-
Reviewed by: mikhail_melnikov
05-04-08
Duration of ownership:
30
Days
Strengths: value
Weaknesses:memory
Overall Evaluation: This pc was on sale for around $600 at the end of 07. I think it's a great deal, even it's build quality is still a lot to be desired. I mean, it's not bad at at all, but I find the build quality of other major brand to be better. I'm not sure if 9400 series is Acer's higher end models, but I find 7720 more ecstatically pleasing and they feel more like HP laptops. Other then that, it's a great and powerfull machine. I downgraded it to WinXP and I've been very happy since. XP drivers are available from acers web site (maybe European site, don't remember now). The only program that failed to work was that acers "Empovering..." suite, which is very handy if you are familiar with it. It'll probably run Vista just find if you double the memory. Can't speak for the battery life as I have not used it even once. I use it primary as a desktop replacement and don't move it much. Also, from what I've read the battery on this model lasts about an hour, so it's basically useless for me.
-
Reviewed by: 105e
02-29-08
Duration of ownership:
6
Months
Strengths: Relatively powerful CPUNice large glossy monitorTiltable camera
Weaknesses:No TrackPoint deviceBattery gets quite hotHeavyNot enough provided RAM for Vista
Overall Evaluation: I needed a laptop that has a large screen as I do quite a bit of MS Office document editing and need a high resolution, as well. I also do image and video editing quite a bit. The additional requirement is that it can also serve as an entertainment unit for my kids when we're on the road on long trips.I looked at various stores and compared the different models. I've been using many different brands of laptops for years (Compaq, HP, Dell, IBM/Lenovo, Toshiba, Gateway). I was a bit skeptical about Acer as I had heard from IT people that it's not a good brand. I studied the features of this Acer 9410-4933 thoroughly and decided to give it a try as I felt it gave the biggest bang for the money. I did not regret that decision.The laptop doesn't look too cheap compared to others in its price range. Booting up Vista on it also gave an additional good impression. There was no glitch whatsoever in getting the various devices to work (WiFi, DVD writer, card reader, etc.) It's been quite a stable machine but was slow in the beginning until I bumped up the RAM to a level that that seems to satisfy Vista's hunger. The eMpowering set of tools serve as good convenience helpers. The CPU has much more power than my previous desktops/laptops that makes video editing quite enjoyable and much more productive. The kids now also prefer playing their games on this Acer laptop as their game laptop only has a 14" screen (besides being quite old, about 2 or 3 years old). I have mostly been using ThinkPads that I miss the trackpoint (prefer it much more than the touchpad). I haven't seen other reviews that talk about the battery getting hot. My unit definitely gets hot after using it for a while. I hope I didn't get a lemon. The one thing I would not recommend people to do is to buy this as a laptop if you need to carry it around quite a bit. It's quite heavy. I was hoping that the various specifications I read was missing the mention of built-in Bluetooth as the laptop clearly had such a button and icon for it. It's unfortunate to find out that they're only facade.Again, besides the cons I mentioned, I didn't regret making the purchase decision on this and still consider it a good value. I would definitely recommend it to others looking for a powerful laptop with a large monitor.
-
Reviewed by: leemelnikov
02-21-08
Duration of ownership:
4
Days
Strengths: inexpensive
Weaknesses:build quality. battery life
Overall Evaluation: Worked for one day. Next day the screen went blank. Battery lasts a little over an hour, although it probably needs to be fully charged and dischared a few times to get maximum out of it. Also, I have my brightness all the way, so I guess over 1hr is not too bad. Network card is good, picks up more signals from my neighbours then any other laptop i've used. Build quality is probably not as good as HP or Dell, but acer cost about 30% less so I should not complain.
-
Reviewed by: Leonid150
02-16-08
Duration of ownership:
2
Days
Strengths: Excellent laptop. Excellent value.
Weaknesses:weight.
Overall Evaluation: I never considered ACER brand before, thinking of it as another walmart type 3rd world company. Recently I purchased an Acer 19" monitor and two Acer laptops and I must admit - there's absolutelly nothing to complain about. I've heard from retail store managers that Acer products get returned more often then HP for example, but I honestly can't figure out why. I owe an HP, Dell and Compaq products and I can't say that one is supirior to another. One HUGE advantage (in my opinion. hope I'm not making trouble here) is that Acer's customer service is located in USA..... That's a HUGE PLUS in my opinion. I've had some issues with HP, Compaq and Sony products and their customer service was nothing but aggravation. I had to call Acer once for a minor issue and was plesantly suprised with the knowledge of their tech support. Plus, they answered the call within seconds, unlike HP, where it sometimes takes hours for their chat rep to come online. I must admit though - I couldn't find Acer's phone number on their website, so I submitted an online form instead. I got a reply next day with status "Solved" and the phone number in case I have any other questions. Now about this laptop :). In my opinion it has two disadvantages - it's weight and Vista. If you are thinking of carring it around, make sure you can. Vista - well, I'm waiting for a service pack or two.
