, since it's up to the driver. It's clear that Intel has put a lot of effort into maximizing 3DMark scores; it doesn't seem that they put the same amount of effort into optimizing games like StarCraft II. It's possible that this could improve with better drivers, but the TDP on the ULV Core i3/i5 series (in the Acer 1830) is just too low to really push the GPU very far. It's clear that a lot of the TDP difference between the full-power mobile Core i3/i5/i7 and the ULV variants comes from the ability to clock the GPU much lower. Intel is effectively fitting a 35W CPU/GPU into 18W in part by down-clocking the CPU but also by killing the GPU performance. For most people that's an OK tradeoff - they need the CPU performance more.

My guess is that the AMD-based Acer laptops would do better, if only because their GPU always runs at full clock when in games (it does down-clock when it's idle to save power). But I would be reluctant to say that the AMD-based Acers can run StarCraft II. This game seems to be pretty demanding on the CPU and I'm not sure that a 1.3/1.5GHz AMD Regor can hack it. In any case the performance should be more consistent than the 1830 and if anything AMD's drivers are way better too. There's a lot to like about the AMD-based Acers, particularly the Aspire One 721 which is $430 and still has most of the same features as 1830 (display, HDMI, SPDIF, gigabit, etc.). If anything it offers a lot of bang for the buck.

The Asus laptops with Optimus (like the U35) are in a different weight/size class from the 721/1810/1830, but they also have full-power CPUs and real GPUs. All of them would run StarCraft II well (albeit on low settings; the 310M is not a speed demon). The Alienware M11x is an interesting option but the ULV Core CPUs give me pause, it's heavy (4.4lbs instead of 3.7lbs for the U35 and 3lbs for the 1830), and it has some bizzare limitations like 100Mbps Ethernet (when even the $430 Aspire One 721 has gigabit).

The smallest laptop that looks like it could run StarCraft II OK looks like the Toshiba R705. It's a bit bigger and heavier than the 1830 but it's still smaller and lighter than the Asus U35, has a full-power i3 (and full-clock Intel HD Graphics), and even packs in a DVD drive.

Lots of choices, not many of them particularly attractive. Thin and light and gaming don't go together very well.

 

I have a big problem with spending $900 on a consumer-level laptop. The ThinkPad series, HP EliteBook series, Dell Latitude, and other business laptops generally have full magnesium/aluminum frames. More importantly, all of these notebooks will have parts available in 3 years. My fried, for example, had no problem finding an LCD for his T60 4 years after he bought it. I am willing to bet that you will have near-zero success finding parts for the 3820 in 4 years.

Without a secondary market for parts you could be looking at a very expensive repair or even trashing the laptop in 3 years. I have a lot of issues with Lenovo support but at least you can get the parts to fix a ThinkPad on eBay and from other sources.

 

I have to take exception to the last couple of posts. I find the performance of the Acer 1830T with the i5 processor, 4 GB of RAM and 500 GB HDD to be very satisfactory compared with my work laptop which is a Think Pad T61. The heavy analysis application I run is much snappier on the Acer than the Think Pad, which is a standard full size notebook. I'm very happy with the 1830T i5 at $700. I think it is a bargain.

 

I just registered on the forums to post in this thread. I've been lurking for a while now! Anyways, howdy all.

I received my 1830T (i5) a few days ago when Tigerdirect restocked. I also have the Gateway version of the 1410 (ec1803u) back when BCB was still active. I got the ec1803u first but my fiance wanted it to I upgraded myself to the 1830t I wanted anyway.

I've been transferring my files from the 1803 to the 1830 and have been able to compare them in depth this week.

Gateway EC1803U: Paid ~$330 (after tax and BCB)
Core2Solo SU3500, Windows Vista 32bit, 2gb ram, 250gb HD

Acer 1830T-3721: Paid ~$720 (after tax)
i5-UM, Windows 7 64bit, 4gb ram, 500gb HD, bluetooth

So the 1830T cost me TWICE what the ec1803u did.

