![]() ![]() Many other laptops offer considerably better specs for a few hundred dollars more check out our roundup of $1,000 laptops and our list of top low-priced laptops for some picks. Both the comparably priced Acer TravelMate 2355LCi and the Toshiba Satellite L25 offer Celeron processors and larger hard drives, and the TravelMate includes twice as much RAM. Our test unit, the Aspire 3003LCi, features decidedly bargain-bin components: a 1.8GHz AMD Sempron 3000+ processor, a meager 256MB of slow 333MHz RAM, a puny 40GB hard drive running at a sluggish 4,200rpm, and a low-end SiSM760GX graphics chip that steals up to 64MB of main system memory. Starting at $989, the Sony VAIO FS series provides a more palatable software package. ![]() For viewing and burning discs, Acer includes CyberLink PowerProducer and NTI CD and DVD Maker it also provides its own utility for managing core system settings, such as passwords. Acer bundles very little software with the system. Microsoft Windows XP Home comes preloaded on the Aspire 3000, though other configurations in the Aspire 3000 series ship with Windows XP Professional. Absent from this group are common connections such as FireWire and S-Video as well as a flash-media card reader-a key feature for digital-photo enthusiasts. Also onboard is a cost-cutting DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive. It offers one VGA port, one Type II PC Card slot, 56Kbps modem and Ethernet jacks, three USB 2.0 ports, and three audio jacks (headphone, microphone, and line-in). The Aspire 3000's limited group of ports, jacks, and connections reflects its rock-bottom price. For a better multimedia experience, check out the Dell XPS M140, which starts at $999. ![]() The system's 15-inch display has a standard 1,024x768 native resolution and is plenty clear and bright, but it doesn't have the wide-screen dimensions you find on more and more laptop displays. It doesn't incorporate multimedia controls or external volume buttons, though it has four programmable application buttons and a Wi-Fi on/off button. The Aspire 3000 features a nice wide touch pad, two big mouse buttons, and a convenient rocker button for scrolling through documents or Web pages. The Aspire 3000's AC adapter weighs 0.8 pound, which is about average for an adapter on a laptop in this category.Äesignwise, the Aspire 3003LCi is a dead ringer for the Acer TravelMate 4060 save for its keyboard: the TravelMate's is curved and the Aspire's is rectangular, and we like both just fine. It's a smidge larger than two other inexpensive laptops-the 6-pound Acer TravelMate 2350 and the 5.7-pound Toshiba Satellite L25. It weighs 6 pounds and measures 14.3 inches wide, 11 inches deep, and 1.5 inches thick, so it's a bit bulky for regular travel. The Aspire 3000 sits right on the edge between thin-and-light and midsize. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2022
Categories |