-
Reviewed by: sokoloff
09-23-07
Duration of ownership:
1
Months
Strengths: Actually a top notch Intel T2450 Dual Core Duo (2.0 GHz), top name chip set, graphics card, HD and parts. Built in tilt camera. Acer proprietary utilities called 'eMpowering technology' included.
Weaknesses:Video inputs-lack thereof...only modern computer I know without a Firewire port or other digital video inputs. Bluetooth button and light but no module on motherboard. Optical drawer a bit flimsy.
Overall Evaluation: I like so many others were looking first and foremost for a 17" laptop at a bargain price...yes, occasionally we see the sale for around $600 to $700 for a unit with a soon to be outdated processor (like the T2080) and a 100 to 120 GB hard drive. But in this case, there is a T2450 processor with 2MB and not 1MB frontload and faster speeds seen on, well models that are honestly near double the price. Staples must have purchased a lot or perhaps the entire stock of this particular version of the 9410 and blew it out at only $599. You just won't find another 17" laptop with this kind of Intel chipset at this price. Once aware of the deal, I soon learned that nearly every store on the East Coast had sold out and that Staples.com had no more inventory. On a chance trip to Orlando, Florida, after already purchasing a very nice substitute (a Gateway MX8739 from BestBuy for the same price on a sale), I found one left, the display, at a Staples and because the item was no longer listed as 'currently in stock,' it was sold to me as the last one in inventory in near perfect condition at the sale price with the original box, papers, etc. and the Techies at Staples even restored the system for me to factory settings...On the last day possible, I then returned the Gateway...Let's compare: 2450 chip vs. 2080 chip, built in webcam with tilt v. no-webcam, 160 GB hard drive vs. 120 GB drive (Caveat...I later learned that Acer partitioned the drive in half, so while the space is there, you have to access half of the space as another drive...not quite sure why), a useful set of proprietary utilities called 'eMpowering technology' which is a toolbar with useful nick-nacks like imaging backup (based on Ghost) on hidden partition on drive , a wireless tool that automatically seeks out and mirrors WiFi finder, security locks for files, etc. vs. none. The screen is well really nice. The deceptive thing is that there is a button for Bluetooth and a light for same, but there is no module on the motherboard. I contacted Acer about this and even was willing to purchase a module. However, I have been informed that Acer won't support that feature on US and Canadian models and that it was a carryover for the standard 9410 chassis used world-wide. I did find a site in Canada that can sell you the module and necessary cables for $85 US plus shipping but it is not a simple thing. You have to crack open the chassis to get to the mother board, plug the cable on the open slot, kind of place the cable in the right openings for the module to sit properly, close the unit, locate the proper drivers on the net and install the same, etc. Since I purchased the extended warranty, which to say the least is relatively inexpensive (3 year warranty for only $99 or warranty plus accidental damage protection for $199[half of most of the better known companies]---I never owned an Acer so I wanted to hedge against any quality issues), I did not want to jeopardize same and purchased a very nice Bluetooth 2.0 USB dongle from Iogear, on sale for around $21 that actually works with Vista. I did, however, as the notebook was intended, add two 1GB modules making the total memory 2GB for under $80. This way the shared memory for video graphics can really do its job without affecting performance. Incidentally, this laptop has a top memory configuration capability of 4GB rather than the 2GB max on most less expensive models (like the Gateway I purchased earlier). Now, I am truly disappointed by not having a Firewire port...why??? I just don't know other than some saying that Firewire is slowly falling out of favor for the more acceptable USB 2.0. To remedy the problem, I found a nice Adaptec Firewire PCMCIA card for around $12 which I will be able to use should I want to download directly from a video camera or the like. Still, it is the only laptop I know without one...Overall, the software that comes with it other than the typical trial-ware from Norton, it comes with useful although basic utilities/software for burning discs, etc. Although I purchased if for my kids, my wife and I enjoy the machine and for the money, even with the negatives mentioned, we still think it was the best bang for the money.
Cameras
Camcorders
Cell Phones
Components
Desktops
HDTV
Home Theater
GPS
Laptops
Monitors
MP3 Players
Networking &
Printers
Storage
Today's Most Popular Computer Hardware