Speed
The 1830t definitely seems a lot snappier in photoshop and other intensive apps. The i5 and 4gb ram is definitely nice but for 80% of the things for which one uses an ultralight notebook (Web browsing, Excel, Word, Powerpoint), the speed increase is not dramatically noticeable.

Use
The 1830t's case is very nice and the matte finish much preferred. My 1803t's touchpad click buttons are fine, but the ALPS touchpad is terrible compared to the Synaptics one on the Gateway. It is a travesty that companies still buy ALPS trackpads! Having double the HD space is nice for storing more HD videos to watch on the go or to take to friends' houses.

Battery
With the same power settings the battery life is most definitely shorter on the 1830t vs the ec1803u (reminder that it is the gateway rebadged variant of the 1410) by perhaps an hour (!) even though it has a noticeably larger battery. I get about 5hrs continuous use on the 1830t with wifi on vs 6hrs on the ec1830u.

Overall, I feel (practically speaking) that the ec1803u (1410) was a far better purchase when speaking of bang-for-the-buck than the 1830T. Unless you really need the processing power, the 1830T isn't really TWICE the value of the ec1803u. However, that isn't to say that I'm not incredibly happy with the 1830T; I love this little machine. The techie in me wouldn't have been satisfied "settling" for the "lesser" machine even though the rationalist in me sees that it was actually a better deal.

p.s. I don't want to be misunderstood. I think the 1830t was well worth the $700. I guess I'm just saying the ec1803 was just much more worth the $300 .

 

After I uninstalled my existing Display Adapter driver as suggested in this thread (they were dated January of 2010 I think) and installed the 7/22 drivers my WEI went DOWN. With the factory drivers my Aero graphics rating was 3.2 and now with the 7/22 drivers it is 2.9. Weird...

Anyone else get this?

 

Just received my 1830T (i5) and think its a great little machine and worth the extra $$ compared to the competition.

Regarding the continual complaints regarding the touch-pad: mine has ALPS (coincidently so does my M1530) and it don't bother me one bit.....I HATE touch-pads anyway and have no problem carrying a wee notebook mouse to use instead. The vast majority of the time I will be using it on table, so a mouse works perfect. During the times I don't have a hard surface I am sure I will get by with surfing the web and writing up work using the ALPS.

Also the HDD it came with is the same one currently installed in my M1530 - a Western Digital Scorpio Blue 500GB which I was happy to discover and will not be swapping out - pointless really until SSD comes down in price.

Its full of bloat-ware/trial-ware so needed a GOOD cleaning; boots and runs noticeably faster after I finished. Post removal of the useless programs I recommend Auslogics Boostspeed - download a trial - best product I have found for further cleaning (junk files, registry, defrag etc). Going back to University in September so will get a cheap copy of Win 7 x64 Ultimate to stick on and do a clean install.

 

Good to hear that it's working out!

That said, when you start with the position that you hate touchpads and will use a mouse most of the time anyway, it doesn't really matter if the touchpad sucks.

I actually like touchpads, and I consider myself to be pretty adept at using them. I have actually played quite a bit of WoW using a touchpad, including PvP. Obviously I would not play an FPS or RTS game on a touchpad, and I do have a mouse (Logitech G5 laser) on my desk at home. But it just doesn't make sense for me to have a mouse with me wherever I go, and sometimes it's not convenient to use one (e.g. on the couch). So I end up using the touchpad a lot on my T400, and I end up depending on things like two finger scrolling that works (since there's no scroll wheel).

If you never use any of the more advanced features of your touchpad (multi-finger tap, two-finger scroll, edge motion, corner actions, etc.) then maybe the Alps is OK. But to me that makes it a crappy touchpad overall.

 

What do you think about this:
Acer to launch 9 cell, 12 hour battery for Timeline laptops

 

To me the price is the big problem. At $300 or $400 I would be willing to overlook the touchpad issues, lower battery life, and still-lame graphics performance. But compared to the 1410 that I owned previously, the Acer 1830 is basically no better (excluding CPU performance) despite being $300 more expensive and 12 months newer. Then you consider the fact that the 1410 had better battery life (despite having a smaller battery), better wireless (Intel 5100 in mine), and a better touchpad (Synaptics).

