Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T Thread

Other devices, with yellow exclamation mark.

I don't think I paid for BT, so it will be Intel AMT. I read what it is. Is it useful for me?

If not I'll just disable it. My laptop runs fine without it.

 

No, it's not useful unless your laptop is part of a business network where network technicians will be needing to access your computer remotely for monitoring and updates. It's a feature for business laptops -- I have no idea what Acer was thinking by putting it on this model. It takes up CPU cycles and system resources -- I un-installed it.

Also, I thought BT came with all of the 1830Ts... maybe not. When you press Fn+F3, does it show bluetooth?

 

No that's my wireless.

Acer has a habit of releasing dressed down models in the Netherlands. The only model we can get has i3 330um, 2GB and 160GB hdd and it's very expensive (over 600 euros). If we want better models we need to import.

 

Well... I found this helpful info here on a Microsoft forum.

"If you go in device manager, click on the pci simple communications controller,
go in property and then go in details.

You will see a code like per example PCI/VEN_8086&DEV_27D8&SUBSYS...
The VEN code means vendor, and the DEV code means device
In my case the vendor is 8086 and the device is 27D8.

Once you have the two codes, go to www.pcidatabse.com.
Enter the two codes and you should get the name of your hardware.
From there you can search for a driver download for your hardware.

In one case, the PCI simple communications controller was a Microsoft UAA Bus HD audio."

 

When I press Fn+F3 it has both -- BT and Wireless. I don't think the BT will show up there until you have a driver installed for it (I could be wrong about that) or it may be grayed out.

 

Aero Peek Issue

Hey does anyone know how to fix the "Aero Peek" problem on Windows 7? When this laptop goes to sleep once or twice the Aero Peek no longer works and sometimes I can't open a program on the taskbar unless I do "windows button + tab." I've read some other forums and all of their solutions are mostly dealing with desktops where some guy has a different theme that shuts it off but I've discovered with another person that it's the sleep mode that's causing the issue. Anyone know of any fixes for this or even notice this in the first place?

 

This has just started happening to me. It is annoying.

Also, the website for lookup of the PCI is this: Link

Edit: Oh! There is a new launch manager? It looks like this, plus the caps lock pop up is cooler:

 

That is the same one we have on the 3820TG.

 

I just received my 1830 today with the i3 cpu.

I swapped the factory hard drive before I even first turned on the notebook.

It has a Mushkin 60GB SSD in there now. I then did a clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit, because I hate bloatware. I like my computers nice and clean, w/o bloatware.

Which drivers do you guys suggest I update?

Also, the multitouch doesn't work right now. I can still use the touchpad, just no multitouch feature. Do I have to install software for that?

I'm not sure if I have the ALPS or Synaptics touchpad. How can I tell the difference?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

myke

 

IBJanky

-Download the Intel HD graphics driver from Intel.com
-Update the SATA driver to Intel RST driver 10.0.0.043 link
-Try this touchpad driver link. If it won't install you need a Synaptics driver.

You might also want to run CrystalDiskMark on 3 runs 50MB file size, to see whether your SSD performance is limited.

 

Core i7-680UM now available in the 1830t. Wish that 1830T were available from the start but oh well the Sandy Bridge Core i7-2640M calls!

 

Now... I just might upgrade from my 1810T SU7300 =)

Cheers,
Kermee

 

How can you tell if you have an ALPS or Synaptics touchpad?

myke

 

Install the Alps driver. It will not install if you have Synaptics.

 

Is there an easy way to open up the case to get at the network card? Mine fell from the top bunk a few weeks ago and surprisingly sustained only minor cosmetic damage but I think the network cable may have come loose. At least that's what the network troubleshooter tells me occasionally. Thanks!

 

right click on my computer
go to properties
go to device manager
expand mice and other pointing devices
see if one of the entries is either alps or synaptics

 

Depends. The wired network adapter is soldered onto the motherboard and not exchangeable (unless you have professional equipment and knowledge). The wireless adapter is an add-on card. You should be able to access it after having opened the compartment on your laptop's back.

Michael

 

At $899.99 the i7 seems even less bang-for-the-buck than the i5 and i3 were over the previous generation. Rather than getting more raw processing power, it'd be nice if we could see more energy efficiency. Actually getting a full 8 hours should be the first order of business!

 

I just picked up the 1830t with the i5, I was kinda mad when I heard some new processors were coming out for the 1830 and then I heard its a 200 dollar more i7... not so mad now.

