A Travelling Trifecta
The Age
Tuesday July 13, 2004
One of the disappointing aspects of the current crop of notebook computers is the reliance of many on desktop processors ? chips that consume too much power, requiring big heat sinks and batteries to stay running.
Any business looking to buy a notebook should first ensure the processor is a Pentium-M. Finding this chip, coupled with Intel?s Centrino wireless platform, in a budget-priced notebook has been tough, but Taiwanese PC vendor Acer is rewriting the price sheets for such notebooks. With its 15-inch TFT screen, the TravelMate 291LMi is not new, having been around since last year, but in its revised form is the best value we?ve seen in a notebook under $2500.It is the first product at this price to sport a dual-format DVD burner. The 291LMi has wireless networking built in ? but not the standard 11 Mbps 802.11b version. Instead, this unit has the much faster 54 Mbps 802.11g technology under the bonnet. It also features Intel?s 1.4 GHz Pentium-M processor and 512 MB of memory ? too many notebooks in this category include only 256 MB of memory, but 512 MB ensures Windows XP Home Edition performs at its peak. With Office applications, the 291LMi gives more fancied competition a walloping.The unit?s weight comes in at a respectable 2.8 kg, but the battery life here is what?s impressive, clocking in at four hours and 14 minutes (with power management switched off). Acer rates it at up to 51?2 hours with power management switched on, and we?re inclined to concur.If you need peripheral ports, you?re not missing anything, with three USB2.0 ports and one FireWire port on board, as well as an integrated, wired Fast Ethernet and V.90 modem connections along with an S-video output port.The 291LMi would be ideal for a corporate roll-out. Acer?s TravelMate 291LMi retails for $2499. For more details call 1300 366 567 or visit www.acer.com.au.-- Darren Yates
© 2004 The Age
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