If it came down to the 1810 for $700 or the 1830 for $700 it would be a toss-up in my book (battery life vs. performance). But the 1810 was a cheaper product, and the 1410 was cheaper yet (and still has better battery life than the 1830). Some of this is because Intel's current-gen laptop platform is kind of a dud (it's more expensive and uses more power than the previous-gen in exchange for better performance). Some of this is because Acer has repositioned these machines as higher-end and positioned AMD machines as lower-end.

Regardless, you don't have a whole lot of options in this category anyway. The 1830 is still a decent machine, I just don't think it's worth $700.

 

I guess with more time spent using them I would possibly like them more but the fact remains a mouse will always be better. I have used a mouse for like 20 years so moving onto inferior technology (although better portability) is something I am not keen on. Never played a game using a touch-pad, I just think the lack of response and accuracy compared to a decent mouse would frustrate me. I currently use a Razor Orochi and love it - small, extremely responsive and has the option to plug in via USB or connect using bluetooth and run of batteries. Regarding on the couch, I had the same issue until I discovered laptop tables like:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0037XHULO/ref=oss_product

I am have my M1530 on that right now and typing while watching a football (soccer) game. Can sit back, type and use my mouse - sorted

On laptop mag comparisons the 1830T beats the 1410 on nearly every test:
Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T - Benchmark Test Results

Most of the 1410's come with a celeron, no bluetooth, 2GB ram and 250GB or less HDD. According to the comparison the 1830T has better wireless connectivity and I guess the touchpad is personal preference - just use a mouse like me Thus it boils down to if you want better performance; double the RAM and HDD plus bluetooth vs slightly more battery life and pay more for the privilege.

 

I remember this 2009 article at Liliputing.
Pretty sure those larger Acer batteries never materialized.
Anyway, a heavier larger battery would counter the essence
of the 1830, which is its light-weight sleek design.

 

Acer did make the batteries, but not for the 11.6" units. The company agrees with you.

The article says that "some" of the Timelines are getting them. The 3820 has a number of models that are shipping with the 9 cell. It is probably the most Fugly battery I have ever seen (maybe the X201 9 cell comes close). Look at the second product picture. Amazon.com: Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3820T-3051 13.3-Inch HD Laptop - Black Brushed Aluminum: Electronics

Bronsky

 

That IS ugly! The idea of getting 12 hours of battery life (more like 9 to 10 of course) is appealing, but at that cost it is hard to say.

 

If anyone is looking to get the U5400 model, I'm selling mine. PM if interested.

 

"being $300 more expensive" also gets you:
1. OS upgrade: Windows 7 64bit vs Vista 32bit (~$100)
2. Double the RAM: 4gb DRR3 vs 2gb DDR2 (~$90)
3. Double the HD: 500gb vs 250gb (~$60)
4. Integrated Bluetooth module (~$20-30)

I would have upgraded the harddrive and the RAM and added a bluetooth module anyway in my ec1803u/1410. Without counting the different OSes it's at least $150 in hardware upgrades before even speaking about the CPU.

This contributed to my buying the 1830T instead of just getting another 1410. The price difference is actually less for people that would have upgraded their 1410s (which seems to be decent number of people on these forums).

For giving to your parents or non-techy significant other, the 1410 is more than enough, I agree. But few of us on these forums are those types of people.

 

Well said, I agree - people that use this forum are trying to get the best machine to fit their requirements and future-proof themselves for as long as possible. I never go for the cheap second best devices because a few weeks / months down the line you end up regretting the purchase. If you do your research and get the best you could at the time you can always look back and say you did your best and spent the money wisely. In the 12" category I believe the 1830T is the best machine you can buy without spending silly money on something like a HP Elitebook or Alienware M11x.

My M1530 is outdated now but I do not regret the purchase - was the perfect machine for me to buy at that time (like 2.5 years ago) and still use it basically everyday. It can even run the latest games like Starcraft II at medium settings

 

Hi,

your calculation seems to be based on "throw away the old stuff and buy new".
If you get the upgrade components instead of the basic components, then the calculation looks different.