 

Hey Guys. First time posting on a thread (ever). This thread is great, ive learned a lot. Just got the i5 1830t a couple of weeks ago. Its my first computer. I love it. Its more than i need in an extremely light and portable package.
Im planning on using it for really basic stuff: surfing the web, Ms Office, occational music/movies.Probably would have been satisfied with a netbook, but i couldnt pass this computer up. not planning on experimenting with linux. i am interested on upgrading harware though.
I know i dont need it, but im learning a lot about computers while im doing it. I want to add a SSD, maybe the 120Gb ocz Vertex. Also, after reading the thread, im interested in changing my broadcam network adapter to the intel 6200, but i wasnt sure on what the upside to this would be. And lastly, Im also looking for a keyboard and screen protector that would fit this model, does anybody have any suggestions?
Any suggestions or advice would be seriously appreciated.
Thanks

 

Lots of great info in this thread guys, learned alot.
I am currently looking or a new netbook/laptop in this size and price range.
I want something 11.6" or maybe a small 12.1" or so.
Right now I have a decent 15.5" Dell XPS 1530 laptop, and a Fujitsu P1620 with a 8.9" screen.
While I love the Fujitsu for portability, its just simply too small, the screen is just too small, and the cramped kepboard makes typing tough.
The Dell is nice, runs well, but its just simply too large and heavy for my needs.
I want to carry the laptop at all times, to work, buddies house, etc.
My main uses will be surfing the net, Office documents, playing youtube vids, and occasionally playing 720p and 1080p movies via HDMI to an LCD tv.

From what I am reading, the 1830T seems like it is well suited for this. Maybe dropping a frame or two playing 1080 youtube vids though. But as long as it plays 720 youtube vids full screen, I would be happy with that.
Would love to get some input on both online vids (youtube, hulu) and ripped 720 and 1080 playpack.

Also, what is the highest res the 1830t will output on its VGA connection?

The main complaint seems to be the Alps touchpad.
Are any of the newer i3 units shipping with Synaptics? I find it odd that there seems to be ones shipping with both?
When I am at a desk I use a mouse, but I also spend some time on the couch with the laptop on my, well, lap.
Is the touchpad a real deal breaker on these? I dont care too much for the multitouch stuff, long as I can make decent use of it as a regular touch pad.

If anyone has any other Laptops I should be looking at in this performance and price range, please let me know.
Thanks
~John

 

@wyre2:
Congrats on your 1830T. The best upgrade you can do is the SSD. It will make a huge difference. For the extra money, the i7 CPU is not worth it. You won't notice any speed increase with a CPU upgrade but with the SSD you definitely will.

As for the wi-fi card... a lot of us like Intel wi-fi cards because of their reliability and compatibility. The others (Broadcom, Atheros, RealTek) are not as strong and can drop connections and cause other problems. For about $23 from online retailers, the Intel 6200 is a good deal for a very good wireless card and it's easy to install. Also, it's a dual-band card, so if you have a dual-band "N" router you can get great speeds on your home network for streaming video, transferring files, etc.

As for SSD recommendations, there is a whole thread devoted to SSDs in the Hardware section. One of the posters in this (1830T) thread (Phil) is very knowledgeable about various SSDs and can advise you as to brand, value, etc. I have the Intel X25-M 80GB (generation 2) SSD and I'm very happy with it. Best upgrade I've ever made on any computer.

 

Agreed on the SSD. If you pick a power efficient one you'll also gain battery life. OCZ Onyx 2 120GB is coming for $189.

My default Atheros card works great by the way. My advice: try it first before you upgrade.

 

exactly so am I ))

 

Thanks for the advice. Will definitely look into the intel 6200. As for the SSd, what do you guys think of the ocz vertex II 120gb?
And does anyone have any links or recommendations for keyboard and screen protecters. I'm extremely mobile and could really use them.
O and what do you guys think of me upgrading my ram from pc3-8500 to pc3-1066?

Thanks again

 

I don't think the ram upgrade just for the faster speed is worth it. The faster ram will run at higher latency which sort of cancels out the advantage. And Phil is right about the wi-fi -- if you never run Linux and don't have a dual-band router, you'll probably be fine with the Broadcom or Atheros wi-fi card that it came with.

As for kbd and screen protectors, I have no clue. Never use them and I'm very mobile with my 1830T -- every day. I can't speak about any SSDs other than Intel. Phil would know about the OCZs.

 

1. 1080p playback on YT should be perfect.
2. Newer machines should have Synaptics. The Alps is horrible. With the Dell drivers Phil found, the Alps is better, but still bad. For me in some browsers clicking with the touchpad does not work with the Dell drivers.

You could also look at the Asus UL20FT which has an i3-330UM, but it comes with a smaller hard drive and only 2GB of ram. Plus it is heavier. Lenovo also just launched an 11.6" Thinkpad Edge, but it is not available in the US.

