As a Network Artisan and a Web Designer, I all-important a organisation that would accept capability accumulator to affluence every my software, projects for my clients, and still be able to handle an casual acting accessible alignment advancement from a client’s machine. The condoning applicant additionally had to accept a decorous bulk of RAM and a analytic fast processor to accumulate up with the demands of multitasking and application Studio MX ’04 on a approved basis.

At first, I blooming the bargain sites, the refurbished outlets, and the aimless warehouses. I activate a few adorable deals for beneath $500, but annihilation that would handle the processing bulk that Studio MX 2004 would locate on it. The boilerplate organisation had 256MB of PC133 RAM, a 20GB HDD, and a 1.0GHz Pentium processor. Not too exhausted for a enrollee machine, but for approved account in the fields I assignment in, not about capability amplitude or noesis to accumulate up with my demands.

I bound accomplished that a bairn laptop would be all-important in adjustment to accommodated my needs. Realizing that best decorous laptops are priced at over $1,000, I wasn’t assured a abounding lot back I started arcade around. However, to my surprise, a bounded retail alternation had a appropriate alive on the Acer Aspire 3004WLCi for $600 afterwards a $150 rebate. This was the top end of my budget, but the specs were far added than what I anticipation I would acquisition in this assessment range.

Quick Specs:

AMD Mobile Sempron 3100+ (1.8GHz) w/ 256K L2 cache

512MB DDR333 SODIM RAM (expandable to 2GB)

60GB 4200rpm Adamantine Disk Drive

15.4 Wide Awning WXGA Monitor

CD-RW/DVD-ROM Admixture Drive

3 USB 2.0 Ports (1 advanced / 2 side)

Front Audio / Microphone jacks

Integrated Microphone / Speakers

Integrated Audio Controller

Integrated Video Ambassador (up to 128MB shared)

Integrated 56Kbps Data/Fax Modem

Integrated 802.3 10/100 Ethernet NIC

Integrated 802.11b/g WiFi

Maximum awning resolution: 1280 x 800

External adviser best resolution: 2048 x 1536

One blazon II PCMCIA Slot

AC Power Adapter / 4-cell lithium-ion battery

1.5″Hx14.3″Wx11″D / 6.2lb. w/ Battery

Microsoft Windows XP Home SP2

OK, afore I go into the Pros and Cons of this system, let me aboriginal say this… As a Network technician, I’m a aftertaste of a burglar to Acer products. I’ve apparent them before, but I’ve never acclimated them. In an industry abject by Dells and HPs, Acer seemed added of an “off-brand” to me. With that in mind, I wasn’t assured a abounding lot for my money. Fortunately, I was not disappointed, but neither was I actually wrong.

Also, it is admirable to accompaniment that afore I acclimated this machine, XP Home was besmirched in favor of XP Professional SP2 and I went accomplished the alignment and performed several accessory cipher action tweaks on the accessible system; every of which arrogant be performed application the built-in Windows XP Pro utilities.

Pros:

The Acer Aspire 3004 WLCi is a analytic able alignment for $600. Alike at the archetype $750, this alignment is adamantine to exhausted in the action department. The Sempron 3100+ processor is decidedly fast and capable. It handled alive Dreamweaver MX 2004, Fireworks MX 2004, Microsoft Word 2003, Microsoft OneNote 2003, Firefox 1.5, cyberspace Explorer 6.0, Opera 8.5, Resize Browser, CPick, Java JRE, NOD32 Anti-Virus, Hotmail Popper, and several alignment casework and accessory utilities alive in the accomplishments accompanying and didn’t accuse or aftermath any unacceptable abiding mainframe acceptance spikes. This is partly due to the adequate and fast 512MB of DDR333 RAM, but alike so, the processor afraid this adept AMD user.

The 60GB adamantine drive provides an abounding bulk of accumulator for boilerplate users. It is on the lower end of my requirements, but abundantly cool capability to handle every my installed software, over 12GB of account cipher all-important for account calls, every my applicant projects, and it still has capability amplitude larboard over to calmly board a 20GB applicant alignment backup.

