Acer TM 3201XCi Vs. 4501

Does anyone have information on the 3201? It seems to be a pretty hard model to find info on or anyone who has it. The specs look pretty cool though and i'm trying to decide between that and the 4501 which I know to be reliable. Any input would be great

thanx

 

I just looked at the 3201 and I must say it's a pretty snazzy looking unit. Kind of reminds me of the Sony S & A series notebooks. If you're just concerned about reliability, the Acer's should be pretty good. Users that have bought the Ferrari 3200 and the 2012/25WLMi all seem to be happy with their purchases. Since you know the 4501 to be reliable, it just shows that Acer is a good/reliable brand.

The differences between the 3201 & 4501, is the fact that the 3201 is smaller & lighter than its big brother. Outer casing designs are also very similar, not to mention the internal specs. The 3201 has a larger HDD (60 vs 40) & gigabit lan, but lacks the DVD burner the 4501 includes. That's a shame, just by throwing in a DVD burner into the config would have made this a "no contest" vs the 4501.

If you're looking for a lighter & more mobile unit, then the 3201 is the unit to get, but if you're gonna be watching a lot of DVDs, the larger LCD may be the better choice.

-Vb-

 

Yeah mobility will be key for me so I decided on the 3201 (plus i get the bigger hard drive). However when I went to buy it, all the sites I saw it on list the weight at over 6 lbs when the acer website says 4.8 lbs. If that's true then i might as well grab the 4501 which weighs in about the same. Now i'm totally confused....

[?]

 

zmax

you can swap out HD, it isn't that hard if you had done with with desktop. SOME brand might not work, but 99%, any HD you buy will be compatiable with any NB.

Some people put their old HD, in this cas, the 4200rpm HD, into a external case for backup purpose or extra storage. It can be done. The external case can be found on newegg.com too.

PS. HD is almost always compatable. The one that people find trouble with the most is memory.

 

Thanks for the info.
For the Americans (moi!) out there: 2.2kg = 4.85 lbs ! ! [ ]

 

There is a raging debate on the weight of the 3201 here:
http://www.notebookreview.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5824

I'm guessing from my research and looking at similer types
of notebooks that Acer's specs are correct that its 5lbs.
Also with a 14.1 screen it cant weight as much as a 15 or 15.4.

Im thinking of getting this notebook but the HD is probably
4200 and I want 5400rpms. So I could buy it and then swap
out the drive with one like this right?
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=22-146-022&depa=0

Does it matter which brand? Or are they all the same?

Also I read that someone did this with their laptop
and then put the drive in some sort of sleeve or case (?)
and used it as external storage. Which would then save me the $ on
buying an external drive!
Can this be done?

thanks.

 

I'm currenty in Taiwan, so I get to see both model in person.

TM3201 is 2.2kg. I hate to say this, but some of the weight in newegg.com are a bit off. Well, at least for acer model, cuz I did extensive research on acer recently.

I bought 292lci, cuz TM3201 wasn't out at the time. But let me remind you what makes a notebook "mobile". Since you are looking for mobility, WEIGHT is definitly important. But you also forget one piece of important critia. That is SIZE. TM4501 is quite light for its size. But for mobility, its SIZE might be too big. Try taking TM4501 out of your backpack with one hand. It's might not be TOO hard, but there are a lot of risk for slipping, cuz it's large.

With 15" and "plastic" LCD case, the case flex when u put pressure on it. Some pple said the flex is reasonable. I worry about it from time to time, that's why I always try to carry with 2 hands to avoid pressure on the LCD back case.

So, I just want to remind you about the size. Cuz when it come to mobility, most people only look at weight, and forget about size. When I think of mobility, I think of something I can handle with one hand, and will not slip easily. TM3201 can do that for sure.

TM3201 is 2.2kg, but that's with 6cell battery, 4 hr life. There is a 8 cell battery option, but as far as what I know, it's not avalible yet.

TM4501 is 3kg. I saw it in person, I think it's a good desktop replacement with some good mobility. But if you plan to travel with it often, it might not be your choice.

 

The main differences I see are:
3201 does not have:
1. S video out
2.9700 ati
3.widescreen

4501 does not have:
1. Is it lightweight?
2.Is it slim?
3. 40 gb hdd

what are each of the notebooks made of? Mag alloy or plastic?

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by athreya

 

Hi
I spoke to Acer Taiwan, Acer US and Acer UK and finally have a ton of informaiton, product pricing documents etc.

1. 4501 does NOT have bluetooth; has 60GB HDD in other ctrys but only 40GB in US

2. It is folio.

3. 3201xmi has DVD Multi and 80 GB HDD but not available in US. US version is lower

4. Casing is indeed plastic.

So i am in a BIND! Both are portable! which one to buy!?

 

I've decided to buy the 3201!!! YEEHA!
Because I prefer the lower weight and portability for
how I will use it. I dont need widescreen.
Finally a decision after weeks
of research! And thanks to everyone on this forum for the help! [ ]

 

I received a reply to an email I sent to Acer and they said the drive is 5400rpms!!! WOOHOO!!!!!

Dear David,

Thank you for contacting Acer America. The hard drive speed is 5400rpm.

Respectfully,
Bernice Craig
Acer America E-Mail Technical Support

Name: David
Subject: Hard Drive
Operating System: Windows XP

Question / Problem:

Hi. Please tell me what the rpm speed of the 60gig hard drive is for the TravelMate 3200 .

thanks.

Referer http://www.acersupport.com/notebook/index.html

 

hi
has anyone received a 3201 yet? Review please!!

 

I got one, a 3201 and found out a few things.
1) There is no cover latch which is really bad. However the
hinges are tight enought keep it closed. Or whatever mechanism
they are using for that.

2) Contrary to what support says, the American version has a
60gb hard drive which is 4200rpms. The Euro/Asian version
has a 80gb 5400rpm model. I have ordered a 7200rpm Hitachi to
replace it and will use the 4200 as external backup storage in
a sleeve.

3) I took the notebook to be weighed on a scale at a UPS Store.
It weighed 5.36 lbs. This is more than the stated 4.8 lbs. But at least its not 6lbs. Maybe that 6.4lb typo was really 5.4 as opposed
to the 4.8.

Other than that so far its a great little notebook!
The ATI 9700 is nice.
I will write a full review when I have time.