Zero. My 1810TZ came with Win 7/64. Apart from that, the "Acer custom" OEM Windows is not worth the 100$ you mention.

Adding one 2 GB stick is enough. $45

$10. Price for a 250GB drive ~50 USD, 500GB ~60 USD.

Accepted. Cheapstakes would buy a USB BT thingy for less than 10 USD.

Total: ~70 USD, inluding the internal BT module (~25 USD)

It is very often cheaper to buy the higher-specced model than the basic model + upgrades. (Unless you can sell the replaced parts for a good price)



Michael

 

Very satisfied uh?

 

I'm running a full development stack on my SU3500 1410 and am pleased. Not all of us need the latest and greatest.

 

I am, this thing is great, except I wished I got something AMD based instead of Intel.

 

not many videos on youtube.

 

I'd like to politely point out that your logic is faulty.

When you buy the notebook, you have already paid for all the components that come with the notebook. You are not just upgrading ala carte as you wish and receiving some sort of magical credit for the parts you are upgrading. If you buy the 500gb harddrive you are still in possession of the 250gb you already paid for.

This isn't Dell's computer configuration webpage where you can upgrade parts by just paying the difference. You are already in possession of hardware and are buying replacements. Just figuring the difference in price between the cost of components replaced is poor math.

The 1410/1810 comes with 2x1gb modules, you cannot "just add one 2gb stick." You are in fact forced to buy 2x2gb sticks. This is pretty standard to anyone who has upgraded a notebook.

Whether you decide to later ebay the spare 250gb harddrive or the 2x1gb RAM sticks is up to you, but the fact is that you have to pay for the full amount of the upgrades and not magically get to pay for the difference.

Last I checked Newegg/Frys/Best Buy/Amazon/Tiger Direct don't have a trade-in program for used hardware. (That'd be nice though, eh?)

Finally, as to the OS, I was speaking about my 1410/ec1803u and have no idea what comes with the 1810tz. The 1410/ec1803u currently comes with Vista 32 with no "free upgrade" to Windows 7 that was available to some models earlier this year.

Bringing other computer models into the conversation doesn't invalidate the fact that there is a material difference in OSes between my two notebooks. I also happen to have a new laptop that came with Windows 7 Ultimate but I didn't mention it since it is as irrelevant to my analysis as what OS came with your 1810tz is. The fact remains that my 1410 variant came with Vista 32 and my 1830t came with Win 7 64. I don't pirate software or OSes and since I am not aware of any method of buying a discount "custom Acer OS" I would have to buy an upgrade copy of Windows 7 from a retail store to upgrade the 1410's OS.

I'm uncertain as to what you mean by "custom Acer OS" in reference to the Win 7 64bit that came on my 1830t. Can you elaborate?

p.s. Serious question: Are there brand new 1810tz's available for $300-320?

This final sentence confused me as you pretty much agreed with my original post after trying to refute it.

 

Hi DaveGT,

I've got to ask where did you source your 1830T? The i5 sort of gives it away.
I have been waiting eagerly for it's arrival in the UK but seriously worry that it may not even be this year. I do go to the US a lot but have resisted buying there due to any potential warranty issues, especially if it comes straight out of the box with a problem.
I am very close to giving up and getting an alternative make. I called Acer UK and they gave me the most up to date, authoritive answer they could.......'Dunno'. Oh, that's useful!
I contacted SimplyAcer, separate company I know, but have heard nothing from them.
AAGGHH!

 

That's pretty awesome! The 1410/ec1803u is an awesome little machine.

 

Hi,

different, not faulty

Agreed. This also applies to the other components upgraded (apart from the Windows license which has not really any value).

I am not sure about your local market, bau at least here in Germany, these laptops are sold in different configurations - more or less RAM, HDD, Bluetooth, 3G, colors. You can pick one that meets your demands best.

But why does a customer buy a laptop in basic configuration - let's say for 400 USD - and adds upgrades for 300 USD instead of buying the higher specced version? The only good reason would be the availability of such models.

That's bad, indeed.

