WHAT'S HOT: Acer's best-equipped laptop, the TravelMate 743TLV runs on the most powerful mobile processor available, Intel's Pentium III-M-1133/733, with 512KB of secondary cache and 128MB of RAM. This TravelMate earned a PC WorldBench 2000 score of 199, slightly better than the average mark posted by standard Pentium III-1000/700 laptops equipped with Windows 2000 and the same amount of RAM.

For an extra layer of security, the notebook--like all other notebooks in the latest TravelMate series--includes a built-in fingerprint reader and two software applications that work with it: AuthenTec blocks access at the boot level, thereby preventing all access, even BIOS changes, and Qvoice's WhoIsIt program protects hard drive data.

Setting up the postage-stamp-size reader, located on the right side of the palm rest, was easy. We simply typed in our name and pressed a fingertip on the window three times as directed. Thereafter, the notebook requested identification every time we booted, and it flashed a welcome message after we pressed our fingertip in the window for about three seconds. Four incorrect tries locked the system.

WHAT'S NOT: Acer is stingy with support, ending free telephone help on its hardware after the first year. After that, you have to pay $99 to receive up to 3 years of additional support. The 743TLV's case slopes from 1.5 inches tall in front to an unwieldy 2.1 inches at the hinges, due to flat-panel stereo speakers embedded in the lid on the backside of the screen in a raised panel.

This speaker location makes little sense for a notebook that lacks external audio buttons for playing CDs with the lid closed. With the lid open the speakers sound muffled to the typist, but to a small group around a table, they sound louder than notebook speakers located on a wrist rest or above the keyboard.

WHAT ELSE: Overall, the matte dark-gray midsize 743TLV has a fine all-in-one design featuring a removable combination 8X DVD-ROM and CD-RW drive on the right side and a fixed floppy drive on the left. Alternatively, you can replace the combination drive with a less-expensive 8X DVD-ROM drive or a second 30GB hard drive. Do-it-yourself upgraders will have no trouble reaching memory or storage.

The quiet keyboard boasts extra-big Shift, Enter, and Backspace keys. As an added convenience, the included Synaptics touchpad utility lets you program the mouse buttons and the centered scrolling switch to launch applications. Acer upgraded the screen resolution in this model's 15.1-inch screen to 1400 by 1050 pixels, but the company also removed the S-Video port. Bundled documentation includes a printed manual. If you'd like an electronic manual to refer to on the go, you'll have to download it yourself from Acer.

UPSHOT: With Intel's fastest mobile chip and a built-in fingerprint reader, the 743TLV offers top-of-the-line performance and better security than most other portables.

SUMMARY

Acer TravelMate 743TLV PC WorldBench 2000 score of 199, Pentium III-M-1133/733, 128MB of SDRAM, 512KB L2 cache, Windows 2000 Professional, 15.1-inch active-matrix screen, ATI Radeon Mobility with 16MB of DDR SDRAM, 30GB hard drive, 8X DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, built-in V.90 modem and network connections, touchpad pointing device, 8.3-pound weight (including AC adapter and phone cord). One-year parts and labor warranty; free, unlimited, toll-free 24-hour technical support (ends after one year). $2599 800/733-2237 www.acer.com