 

Ok thanks. Phil, your right, I just might hold off on the intel 6200. As for the SSDs, does anybody has a preference for a relatively affordable 120gb SSD with trim? Ocz vertex II, ocz onyx II, or any others?
And if anybody has any advice, tips, or links to keyboard and screen protectors, let me know. Thanks again

 

Like what you've there on your screenshot, I've got to do fn+f3 everytime during startup, just to turn my bluetooth on to get connected with my bluetooth mouse. Anyone got any idea how to keep the bluetooth device always on? I've googled and search everywhere but found no answers. Thanks in advance!

 

Acer 1830T with i7 announced:

Acer rolls out new Aspire and TimelineX laptops

 

This i7 update is pretty underwhelming.

The next frontier is an 1830TG (dedicated 3d graphics card). A man can dream....

Also anything this portable should have a matte screen since it will probably see more daylight than a heavier notebook.

 

The Travelmate version of the 1830T has a matte screen. Also I personally like glossy screens over matte.

 

No need ... Sandybridge will have the equ. of a dedicated 310M as its integrated GPU. Q1.

Bronsky

 

It exists, it's called Alienware m11x

 

Of course, to compensate for the nicer screen, the Travelmate 8172 lacks the HDMI port. Analog VGA only, baby. (Yes I know there's a port expander, but come on).

 

I wouldn't buy it if it had a matte screen. These cheap screens only look ok because of the glossy layer.

 

I'm trying to upgrade my hard drive to ssd and get a bigger battery. spent months researching and i aint got a clue help?1

 

I believe there is not a bigger battery for 1830T models. As far as upgrading to SSD, any 2.5" will do. If you've never done it before there are guides around detailing how to transfer your hard drive data to SSD (it is exactly like going to another HDD), although complete clean install is recommended.

 

Right.. no bigger batteries.
Few folks will want to add weight and inches to this sleek little monster.

And about upgrading to an SSD.
I just did it.
And its not so easy.
Unless you do a clean install, and understand the need to install specific drivers.

Most of the standard utility software won't work because it assumes
you are moving your operating system from a smaller hard drive to a larger one.

I spent many, many hours learning how to transfer the 22GB OS and content
on my 500GB hard drive onto a Kingston 64GB SSD.

Its done...
Its fast, so very fast.
But far from easy.

 

I see lots of 9 cell batteries on Ebay 1810 9 cell battery items on eBay.com!

I find replacing the HDD with an SSD quite easy. But then again I've done it quite a few times.

I recommend getting either a Sandforce based drive like the Vertex 2 or Agility 2 or getting the Corsair Nova V128GB for it's extreme low power consumption.

 

Hi,
I got my 1830T-3927 a few days ago. Love it so far. Such an upgrade over my 4-year-old Toshiba behemoth! So I've been reading this thread, looking for upgrade ideas, and came across this post. I tried updating the Intel HD graphics driver and it wouldn't let me since I am using a version of the driver that has been modified by my manufacturer. Then I noticed that this was a response to someone who had done a clean install of Win 7, which I didn't do.

So I have two questions:

1. Is there a way to use Intel's updated drivers rather than Acer's without reinstalling Win 7?
2. Can I use the license of Windows that came with my computer to install a clean copy of Win 7? My laptop didn't come with a Windows disk. Not interested in buying a new copy or using illegitimate copies, etc. I see there is the factory restore feature, but that doesn't help me either...

Thanks in advance.
-Adam

 

1. Probably this would work: remove the installed driver from the device manager and then start the .exe file from Intel.com

2. Yes. You can download an ISO and create a bootable USB thumb drive like described here.

 

I am looking into this laptop A LOT, and it's pretty much topping my list, but I have one big curious question.

Do all of your 1830T's have that uneven left and right mouse button problem? Just like a few people mentioned before, it seems like every picture I see online of the 1830T has uneven mouse buttons.

 

Mine has this problem, but it hasn't really bothered me (yet).

 

Thanks Phil. I actually have a usb dvd drive, so I don't need to worry about putting it on a thumb drive. But I am worried about the activation part. Since I posted my questions, I came across this thread, which makes me nervous. The 7 steps listed there are much more complicated than just downloading the iso and installing. Did you have any activation problems using your OEM Win7 key on the bottom of your laptop?

Also, is that .iso a legitimate download?

Thanks.

 

I was also wondering...

I've played with the touchpad of an Aspire 721 before (pretty much the same as the 1830T) and the mouse buttons HAD to be pressed on TOP right in the MIDDLE. No edge clicks with your thumbs, and clicking anywhere near the side felt stiff and clacky, like it's not meant to be pressed there.

Is this the case with the 1830T?

 

No. I just tested in several spots on both the right and left buttons and the clicks all worked fine.

 

Ah thank you. I'll most likely be getting this laptop. It dominates the 11 inch category so thoroughly, it's kinda amazing.

 

I activate it through calling the activation line. Takes three minutes.

And yes the .iso legitimate.

 

Thanks, Phil. Now I gotta decide if it's worth the time..