My 1810 TZ came with Win7/64 Home Premium. Apart from old stock, there are no more Acer laptops with Vista available here.

That's simply the preinstalled OS together with the recovery partition that is only good for restoring the factory preinstallation (including the unwanted crap). This Windows version is completely tied to that computer, so I couldn't sell it (if I wanted to). Unlike the Windows version that came with my Dell. CoA, Install Media, Basic Instruction Leaflet. The whole package that can easily be sold.

Not here in Germany. 1410 systems start with 400 EUR, 1810 are available from 450 EUR. 1830 begins with 490 EUR.
The 400 EUR 1410 comes with SU 2300, 3 GB RAM, 250 GB HDD, Bluetooth, Win7 HP.
The 450 EUR 1810 comes with SU 4100, 2 GB RAM, 320 GB HDD, Win7 HP, no Bluetooth, red color.
The 490 EUR 1830 comes with U5400, 2 GB RAM, 320 GB HDD, Win7 HP, no Bluetooth

For simplicity, you can assume 1 EUR = 1 USD (that's the way the computer industry seems to calculate), the current exchange rate is 127 USD for 100 EUR.

Okay. I am trying to follow your calculation.
Aspire 1410 - 390 EUR
2x2GB DDR2-800: 85 EUR
500 GB HDD: 60 EUR
Win7/64 Home Premium System Builder: 90 EUR (In fact, this computer comes with Windows 7 HP preinstalled)
Total (I omitted the BT module): 625 EUR.

And this is what can get for 620 EUR:
1810T with Core2Duo SU7300, 4GB RAM, 500 GB HDD, Win7/64 HP, Bluetooth, 3G.

I am not sure, what is better: a faster, better CPU, a bigger battery plus a 3G modem, or having 2x1 GB RAM and a 250 GB HDD lying in a drawer.

Michael

Edit: I paid 580 EUR for the 1810TZ in my sig.

 

mine adjusted as followed
5.1 4.9
5.2 5.3
3.4 3.1
4.7 4.7
5.6 5.6

 

So, is it a chance to buy i5 model in Canada ?

 

Alright mate,

It was bought in a Fry's store in Texas....where my girlfriend lives, she is bringing it with her when she comes to visit. I have been using Logmein to test everything and make sure it works, along with her help, we checked the mic, speakers, bluetooth, webcam etc. Also used it to clean out and install the programs I need. Regarding the warranty; Acer do have international warranty if you are travelling but it wouldn't cover me as I live here permanently so it is a risk but I am saving well over £100 compared to how much it would cost if they ever release it here. Worst case I could always send it back to the girlfriend and she could send it for repair. I was thinking about the German version but its way more spendy and would have the hassle of changing keyboard as I assume it's different plus the fact I would need to upgrade to Win 7 ultimate before I could even use it so I could install English.

It's a great machine but with all the hassle thrown in it's a tough call. If my girlfriend didn't live state side I am pretty certain I would have gone for something else.

 

DaveGT,

cheers for that. I heard from SimplyAcer and they have not heard a thing, so I think I am going to throw in the towel and go for a Dell M101z. Unless anyone has any far better suggestions? I am on a budget so the Dell, with 3 yr warranty, at £528 is on target. Specs below:-

PROCESSOR AMD Athlon II Neo K325 (Dual Core) Processor
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit,
LCD 11.6" WLED (1366 x 768) HD TFT Display with TrueLife™
MEMORY 4096MB 1333MHz Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM [2x2048]
HARD DRIVE 320GB (7,200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive
PRIMARY BATTERY Primary 6-cell 56 WHr Lithium Ion battery
WEBCAM Integrated 1.3MP Camera
WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY Bluetooth 3.0 and WiFi 802.11b/g/n ComboCard
GRAPHICS CARD AMD Integrated ATI RS880M Graphics

It has everything I want really.

 

my hdmi output is not working for me, \i tried the fn and f5 button combo still not workin

 

So I've bought an 1830t; Mine's an i3-330UM version and I added another 2GB dimm for a total of 4GB ram. I'm really quite pleased with it except for two things.