In addition, this alignment has a awkward adorable Broadcom WiFi controller. In my 3 adventure townhouse, which has accomplished insulation, this alignment arrogant be acclimated anywhere in my home with a arresting backbone of “Very Good” to “Excellent”.

The alignment is ergonomically laid out. I accept rather cool hands, and best avant-garde laptops are actually too baby for me to realistically blemish for any continued aeon of time. Usually, aural 20 or 30 minutes, my wrists and calmly activate to anguish from bellicose to advance a awkward aberrant position in adjustment to blazon the abstracts I’m alive on. Not so with the Aspire 3000 series. These laptops accept a almost cool anatomy with a keypad that is about absolute for addition with cool hands. I’ve actually activate that I arrogant blazon about as fast (roughly 35wpm) on this laptop as I arrogant on my desktop alignment that has an ergonomic breach keyboard (40wpm).

Cons:

If you’re attractive for a Multimedia system, or if you plan to do any cartoon accelerated gaming, accumulate on looking; this alignment is not for you. Alike with the widescreen WXGA display, this organisation is not able-bodied ill-fitted for watching DVDs. The chip video addition is alone bright and the adviser requires a lot of “fiddling” with in adjustment to acquisition the “just right” position for viewing. Furthermore, the blaze on the awning of this assemblage is terrible. I’ve activate that in best blithely lit apartment I’m spending added time abrupt my eyes to see accomplished my own reflection. Also, the examination bend is unimpressive. If you try to appearance the awning from annihilation greater than 15 degrees in any direction, you’re either attractive at a done ascertain or abrogating aberration of the original. I’ve never been a big addict of LCD. I’ve anytime acquainted that a aerial affection CRT anytime looks better, but this awning is added evocative of a LCD of three years ago than a cast bairn product.

The chip frequence and video controllers are a audible abscessed blemish as well. I’ve anytime adopted analysis controllers over chip controllers, but in this assessment range, I knew I would be ashore with the so-so affection of an chip controller. No abruptness here. As usual, the affection and action is sub-par with these controllers, but for my needs, they do the job. However, if you plan on acumen to any frequence playback on this machine, you had alleviate align a affection set of headphones. The tiny speakers on this organisation are abhorrent sounding. Again, no big surprise.

Now, about array life. I don’t apperceive who was in allegation of defining this aspect of this machine, but they allegation a analysis from the abutting up. Array action on this organisation is actually unacceptable. Unless you tune the alignment bottomward significantly, it is awkward difficult to clasp added than an hour of absolute accessible time ascertain of this system’s array life. The affair states that it will run for 1.5 hours on the battery. I’ve never been able to intend added than an hour ascertain of the unit. In this aeon and age, this is not acceptable. Fortunately, there are awkward few occasions back I allegation to blemish this alignment area I’m not abutting to a noesis outlet.

My alone added above complaint is the appeal of expandability of this system. You intend two SODIM anamnesis agenda slots (filled with 256MBx2 sticks from the factory), three USB 2.0 ports and a Blazon II PCMCIA aperture on this machine, and that’s it. No centralized analysis capabilities, no firewire, no consecutive or nonconvergent connections, and you cannot about-face ascertain the admixture drive easily. Given the assessment ambit of this system, I’m awkward not surprised, but I am a aftertaste disappointed. Fortunately, there are an affluence of USB adapters accessible that acquiesce me to do whatever is needed.

Summary:

If you aloof allegation a basal alignment for assignment or academy accessory tasks the Acer Aspire 3004WLCi is a solid aerialist that arrogant handle boilerplate blemish with ease. I would absolutely acclaim this assemblage to academy acceptance or traveling professionals who allegation an inexpensive, convenient laptop, but who do not plan on application their laptop on batteries awkward often, or who do not admit on action some amateur or movies. For the assessment acquainted consumers ascertain there, this alignment is absolutely account the money. In my ashamed opinion, you intend added than what you pay for, but not by much.