does Acer make a hardy business class laptop?

just curious. biggest complaint I seem to read is that their build quality is somewhat flimsy, even tho they come with excellent hardware specs.

 

I stop trusting Acer when I knew that some of their laptops come with a Video card that in ANY other brand is twice the one made for acer (ati x1600). I stop trusting them because they didn't mention this anywhere, not even in Ati's webpage or in their own tech support, so the only people that figure this out were actually the once that already bought the PC and got the "surprise". So Acer was getting high named/brand/model, but low quality hardware in this case, without mention it.
I found this so diseaving, because people would look this hardware and say: well, it is a good brand and model; but that hardware actually had lower specs than the same model in any other brand. Those people were very disapointed, when they didn't get the yield they expected, and couldn't complain, cause there was really "nothing wrong", they were only very lower versions of the same hardware (I guess made specificly for Acer).
So, in summary, they might have good specs in their hardware but probably it is really half of what they promise.

 

In the case of the video card, the Ati x1600 is by deffinition a 128 bit card, so ie. 3Dmark05 gives it ~3600. However I think Acer is the only laptop in which Ati x1600 is 64 bit (nobody in Acer tells you this), so its 3dmark is ~2500.
I bet they do the same with most of their hardware.

 

i picked up a cheap acer a year ago.... well i am still typing on it!!! my previous system was a Toshiba A70... yah acer are NOT bad quality toshibas are. also the one porblem i had was fixed very very very quickly by there tec support, my couputer als cleanly out preforms a Pentium M @1.73ghz. the only 'suprise' i got with this computer that for $700 a year ago is that it lasted this long... my toshiba went by to stapels the next day Dead, completely dead.

acer's business line is the travelMate series.

also remeber ALL OEM's have quailty issues, it's how they handel them. Acer i give a A++ for the phone support, but i don't like there website that much.

 

just curious, because you can get a Acer 5680 that has a T7200 C2D, 2GB RAM, 100GB HDD (or maybe bigger), 15.4" LCD with a 7600Go SE (64bit ) for less than several other major labels who come with same size screen, half the RAM but 128bit 7600Go. I just wish they had something that was 14", to compete with Asus A7Js!

 

My last Toshiba was 4 years old and never had any problems, it was the most reliable computer I ever owned. It only had to be retired because I dropped it and the backlight went! Toshibas do not have bad build quality!

 

hey Jess. they may have been a quality item at one time...their Toughbook probably still is, but friends who work at the tech depts. at Staples and Big Buy make you swear no Toshiba or Sony laptops. they are by farthest the highest warranty returns they deal with.

 

my toshiba lasted 35minutes, it then blue screen... C:format...
1 month later motherboard died,
two weeks later got my computer back, then on boot the NEW motherbaord went
two weeks later i got it back, lasted maybe a month then the fans slipped and ground against the metal undergrating...
bach to repair.
on recieval of computer, CD drive did not work...
then the gaphics card....
then the sound...
then i Threw it in the Dumpster! 5 months old

the worst part of my experiance with toshiba was there support, yikes.

i spent 5-6 saturdays trying to convice tec support that i did not drop it, or making this up!, they even questioned my ownership of the computer
i sent letters to toshiba and the CEO May 8 2005 and i am still waiting for a response,... lol like that will happen.

i bought an acer because of toshiba, and there support. so in that respect thanks toshiba... lol... good quality, lol

*when i was at staples there was 3 of us at the same time trying to return the exact same system,... that's not chance, that's poor quality*

i do reconize that acer has it's problems too, but they support them, that's the diffrence.

 

Now, I'm not saying Acer makes bad PCs. I'm saying that they don't put all the cards over the table, which IT IS enought to run me away from them.
Anyway, Camvan, just check what you found:
HD: 5400 RPM
RAM: 533 Mhz
Vcard: 64 bits
Those are old specs for a new laptop, so if you are going for it, may be just get a Dell for cheaper.

 

Hi Camvan, if you want good business class laptop from ACER, see my signature.
Somehow I feel it's better than my Boss's HP/IBM, not only stronger but also preetier
My friend has lower end of travelmate, which I think also good, serve him good few years with only HDD faulty in 3'rd year.

 

conejeitor! Think what you've just said. Acer make great laptops for low prices with up to date hardware unlike sony and other brands. You pay for hardware and not for some nice looking box with 2 year old parts. Acer is one of the best brands here in europe.

About x1600 - my friend has one of these in his Acer and all he did was unlock his pipelines which were locked to save power and reduce heat.

 

applx! Heat is not that good for a laptop, neither short batteries.
Anyway, comparing with Sony or HP of course you are right. And may be in Europe you don't get the deals from Dell that Camvas will get in Canada (where he is from).
I say Acer and Dell are in the same cathegory (they are not for gaming but they are good overall laptops (both with descent but not excellent video cards and parts)), but Dell is far cheaper (at least in Canada).
Personally I stay with Asus or Compal, which are slightly more expensive than Acer, but much better.

 

http://www.shopbot.ca/p-26329.html

that is a good system, not sure if you want to spend the much money, if you have it go for it!

 

are you crazy? any HP Compaq Business Notebook or Lenovo ThinkPad easily beats a Acer TravelMate...

 

you can check yourslef if you want to.
Press each corner of laptop, the lid, bottom.

The only flex in TM 8200 just under the screen, you can try it with hp NC class, you'll find more flex especially in the corner. Thinkpad is better than HP but I just dont like its look

 

I fully agree, but aplx is right that Acer offers more up to date hardware for less money (and less quality, I add)

 

Yeah, sure...
On my TM8204, I could get 4530 in 3DMark05 with Acer's drivers on defaut settings and 4985 with some OC. There are people who get ~5200... 64 bit is what Omega shows you sometimes. Use proper drivers and know your equipment.

 

You just anwsered your own question. LOL

IMO, Acers are best for people who plan to use it at home 85% of the time.

I wouldn't take my acer in & out my home on a everyday basics.

I use my Dell Inspiron B130 for Everyday Travel. (Workuse)
Never dropped it, but I banged it up pretty good and it still in great condition. My Acer would have probally cracked.

I like my Acer better than Dell, but Acer is the complete Opposite of a toughbook.

 

Acer kicks *ss in europe. When u take a look around, there are only acers. I like Asus and HP but they do not offer good deals. But for a true business class laptop 1. design and 2. build quality is something Id go look for. Thinkpads are d best in this regard.

 

I was checking the forum about the TM8204 (I'm looking for a descent laptop) and it has excelent specs. Actually this model has a 128 bits x1600, unlike other acer models. This gives a high 3dmark, independent of just "using the right drivers".
Anyway, the forum is also full of TM8204 complains: Screen problems, Lan problems, Noise problems, touchpad problems and the list continues.
I'm glad you got lucky though.

 

Yap, that's why I call it notorious Baby.

Screen problems (updated BIOS, solved), Lan problems(updated driver, solved), Noise problems (Screen? ALl X1600 have it, GPU buzzing? some pepole have it, bring it to ACER service center), touchpad problems (updated driver, Solved)

 

Hehe... I know all those problems - I've complained here many times (couple of months ago) but I've never had any problems with getting high scores in tests...

Acer doesn't make business class laptops. Even if they called them so. Businness class laptop should be stable. Acer laptops are not. They put all new technology inside, but they don't know how to write the software and make it work all together. Bulid quality is quite good, but not excellent - IMO, build quality of businness class laptops should be excellent.
But Acers are cheap in the end so you shouldn't expect too much...