One is the build quality. The plastic is really way too soft, i've already damaged a corner when it slipped out of my hands - it only fell about 20cm but the impact bent the plastic. Do not buy this laptop if you think it can withstand rough care, it cannot. I have an old p3-600 compaq laptop that doesn't show the slightest scratch if i drop it from 50cm or more, and that one's a lot heavier.

But the real problem is instability. It sometimes runs fine but at other times, things crash horribly. To verify that I've been running memtest86+ and prime95 (mprime on linux), and the results are quite horrible:



Because of the completely random addresses as well as the fact that it sometimes runs perfectly fine without a single error, I'm sure it's not the DIMMs that are at fault. So the logical thing to check is the CPU, and lo and behold, prime95 self tests fail horribly when the laptop is unstable.

I am not sure that it's a heat issue. I thought it was related to cpu temperature, but even if I lock the cpu on 666mhz and run prime95, the cpu doesn't really get very hot but the self tests still fail.

Now you'd think that this started to happen after I dropped it, but it's been like this since I bought it. I've been having occasional segfaults since day one, and my syslog on Linux shows the date and times so it's solid. And if it's unstable in Linux, rebooting into Windows also shows the same instability. Memtest being OS independent is of course the best way to prove it's a hardware issue.

Has anyone else encountered this yet? I've initiated a support request with Acer but would love to hear whether others have had a similar experience.

 

That's a strange problem...

My 1830T (from France) works fine and I don't noticed any problem.


I think that an Acer support request is the best solution for your problem.

 

Anyone know the best portable DVD writer to get with the 1830? I am ordering the 1830 (after much debate) so wondering if anyone has prior experience with a DVD writer with an 1830 or 1810. I'll post comments on my 1830 once I get the darn thing.

 

so does anyone know if it possible to get i5 version in Canada ?

 

This I have and it works great.

 

i'm also interested, and found the same drive, but recertified (if you want it cheaper)

Newegg.com - Recertified: ASUS 8X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 6X DVD+R DL 8X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 5X DVD-RAM 8X DVD-ROM 24X CD-R 16X CD-RW 24X CD-ROM USB 2.0 External Slim DVD±R/RW Drive Model SDRW-08D1S-U BK

 

Samsung SE-T084 DVD/CD-Writer:

Slot-in (nice), acceptable design, seems sturdy, no psu (only usb, comes with a connector for 2 ports, but only needs one on my 1830t), lightscribe (personally: don't need that)

expensive and and can be hard to find, seems to have been around for ages in different versions and I found good test-results regarding read/write qualitiy.

 

http://http://www.myce.com/review/Samsung-SE-T084L-Slimline-DVD-Burner-Review-13562/Introduction-1/

detailed test, it's an older version though, which still had optional psu (no longer included). i liked the excellent audio-cd-extraction for the occasional cd-rip. of course not sure if they still use the same drive inside...

 

Without reading 155 pages, are there somewhere real life pictures available of the silver 1830?

Are there any reason I shouldn't buy a 1830?

PS. the poll on top of this thread seems outdated. I'll close it unless anyone has objections.

 

Touchpad unless you get a Synaptics is horrible. Here is a review of the silver model.

 

Thanks, looks nice.

That isn't default...OMG. So luck of the draw if I get Synpatics? What's the other option?

 

Hi Friends,

Does anyone know when the 1830T will be available in Spain or if it's possible to buy it now anywhere (with a spanish keyboard) ?

thanks

Nano

 

Thanks everyone for the portable DVD writer suggestions. That ASUS looks nice. I've done a little more research myself and now I am trying to decide between the ASUS and something super-portable like the Samsung SE-S084C/RSBN or the Toshiba PA3761U-1DV2 (both featured on amazon, with interesting pros/cons on the reviews). I guess it's a bit of hit/miss with these things.

 

The other option is Alps. Beside the Alps being horrible, I also dislike how Acer did not make the touchpad recessed. So if you are in the dark it is sometimes hard to find th edge of the touchpad. And also when doing the Alps version of Chiralscroll (favorite way of scolling), the page will start scrolling the opposite way of what I want. Alps, NEVER again.